Plastic surgery was once thought to be a field of medicine only women patients would seek out. Today, this is changing quite rapidly.
A recent survey conducted by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery shows that an estimated 31 percent adult males rated themselves as “extremely likely” to go under the knife.
The reasons male patients give for seeking out plastic surgery are quite similar to the reasons cited by women patients. This article explores what research has to say about how many men seek out plastic surgery, whether this trend is increasing and why.
4 Key Reasons Men Want Plastic Surgery
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports that men want plastic surgery for many of the same reasons female patients choose to have procedures.
Better body confidence is a big driving force for male patients today. Patients also say they want to feel more confident – like their insides and their outsides match.
Older male patients often seek out less invasive plastic surgery procedures with minimal downtime to feel like they are staying more competitive in the workplace. Some plastic surgeons have nicknamed these procedures the “executive edge.”
And male patients want to enter the aging process with more grace as the human lifespan continues to extend.
What Types of Plastic Surgery Procedures Are Men Choosing?
Male breast reductions, tummy tucks, liposuctions (both surgical and non-surgical), body contouring and minimally invasive fillers in the facial and neck areas are front-runners in the field of male plastic surgery.
Interestingly, the types of plastic surgery procedures today’s male patients are choosing does differ somewhat by age and profession. As well, of the more than 1.3 million procedures performed on male patients in 2017, certain types of procedures have emerged as more popular than the rest.
A combination plastic surgery procedure nicknamed the “daddy do-over,” aka the “dad bod,” is becoming more common with dads of young or middle school-aged children.
Botox, aka “bro-tox,” is another popular treatment among adult men of a certain age who want to halt or reverse the early signs of the natural process of aging. Rhinoplasty is also becoming more popular, as is hair replacement therapy.
Stigma Is Reducing for Male Plastic Surgery Patients
Another reason there has been an increase in the number of adult men seeking plastic surgery procedures is because of mainstream media reports that the stigma attached to the male plastic surgery patient is rapidly evaporating.
No longer is the field populated solely by male models, bodybuilders or individuals who need corrective procedures due to natural genetic issues, illness or trauma. Today’s male plastic surgery candidates include men from every walk of life.
Interestingly, the field of plastic surgery as a whole is still largely populated by male surgeons. Yet rather than gender, it is a plastic surgeon’s reputation in the field and with patients along with board certifications and education that is the prime contributing factor for how male patients choose their plastic surgeon.
