The cosmetic surgery industry is often one viewed as
something for women, but the reality is that thousands of men go under the
knife to improve their appearance every single year in the United States.
In fact, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) has
seen a 273 percent increase in the number of procedures performed on men since
it started tracking statistics in 1997. Here are some of the top procedures men
opt for when having cosmetic work done.
Botox
Men struggling with wrinkles on the face can turn to Botox
for help. Botox involves injecting the bacterium Clostridium botulinum into the
muscles that contribute to deep wrinkles between the eyebrows and other areas
of the face.
Botox blocks the signals from the nerves to these muscles,
so that they cannot contract, allowing the wrinkles to soften and relax. This
effectively works on wrinkles of the forehead, crow's feet area and frown
lines. It will not work on wrinkles caused by sun damage or gravity.
Botox has few risks and is considered a minimally invasive
treatment. The effects last between four to six months, which means patients
will need repeat applications to maintain their results. However, over time the
wrinkles will appear less severe as the muscles are trained to relax, which may
mean fewer treatments are necessary to maintain results.
This is by far one of the most common procedures, with over
410,000 men having it in 2014 according to the ASPS. Dr. Livingston recommends
a board certified plastic surgeon perform the botox injections that has
experience in skin care, facial fillers, and laser treatments for overall
facial rejuvenation that can be easy to perform, quick (during a lunchbreak),
and relatively painless.
Gynecomastia Correction Surgery
Sometimes when hormones are out of balance or a man is over
weight, men will struggle with over-developed or enlarged breasts. Gynecomastia
can be emotionally difficult for men, changing quality of life as the man
avoids activities that draw attention to the condition. Gynecomastia correction
surgery involves cutting out excess glandular tissue and ultrasonic
liposuction. The overall goal is to improve the contour of the chest.
In 2014, the ASPS estimated a total of 26,175 men underwent
this procedure. Candidates for gynecomastia should visit their doctors first to
rule out any medical problems causing their condition. As long as there are not
underlying conditions that need to be treated, you are a good candidate. Dr.
Livingston performs this surgery weekly and his patients state it "changes
their lives".
Hair Transplant
When hair starts to thin, a hair transplant can help restore
the look of a full head of hair. This common procedure, which has been around
since the 1950s, involves taking a narrow strip of scalp tissue from the back
of the head, dividing it into small grafts with just a few hairs each, and then
placing those grafts into small holes on the front of the head where the hair
is thinning.
Because the area where the hair is removed is in the back of
the head, the existing hair will cover it.
Most men who are good health can have hair transplant
surgery, provided they have sufficient hair in the donor area to perform the
procedure. The procedure takes between four and eight hours under local
anesthesia. In 2014, the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery
indicated 112,409 people underwent surgical hair restoration procedures.
Liposuction
As men get older, fat deposits tend to build up in the
abdomen, love handles and chest. Even men who are at healthy weight can have
unwanted fat buildup in these areas. Liposuction is a common procedure to
remove that fat and better contour the body. This cosmetic procedure breaks up
and removes fat from certain areas of the body using a cannula inserted under
the skin and removed using a high-pressure vacuum. This is the most common
cosmetic procedure in the United States, with over 400,000 procedures occurring
every year.
To be a candidate for liposuction, a patient needs to have a
stable body weight, but with undesirable fat deposits in specific areas of the
body. It should not be treated as a weight loss method, but rather as a sculpting
method. Dr. Christopher K Livingston, a board certified plastic surgeon and
hand surgeon in Houston, Texas believes any cosmetic surgery such as
liposuction should be a "reward for a healthy lifestyle". He states
"these patients are the best candidates and can have pleasing and long
lasting results".
Blepharoplasty
Blepharoplasty is an outpatient procedure that involves
cutting the fold of the eyelid to remove excess skin, muscle and fat, then
closing the cut. Because the cut is done on the fold or directly under the
lashes on the lower eyelid, scarring is well hidden.
The procedure takes about two hours. Dr. Livingston believes
this procedure is becoming much more common because it can be performed under
local anesthesia in the office with excellent results and the recovery time is
about one week. Dr. Livingston believes "men want cosmetic surgery that is
easy to recover from and return to work or activities quickly".
If you are a man who is considering plastic surgery, you are
in good company. Talk to your surgeon today to discuss your candidacy, and
enjoy an appearance that is a reflection of your total health with the help of
one of these procedures.
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