By Nasrin Mani, M.D.
If you watch morning talk shows, apparently men are seeking out plastic surgery and cosmetic treatments more than ever. But you shouldn’t believe everything you hear on morning talk shows.
Every few years, somebody decides it’s time to pull out the old chestnut that a certain category of plastic surgery or cosmetic treatment is suddenly becoming more popular among men. The last time this topic did the rounds was in 2008, on the basis of 2007’s statistics that showed a significant uptick in the number of men having cosmetic surgery. This number declined significantly during the economic downturn, when men were more likely to lose their jobs (the so-called “Mancession”–funny how these things get better media coverage if somebody comes up with a catchy term to describe them) and not have the resources to pay for cosmetic procedures.
In fact, men now account for a smaller percentage of cosmetic surgery patients than they did in 1997, the first year for which the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) collected statistics. In 1997, men accounted for about 14% of all cosmetic surgery patients, but by 2011, that percentage had declined to only about 10%.
But in 1997 men only accounted for about 8% of BOTOX® Cosmetic patients, compared to 10% in 2011, so perhaps that’s what’s happening–more men are seeking out cosmetic treatments rather than surgery. Sorry, but that’s false, too. Men may have been slower to take up BOTOX® Cosmetic at first, but by 2001 men made up nearly 14% of all patients receiving the injections.
The truth is that men have always been seeking out plastic surgery and cosmetic treatments. It’s just as normal for men to want to look good as it is for women, and if men are less likely to seek out cosmetic treatments, it’s because their standard of “looking good” is different from women, and tends to benefit less from treatments available.
If you are a man and you want to look better, don’t let anyone–including you–tell you that cosmetic treatments are for women. Please contact La Jolla Cosmetic Laser Clinic in San Diego to learn how we can help you.
