Society is challenging perceptions that men age well. Only a few men are lucky enough for their appearances to actually improve with age. In other words, not everyone is George Clooney. A sharp increase in the popularity of plastic surgery among men reaffirms growing consciousness of aging and physical appearance. In fact, male cosmetic procedures have jumped by as much as 106% from 1997 to 2012, Business Insider reports.
Plastic surgeon, Dr. Douglas Steinbrech, adds, “Over the last three to five years, there’s been a huge boom is men’s aesthetic surgery. Our practice has seven websites, one exclusively for men, and many of our patients now are male. It’s a very big misconception that all patients are women.” One of the top reasons men seek plastic surgery, Steinbrech continues, is corporate success. Men want to keep up appearances for the sake of their careers; experts suggest that physical appearance may have a good deal to do with career advancement, too.
“In a marketplace where looking fit, younger, and more masculine is imperative, the better you look, the better your chances of ascending the corporate ladder,” Dr. Steinbrech tells Business Insider. Steinbrech admits that it is his most successful marketing angle. Sites like AskMen also inspire men to remain in top physical condition for as long as possible, and that includes eliminating fine lines, wrinkles, and other age-related imperfections. Just like women, men’s skin elasticity decreases with age. Skin loses approximately 0.55% of its elasticity per year, ultimately resulting in loose skin and wrinkles. AskMen promotes regular moisturizing, the application of eye creams, and regular exercise for maintaining a youthful appearance.
Other top reasons for men to go under the knife include altering physical features for a more model-esque appearance or undergoing procedures to enhances muscular definition. Steinbrech sheds light on the first procedure: “You take an average, good-looking kid, and you enhance his jaw, elongate his chin, enhance his cheekbones, and suddenly he looks like the cover of Vogue.”
