While cosmetic surgery is most popular with women, there is a growing trend of men getting more and more procedures, and this number continues to increase every year. Men currently account for 8% of the market share when it comes to cosmetic surgery, and this is largely due to reduced stigma. The more men that have surgery, the more men step forward to have it.
There are lots of procedures that are attractive to both men and women, and this article will explore some of the most popular cosmetic surgeries that men undergo.
Eyelid Surgery (blepharoplasty)
This procedure is popular with both men and women. However, men are more inclined to opt for reducing hanging bags under the eyes, whereas women will go for both upper eyes and underneath. This is probably because women wear makeup on the eyes and so are more inclined to notice elasticity reducing here. But also because when men have upper eyelids tightened it tends to give a slightly feminine look.
Eyelid surgery can take years off a man but is also sometimes performed when skin around the eyes is causing vision issues. The procedure can involve removing excess fat, excess skin, and readjusting muscles to get the best possible look after surgery. Recovery usually takes around 10-14 days; however, some bruising may remain beyond this.
Hair Transplant
It’s not surprising that hair transplants top the list with men. Hair loss is big business, and while many men try other remedies first, such as creams, sprays and even head tattoos, the only guaranteed solution for actual hair regrowth is to have a surgical hair implant. While some women are eligible for the procedure under the right circumstances (for example alopecia, a condition that makes people lose hair) it’s still hugely dominated by men.
There is more than one way to perform hair transplant surgery, and your surgeon will discuss options with you, but individual hairs can be transplanted from a donor site at the back of your head. Recovery for hair transplants varies, but generally you will notice a dramatic reduction in pain after five days. For those initial days, you can expect your head to feel very sore, and you will need to follow a very specific aftercare plan in the early stages of recovery. After around two weeks, the transplanted hair will fall out, but new hair growth should begin in the stimulated follicles shortly afterwards.
Male Breast Reduction (Gynecomastia)
Yes, men get chest reduction surgery too! Essentially, there are two reasons why men may want chest reduction surgery. Firstly, if they have gained weight and find that stubborn fat has deposited around the chest, giving the appearance of breasts. Or in some cases, men can have a condition called gynecomastia where they actually can develop breast tissue.
It is often caused by hormonal imbalances in men and can be extremely embarrassing, so it’s not surprising that this surgery makes the top male cosmetic procedures list. Chest reduction surgery recovery can take up to six weeks, and it is not uncommon to require two to three weeks off work.
Liposuction
Men tend to have liposuction for body sculpting purposes rather than trimming the fat. It’s popular with men who are wanting very prominent abs, for example, but have some pockets of fat making them less defined than they would like. Around 11% of liposuction procedures are performed on men.
Liposuction is the process of removing fat cells with a device similar to a vacuum. However, in recent years, less invasive options have been developed including laser lipo and fat freezing which is entirely non-surgical. Traditional liposuction should take no more than three months to recover from fully, but you should be able to return to your normal activities after around four to six weeks.
Dermal Fillers
Dermal fillers are a great procedure for a little confidence boost for men and women, simply because they are inexpensive and relatively noninvasive with next to no downtime. Men tend to have dermal fillers to define the face (sculpting the popular square jaw look) whereas women use the procedure to fill out wrinkles where they have lost volume in the face.
Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)
Tummy tucks are popular plastic surgery procedure with both men and women, but women carry fat differently to men (with the hips and thighs often being a common fat storage location) so for men, the tummy can be a real problem area. After significant weight loss or liposuction, many men find themselves with excess skin around the tummy. A tummy tuck involves removing any excess skin and tightening the abdominal muscle to give a more toned defined appearance.
Allow six weeks for full recovery after a tummy tuck and to see the final results, as there may be bruising and swelling for a significant amount of time following surgery.
With less stigma attached to men taking care of themselves, cosmetic procedures are becoming more popular with the male population. There are many procedures men can benefit from and providing you do your research and find a reputable clinic, there is no reason why you can’t use surgery to look and feel great!
