Facial plastic surgery is no longer perceived as women’s topic. As enhancements and elective procedures designed to elevate the human face—and condition—have become more common worldwide, men are coming along for the ride.
BOTOX® and facelifts are now a routine part of American culture, the subject of everyday conversation. Increasingly that means men are also considering plastic surgery and nonsurgical procedures, whether a significant other or friends who have already undergone life-changing facial procedures encourage them.
“Plastic surgery used to be something for the rich. Twenty-five years ago it would have been taboo to talk about among men and it would have been done behind closed doors,” says Dr. Brent J. Smith, who founded Smith Cosmetic Surgery over 30 years ago. “Now men realize other guys have the same concerns. They’re asking what was it like and admitting they’ve been thinking about it too. Now that plastic surgery is more accepted in society, they’re more curious.”
While facelifts have always been available to people of varied ages, backgrounds and sexes, more men than ever are finally exploring what the fuss is all about. That couldn’t make Dr. Smith more excited about his bustling Denver facial plastic surgery practice. After all, having a male performing surgery is always a helpful way to make male patients feel more comfortable, particularly with their first procedure.
Maintaining a fresh, more youthful appearance is especially important to middle-aged men, who may be competing against younger applicants during a mid-career job shift or possible promotion. This is quite common in the modern workplace because professionals tend to move to different companies and opportunities much more readily than in the past.
Appearance and related self-confidence also become important aspects as men re-enter the dating scene after a divorce later in life. Additionally, where even just a few years ago a more rugged, “Marlboro man” look was considered attractive, a smoother look, featuring more youthful skin, is now more popular and sought after.
So what plastic surgery procedures are men having done these days? Eyelids are the most common area of concern for male patients coming in for consultations at Smith Cosmetic Surgery. Dr. Smith explains why this area of the face is so important: “When we look at someone, the first thing we do is make eye contact, and when we see hooding around the eyes it automatically makes people look older.”
That’s not an expression most men or women want to showcase. But while women tend to see and be more concerned with subtleties in the face, Dr. Smith says most male patients tend to look at the big picture. They typically want to know what procedure will enhance their overall look to appear less aged.
Noses are also very important to men’s appearances. According to the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery’s annual survey, rhinoplasty remains the top procedure overall for men, followed by nonsurgical BOTOX®.
The reason many men choose to have their noses done in conjunction with a facelift has to do with the way the human nose expands as it ages. Nose cartilage, the wiggly part that makes up the bottom half of the nose, actually grows as we age. Additionally, tissues designed to hold noses up and in place, get more lax over time, which can make the nose droop. An existing hump may become more prominent as well.
This is acutely concerning among men who may have started life with a larger nose. Maybe they’ve been bothered by the size of their nose since they were a child or teen, and that concern only grows as the nose does with age.
In addition to mini facelifts and procedures that minimize the eyelids and nose, men are also choosing popular nonsurgical options like BOTOX® for fine lines and wrinkles, as well as laser-guided procedures and peels to smooth the skin. These outpatient procedures are especially attractive to working professionals who don’t think they can schedule the required downtime following a facial cosmetic procedure.
Men who do commit to realizing the long-term results of a more permanent facelift or rhinoplasty often struggle with what it means to be a patient. While societal norms are slowly changing, American cultural has traditionally favored the “macho man.”
That means males in the U.S. are often under pressure, whether conscious or subconscious, to live up to a model that places value on independence, efficiency and toughness. And those traits don’t always make for the best facial plastic surgery patients.
If you want something done fast without missing much work and you expect to take recovery into your own hands, those are unrealistic expectations for any surgery. So how can men learn to be better patients and give their investment the respect it deserves and the time it needs to pay off?
One key is scheduling real downtime. Just like vacation, you can take it if you really want it. Don’t try to wing a facelift or other surgical procedure and expect to walk back in the office a whole new you the same week. Give yourself permission to rest and recover properly. “For guys it never feels like a good time to take down time with work,” Dr. Smith says. “So identify a specific date for surgery and really start to work your schedule around that.”
Another very important piece of advice for male patients is to follow directions. Yep, just like your spouse or significant other wants you to do in the car. If you do what Dr. Smith and his expert team asks during pre-op and post-op you will be much happier with your experience and outcome in the long run. Dr. Smith reminds, “When we give pre-operative instructions, for example, it’s not being done willy-nilly. If you prepare, you will get better results and a better recovery.”
Need more advice on making the facelift you’ve been considering a reality? Come in for a consultation with Dr. Smith. His 30-year medical knowledge of the face, combined with the highly professional process at Smith Cosmetic Surgery, may give you answers to medical and emotional questions you didn’t even know you had. We welcome the opportunity to help you through the process.
To request your personal consultation, call us at 888-219-1161 or contact us online.
