A Manly Makeover: Subtle Aesthetic Adjustments For Today’s Rugged Male

Charlotte’s Book founder and editor Robin Shobin discussed the rise of men’s interest in dermatology and plastic surgery in this recent article. She first noticed the trend in men’s interest when questions from curious dudes started coming in more regularly—it’s just not something you might discuss bro-to-bro, and these guys were looking for answers.

According to data from RealSelf, plastic surgeons saw a 73% increase in their number of male patients in 2015. In terms of dermatology, 87% of dermatologist say they’re seeing more dudes. These new clients are looking for Botox, Liposuction, and chemical peels, and they’re dropping names like Pitt and Clooney. The trend might be growing, but they’re not the first: Tom Ford famously says he’s “not even able to frown” due to Botox, and Christian Bale, Clooney, and Cruise are all part of the veneer-sporting, white-teeth flashing crowd.

Here, Charlotte’s Book expert Plastic Surgeon Dr. Sophie Bartsich discusses the new trend, and the range of subtle, easy enhancements men can consider.

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My fastest growing group of cosmetic surgery patients is men. Most of these men are confident, high achieving, motivated people, and yet they feel self-conscious about discussing their personal physique. “This is really vain, isn’t it?” they sometimes ask me. None of these men would bat an eyelash if their partners wanted to remove some fat from their bellies, Botox their foreheads, or get larger breasts. And yet they just cannot bring themselves to feel good about a little help achieving washboard abs after 40—even though they’ve more than earned it along the way.

It’s Gradual: How Men Age

While most women experience a significant part of their physical changes abruptly with childbirth, men’s aging is more gradual and also more accepted. What are described as wrinkles in women are termed character lines in men. Women with grey hair look old, while silvery men look more distinguished. But what happens when the lines deepen, the silvery mane thins, and those beautiful baby blues are shaded above by droopy eyelids, and dragged down by the bags below? Or that strong rugged jawline now softens and rolls over that crisp shirt collar? Add to that the fact that you now feel guilty about eating even one cookie or both sides of the hamburger bun, and it’s just plain demoralizing. When did a nice, relaxing beer become an opportunity to count calories?

Traditionally, the conversation about a man’s allure has focused more on achievement than looks. But most men take as much pride in their physique as do women, and the impact it has on their state of mind and ambition should not be underestimated. Men are just as likely as women to lose some of their sense of self as their faces and bodies change. With time, it becomes more difficult for them to maintain their physiques just the same, and work and family often limit the time with which to do so. Yet somehow we still judge the ones who want to make that extra effort, wondering why they even care so much about their looks.

Subtle Makes All The Difference

One of the things many people don’t realize about cosmetic surgery is that the goal is often subtle—more subtle than you’d think. Most moms who want to get their bodies back are not dreaming of the two-piece swimsuit or the centerfold pose. They just want to look good in jeans and a fitted T-shirt on a Sunday afternoon in the park. While the dads don’t have post-partum issues with which to wrangle, they have their own belly bulges to juggle after a certain age, and even a regular dress shirt can be daunting without a support layer underneath. Men want to wear slim fit shirts too, and you just can’t do that with confidence when you have a gut. In most cases, that stubborn bulge can be removed in an hour and a half, never to be heard from again. If it weren’t for the “guys don’t get cosmetic surgery” motto, more of them probably would.

Go Easy: Minimally-Invasive Procedures

There is a lot that a man can do to get to that rugged aesthetic without ever compromising on his masculinity. Great hair goes a long way, but you need enough of it to work with. Thanks to new technology and better procedures, hair transplant “tells” are a thing of the past. You can replace all you’ve lost without needing an 80s style scalp tattoo to cover the harvest site. Botox and fillers can also offer tremendous improvements with minimal downtime. And you can use just a little of them, gently relaxing those lines without totally freezing your face or looking anything close to feminine. Round it all off with a little eyelid refresher, and you won’t look like you just got off the red-eye after your seventh meeting about a meeting.

Abs + Fitted T-shirt = Liposuction

When it comes to more invasive procedures, liposuction is one of the most versatile tools for body contouring of the chest and belly. Most people don’t think about cosmetic surgery of the breast for men—except for the men who need it, and they think about it all the time. For men who are otherwise fit and weight-stable, liposuction can be a game changer, because hormone and age-related fat deposits are often diet and exercise resistant, no matter how much you torture yourself. If your favorite action star couldn’t get a six-pack with the best trainers and nutritionists on hand, then how can you? And when your sculpted chest and abs ripple through that fitted T-shirt while you chase your son around the playground, life is just plain good.

Surgery can’t cure bad habits or bad living. But assuming you’re trying to do things right and Mother Nature just isn’t cooperating, know that you have options that don’t include feeling out of place at a manicure salon. Male aesthetics is its own category, and serves a very important personal and social purpose. A little gentleman grooming in the right hands can go a long way to re-establishing the strut in your step, and more of your friends are doing it than you realize. So the next time you see a picture of the Hollywood hunk you think looks a little like you, only sharper, keep in mind that he probably started out with nature on his side, only to be complemented by a little surgical nurture along the way.