Man’s Best Friend May Be Plastic Surgery

Cosmetic surgery is no longer just about women. Men are getting in on the action to look better and feel good about themselves. For many men it’s a must in today’s youth obsessed world, where a younger-looking appearance can give a man the edge in a competitive business environment or even in a dating relationship. Dr. Kevin Smith explains that in today’s atmosphere, men have plenty of options to improve on appearance and look more masculine.

By Dawn Tongish
and Kevin Smith, MD

The Fountain of  Youth For Men

The numbers don’t lie. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reports that MEN spent more than $12 billion on an array of plastic surgery procedures in 2014. It’s because the male sex wants to look good, just like women want to feel good about the reflection in the mirror. It isn’t surprising to Dr. Kevin Smith, a plastic surgeon who operates the Charlotte Plastic Surgery Center. “Guys are spending a lot of time in the gym and they are watching what they eat, but that still doesn’t help with the old look, so they feel they need to do something about it.” Smith has seen an uptick in the number of men seeking procedures at his office in Charlotte, North Carolina. He says that men want the end result to not only get rid of the problem, but to look natural, not noticeable.

“It happens to guys too. We lose volume in the face and we get saggy skin and jowly stuff, but men are afraid that with surgery they will end up looking obvious or overdone.” Smith says he likes to assure his male patients that the best outcome is have a friend notice a “refreshed appearance”. Smith says any surgical procedure shouldn’t make the patient look different, it should make the patient look better.

Cozy Up To Botox

It isn’t just rich and famous men turning to cosmetic surgery. Men from all socio-economic walks are seeking to turn back the clock and the stats prove it. The number of procedures increased by more than 106 percent between 1997 and 2012, according to some reports. That’s staggering, but so are some of the images of bad cosmetic procedures. It can be downright scary for men to see Hollywood macho men, overdone with fillers and facelifts. “There’s a lot of bad plastic surgery out there and it scares a lot of men,” says Dr. Smith. He says that men tend to take it slowly at first and should consider non-invasive procedures, like Botox to smooth out facial wrinkles. “I think that more men should be accepting of the fillers. Botox is an excellent way to get rid of that intense look between the brows,” says Smith.

Smith says there may be a misconception that fillers are used predominately on women, but he says they are effective on men too, especially for erasing dark patches that can make a person look exhausted. “For men, we can use Botox in that hollowness underneath the eyes that makes us look tired.”

Nip and Tuck to Command the Boardroom

The marketing trends have begun to entice the corporate male to plastic surgery, with labels like “Forbes Facelift” for the man who wants just the right touch of trustworthy wrinkles, with a mix of youthful restoration. It is the new reality that a younger appearance helps for those looking to climb the corporate ladder, or those wanting to maintain a position of leadership in the marketplace. Many men are turning to plastic surgery for a leg up on the next guy with a resume. “I tell my clients that you can’t be managing that hefty portfolio and looking like you are an old soul. Your face needs to reflect the youthful you,” says Smith.

Those searching for the fountain of youth are finding an answer in eyelid surgery or blepharoplasty. Smith says it is a common first step for men. “We get those heavy upper eyelids and its a function of vision. It is like wearing a ball cap and you can’t see with all of that heavy eyelid skin.” He says repairing the puffiness under the eyes and eliminating dark circles can make the face look less tired. Whether it is body contouring to get rid of love handles that don’t’ seem to disappear even with countless hours in the gym, or a surgical fix — men do have options to repair and restore. After all, why should women be the only ones to bask in a renewed glow? Men are realizing they can opt for change, without seeing BIG change and that’s just the way they want it. “The changes are subtle and the procedure solves the problem without looking different, just better,” Smith says.