Men under the knife
Plastic surgery is becoming more attractive to men looking to recapture their youth
By Sara Cardine 01/28/2010
When it comes to looks, Bruce is on top of things. The 58-year-old SoCal professional has lived a good life, maintained his physique and is pleased with his overall appearance. But, until recently, underneath the veneer of attractiveness was something Bruce felt self-conscious about — scars left over from an accident he’d had as a teenager.
At the time, he said, doctors were more concerned with saving his life than preserving his skin. He was left with noticeable surgery scars that went through several layers of tissue on his chest and back. For 40 years he kept them covered whenever possible, though the gruesome reminders of his childhood misfortune were always with him.
“When I was out at the beach, it looked that much more grotesque,” he recalled.
Bruce, who declined to use his last name, was working in Pasadena when he saw an ad in the Pasadena Weekly, proclaiming the skills of board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Gloria de Olarte. His decision to see her was about more than just looking good — it was about reclaiming his body image and feeling comfortable in his skin.
Whether for medical corrective reasons, or out of a simple desire to look as young as they feel on the inside, more and more men are turning to plastic surgeons and the ever-expanding spectrum of services they provide.
This reflects a national trend among men and women who are willing to spend good money on technologies and products that tuck, fill and reduce problem areas. According to figures released by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the number of surgical cosmetic treatments performed nationwide between 1998 and 2008 increased 114 percent. The use of nonsurgical cosmetic solutions, such as Botox and injectible fillers like Restylane, increased by 754 percent in the same decade.
De Olarte attributes this increase in demand to a widening acceptance and normalization of cosmetic procedures in mainstream culture. As more celebrities open up about the work they’ve had done and more commercials advertise similar solutions for the average Joe and Jane, more people see themselves as likely candidates for cosmetic improvements.
When de Olarte opened her Pasadena practice 22 years ago, face-lifts and tummy tucks were reserved for the wealthy and were kept very hush-hush. That’s not necessarily the case today. Men account for roughly 10 percent to 15 percent of her total clientele, although they comprise approximately one-third of the patients who come seeking injectibles such as Botox, she said.
“It’s more open now,” she added. “(My patients) see people on television and actors who look not too bad. It has become more acceptable for females and males, too.”
Today people are willing to invest in their physical appearance to give themselves the edge in the workplace or as a preventive measure against the signs of aging to come, according to Dr. Nicholas Nikolov, a board-certified plastic surgeon who started his Beverly Hills practice in 1994. Technological advances — better equipment and less invasive techniques — have contributed to shorter recovery times and more delicate and natural-looking results. This is something men, in particular, appreciate.
“There is still a lot of stigma when men have plastic surgery and it’s obvious,” Nikolov said, referring to people who wind up with an overtly “done” look. “Men are much more sensitive to this than even women.”
Nikolov estimates men account for about 25 percent of his total patient load, a fact that he attributes to his tony location more than anything else.
Most men are not seeking to change the overall appearance of their faces, he added. Instead, they come to him asking what can be done to help them look more awake and refreshed.
With the ever-growing emphasis being placed on health and wellness, most professional men are already working out and eating healthier diets to do what they can to maintain their physiques. Despite their best efforts, however, the aging process chugs along, showing itself in the bulge of a stubborn stomach pooch or in fine crenulated folds around the eyes and mouth.
This can be slightly distressing to men who are concerned that a tired-looking face could net them less respect in the workplace, especially if they are competing with younger men for positions and promotions, said Nikolov, who holds two separate consultation visits with patients before a procedure to discuss goals and outcomes.
During these visits, patients explain their worries that bosses and co-workers may be associating their aging appearance with decreased aptitude and overlooking their accomplishments on the job.
“Whether we like it or not, it’s a very youth-oriented society,” Nikolov added. “Having a fresher look helps in getting a new job or keeping and advancing in the job you already have. A lot of it is perception.”
In today’s economic climate, where jobs are scarce and applicants plenteous and hungry, people may be looking to something as simple as a temporary Botox injection to create a visage that projects an inner competence
and confidence.
De Olarte admits that while her female patients come from a broad swath of socioeconomic backgrounds, most of her male clients typically have high-level positions where status may be more of a concern. “Men with education and power are taking care of themselves,” de Olarte said. “They don’t want other people to see them as old.”
Recapturing youth and appearing as fresh as one did in days of yore may be one benefit of cosmetic procedures, but it isn’t the only one. Anyone who’s undergone surgery or surrendered their skin to the sting of the Restylane needle will likely tell you it satisfies a bigger, more deeply resonant need.
For Bruce, plastic surgery was a way to reclaim the body he knew as his own. It helped him make what he saw on the outside match how he felt on the inside. And that, he said, made him feel better about himself.
“I believe you should let everybody be an individual and do what’s right for them,” he said. “If they want to do it and they can afford it, more power to them.”
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Comments
And what a poorly written article! The writer jumps all over the place; the article has no focus and is inconsistent with the headline.
posted by Betty Harris on 1/31/10 @ 09:03 a.m.
Was it a slow news week or something? Plastic surgery? YAWN!