More men than ever are undergoing plastic surgery procedures to improve their bodies and boost their confidence. New statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reveal that more than 1.3 million cosmetic procedures were performed on men last year.
“More and more men are coming to my office to have an open discussion about their insecurities,” Lorelei Grunwaldt, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Pittsburgh, explained in a press release. “When I explain the wide range of surgeries and procedures available to help them achieve their goals, I can see the look of relief on their faces. For a lot of men, just having a procedure on an area of their body that they’re self-conscious about can really make a positive impact on how they see themselves.”
Many young men seek body contouring procedures such as liposuction and tummy tucks, which have increased 23 percent and 12 percent, respectively, over the past five years. Male breast reductions have jumped 30 percent during the same time period.
Older men are focusing on minimally-invasive procedures in order to look younger. In 2017, nearly 100,000 men have opted for filler injections—a 99 percent increase since 2000. Botox specifically has quadrupled in popularity.
“Some people call it the ‘executive edge’ because a lot of patients report that they want to look younger to continue to compete in the workplace,” said Jeffrey Janis, MD, President of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. “But I think, more often, men just want to look as young as they feel.”
Janis urges men to seek out qualified, board-certified surgeons to handle the procedures. “The extensive training that these doctors go through gives them the versatility to offer their patients more choices so that each person receives the right procedures to meet their goals,” he noted.
Statistics for the number of Canadian plastic surgeries are unavailable, but Dr. Peter Lennox, president of the Canadian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, and Dr. Mitchell Brown, plastic surgeon and professor of surgery at the University of Toronto, told Global News that the rise in plastic surgery procedures for men is comparable in Canada.
“It is now much more common in the public eye, and more people are exposed to it and comfortable with it,” Lennox commented. “As cosmetic surgery, in general, has become more mainstream, men have also become exposed to the options and are more accepting. Some have postulated that the rise in social media has also increased acceptance and interest in cosmetic surgery in general, with people much more commonly in online photos, etc.”
Mitchell noted that procedures that are common in Canada also include hair transplants, eyelid surgery, and nasal reshaping.
