Males and Plastic Surgery -Q & A

Men are discovering what women have long known — that appearance really does matter !

 

Women account for the majority of cosmetic procedures, but more and more men are opting for plastic surgery and other enhancements to lift droopy necks, excise excess body fat, and pin back protruding ears.

Newer, minimally invasive, temporary treatments such as Botox injections and dermatological fillers are intended to create subtle changes such as erasing a few wrinkles. This can be done during a quick office visit.

Men are motivated by competitive issues such as maintaining an edge in a youth-dominated work environment; men decide on procedures that will give them a more masculine appearance… the ‘alpha’ edge.

 

 1. What is different about the way a man’s face needs to be treated in terms of fillers? Why are these differences important?

 

The injector must maintain the masculine features of the patients and should not triangulize the face, as feminine features. The inner cheeks should not be too full as it is considered masculine and sexy for males to have flatter cheeks. One should also not widen the outside part of the cheeks… a feminine feature. A strong chin, harmonious with the nose is a strong masculine feature, just as the square-looking lower jaw.

 

2. Is it a trend to see more men getting fillers?

 

There is a significant rise in men getting Botox and fillers. 15-18% of my practice in my downtown Toronto office is shared between the Bay Street guys: the downtown CEOs, the bankers, the lawyers, the media crew… gay guys and the metrosexuals, etc.

 

3. How are men different than women and how are their faces filled differently? To answer this, think about going through each part of the face you may inject (eyes, lips, cheeks, chin, etc.)

Fillers different for males

 

Masculinity is revealed in the bony and angular features of the male face, whereas, the femininity is seen in the curves and softness of the facial features of females. So the plastic surgeon must enhance those bony characteristics with dermal fillers.

 

Eyes

 

- peri-ocular hollowing is filled in a similar fashion with males, as hollowing around the eyes gives a tired/sad look to both the female and the male. Therefore, the treatment of the tear-throughs and the lid-cheek groove is similar for the 2 sexes. That being said, the upper part of the eyes should remain slightly bony in the males so fillers are not commonly used in the upper orbital area in the males, whereas it is a common area for fillers in the females to enhance the soft curvature of the upper orbital brow.

 

Lips

 

- conservative treatment is a MUST for males when treating their lips. It is best NOT to make the vermillion border too defined in a male and to keep the volume to a minimum. Please no 'ducky lips' for Johnny. In the males, I consider this treatment more of a 'rejuvenation' of the lips as opposed to an augmentation. Men do NOT want other men to know they've had their lips injected, yet, they love the treatment... so the plastic surgeon must perform this art subtly.

 

Cheeks

 

- conservative treatment is a MUST here too. Although in a female we like to enhence the 'apple' on the outer part of the cheeks extending onto the bony arches; in a male, we keep it anteriorly. The face of a male is 'square', not a triangle. Also, when one looks at all the famous alpha-males of our society, younger and older, the medial (inner) cheeks tend to be flatter than the female counterpart. A good example is the young James Dean or the older Sean Connery. So the plastic surgeon must refrain from over-filling both the inner and outer cheeks in the males.

 

Chin

 

- A strong chin is a feature of power and leadership. I am thinking Brian Mulroney. It is a defining feature for the males. It is assertive. It is 'alpha'. This should be harmonious with his nose, on the profile view. Dermal fillers are fantastic in the chin and can definitively convert a small, weak and retro positioned chin into a forward, strong and assertive masculine profile.

 

Temples

 

- Hollowing in the temple area is often associated with aging or with chronic medical conditions. Therefore, dermal fillers are an amazing adjunct to pan-facial rejuvenation for both male and female, airing towards conservatism in the males.

 

Jaw angle.

 

- Definitively a great site for dermal fillers in the males. Nice, well-defined angle is a very attractive masculine feature. Dermal fillers can be injected in the posterior aspect of the jaw line to increase the squareness of the lower face. This favourably complements the chin.

 

Nose

 

- The dorsum of the nose should be slightly higher in the male, especially where the nose meets the forehead (called the nasion). This is a great location for dermal fillers where the nasion is slightly augmented for a more masculine profile. Dermal fillers can also be injected above and below a dorsal hump to slightly soften a large dorsal hum deformity.

 

4. Is there a difference in the way men get injected with Botox?

 

Yes, first of all, men do require a higher dose for their treatment as their muscles are thicker and stronger. For example, an average dose for the muscles between the brows would be 25-30 units for ladies, but 40-50 units for the guys. Crow’s feet are often stronger in males and will often require a second row of injections to catch the entire width of their periorbital muscle. One should also be careful not to raise the outer eyebrow in a male too much. Although quite prized with our ladies, a high arched-eyebrow is not a masculine feature.

 

As far as Botox injections for heavy sweating for hands, underarms and soles; the injection technique is the same but often the dose is doubled for males.