Beauty Doc Blog

The new trend in cosmetic surgery has a male face and body. Body sculpting for men is gaining in popularity. After all, men use skin care products and colognes. Plastic surgery is seen by many as a logical next step. Men are showing themselves to be the opposite of women, who spend more on their appearance when they are younger. Men go for their first visit to the plastic surgeon in their mid to late 40s, the time of life when most are financially secure but starting to get a bit of grey in the hair and a mature look. They use body sculpting as a way of enhancing appearance. And, they are  having plastic surgery in record numbers. While women may still outnumber men in procedures performed, more men than ever are considering and choosing to have  plastic surgery, and last year accounted for 13 percent of all plastic surgery procedures in the US according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. The figures  are up from 11.7 percent of all procedures in 2002 and less than 10 percent in 1998.

Most of the men having body sculpting procedures are baby boomers, in their 40s or 50s who are becoming more health conscious as they get older. These men improve their diet, exercise regularly, stop smoking and in generally fight aging by changing the way they feel and the way they look. Many believe that the youth oriented culture of America and the metrosexual trend in many areas, along with the popularity of television shows like “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” have made the idea of cosmetic surgery for men much more mainstream. A stigma was once associated with men having plastic surgery that no longer exists. Men consider investment in their appearance along with the expensive gadgets and high end “toys for big boys”  they are known for buying.

Being attractive to the opposite sex plays a role in the popularity of body sculpting for men just as it does for women. A 50 year old man who is just divorced and starting to date may look in the mirror and decide that a change is in order if he is to attract the women he wants to attract. Body sculpting through plastic surgery fills this need. A prime example of this is liposuction, one of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures for both genders. Men use it to improve sagging abdomens and get rid of love handles.  Of course face lifts, rhinoplasty and other procedures are all growing in usage as well.