Male Cosmetic Surgery - Reasons for COVID-Era Popularity

The past year has seen a growth in the number of male patients looking to make a change in their appearance. These men often feel they look tired or older than their actual age when viewing their appearance on FaceTime or Zoom for work. From Botox and fillers to microneedling and liposuction, male patients are investing in “tweakments” they view as an investment in maintaining a youthful and refreshed look. They do not want to look tired all the time on video calls. Instead, they want to maintain a rested and younger look in the workplace.

Male Cosmetic Surgery Grows in Popularity

The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has resulted in an increased interest in male cosmetic surgery. Patients who have the extra time and money to spend on cosmetic procedures are taking advantage of the ability to recover at home away from the eyes of their fellow workers.

In an interview with The New York Times, Dr. Jacob Steiger, a Miami plastic surgeon, said “One of the biggest growth segments in plastic surgery has been men as a market share.” Dr. Steiger shared the fact that male patients now make up about 25\\% of his clients as opposed to around 10\\% before the start of the pandemic.

Male Cosmetic Surgery – Reasons for its Growth

One of the reasons millennial male patients want to make a change in their look is their critical eye when it comes to their appearance on video calls as well as social media platforms such as Instagram. While some people take the “natural approach” and do nothing more than exercise and follow a healthy diet to maintain a contoured look to the body, others take a shortcut and have procedures such as Emsculpt to change the appearance of their body. Emsculpt is a device that uses electromagnetic energy during a 30-minute session to contract the muscles in the targeted area of the body. It is normally used on the abdomen and buttocks and is equal to performing 20,000 crunches or squats.

Male patients also want to look their best when they have a virtual meeting with new clients over platforms such as Zoom. They do not want to look “too old for the task” and turn to cosmetic surgery to reduce or eliminate fine lines and wrinkles on the face and forehead.

Social media marketing also plays a part in contributing to the growth of cosmetic surgery for men. TikTok has emerged as a marketing platform for plastic surgeons looking to promote their services such as fillers and Botox along with breast reduction for men and liposuction to get rid of stubborn fat that is resistant to regular diet and exercise.

Plastic Surgeon Society Speaks Out on the Topic

The increasing number of male patients even inspired the American Society of Plastic Surgeons to address the issue. In a video released in March of this year, the organization promoted a number of “male tweakments” including liposuction and eyelid surgery. In the video, Dr. Karen Horton, a San Francisco plastic surgeon said, “Most men who come to see me, they are already fit, but they just have one little stubborn area. And so liposuction is really the go-to.”

Male Cosmetic Surgery – Goals of Patients

It has also been reported that male patients like to opt for a more conventional masculine look when it comes to their appearance. Their aesthetic concerns include having a jawline that is pronounced and sharp along with a neck that is tight and smooth in its appearance. When it comes to Botox and fillers, they want to gain a look that is natural and subtle in appearance. The goal is to look refreshed without it being obvious that a cosmetic treatment was performed.

One other goal of male cosmetic patients is to be open and honest about the changes made in their appearance. The New York Times interviewed a manager of a natural gas company in Florida. The manager is now more vocal about his use of cosmetic treatments after hiding them from his fellow male workers in the construction utilities field. He does realize that such openness about the subject can be generational. “Younger people like my son – he’s 27 and has had Botox as a preventive – talks about it all the time.

Even with the COVID-19 era of more male patients embracing cosmetic surgery, there are some patients that still have the concern that the final results of a procedure will make them look unnatural in appearance. These concerns about their final appearance are one of the reasons cosmetic doctors have embraced the use of social media platforms to promote their services and also show examples of actual patient results. Potential patients can watch online videos on social media platforms in the comfort of their own home and also research their topics of interest to learn more about their desired procedures. Once they make the decision to have a cosmetic procedure, they can schedule a consultation appointment to learn more about the changes that can be made to give them a more youthful and refreshed look.

- MA