Face-Lifts For Men Rose 14%

A new report from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons shows that men underwent more than 1.1 million cosmetic procedures in 2010, a rise of 2%.  Many male surgical procedures increased significantly; facelifts for men rose 14% in 2010, while male liposuction increased 7%.

For men, though, some experts believes the spike in plastic surgery has a direct relationship with the economy, because baby boomers are trying to look younger to compete in the job market.

Plastic surgeons say that another trend they see in male plastic surgery is the type of patient seeking their services.

“Typically people think of celebrities and high profile men undergoing cosmetic surgery,” said Stephen Baker, MD, an ASPS Member Surgeon based in Washington DC. “And while that may be true, the typical male cosmetic surgery patient that I see is an average guy who wants to look as good as he feels. Most of my patients are ‘men’s men,’ the kind of guy you might not think would have plastic surgery.”

The type of procedures that men seek out vary by age. Gynecomastia, or male breast-reduction procedures, for instance, were up by 6%, with men under 30 dominating the requests.

Facelifts, by contrast, were largely driven by baby boomer men in their 50s and 60s, who may still appear slim because they work out but are trying to get rid of “turkey neck.”

2010 Top Five Male Cosmetic Surgical Procedures, by Volume:

1. Nose Reshaping (64,000)
2. Eyelid Surgery (31,000)
3. Liposuction (24,000)
4. Breast Reduction in Men (18,000)
5. Hair Transplantation (13,000)

2010 Top Five Male Cosmetic Minimally-Invasive Procedures, by Volume:

1. Botulinum Toxin Type A (337,000)
2. Laser Hair Removal (165,000)
3. Microdermabrasion (158,000)
4. Chemical Peel (90,000)
5. Soft Tissue Fillers (78,000)

[Source:  "Men Fuel Rebound in Cosmetic Surgery."  American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).  21 Mar. 2011.  Web.  31 Mar. 2011.]