Plastic surgery isn’t simply the domain of women. More and more men are going under the knife or otherwise taking cosmetic measures to make themselves look younger and better looking. According to research from the University of Texas, good-looking people get hired faster, get promoted earlier, and earn 3 to 4 percent more than below-average looking people.
Among the most popular procedures are hair transplants, in which hair from the back of the head, where the hair is generally thickest, is removed and grafted onto the top of the head to replace thinning hair. Though hair around the transplanted locks may continue to thin out, the transplanted hair lacks the genetic coding for hair loss and will stand its ground. Hair transplants can run from 2 to 5 thousand and up, and a balding man may need several transplants before he’s satisfied. The procedure carries minor risks that come with all surgeries, like infection.
Another problem area that men often address with surgery is the presence of “man boobs.” Breast-reduction surgery involved vacuuming out the fat and trimming excess skin to give a flatter chest. The procedure is called a gynecomastia and takes a few hours and a few thousand dollars to complete.
Then there are implants. Some men spends months at the gym but can’t seem to gain mass. These men may choose to get implants to give them the manly appearance they’re looking for. They might choose from pectoral, calf, abdominal, or even butt implants, which can give them the look they’re searching for in hours. Implants are made of silicone or a malleable plastic meant to look like muscle. They’re inserted into the desired area through a small incision about an inch long via a process that takes a couple hours per implant. One unique risk with implants is that they may shift in the long term, giving you an asymmetrical look that may need to be corrected with further surgery. You can expect to pay between $2,000 and $5,000 per implant.
Some men seeking more masculine profiles go for a rhinoplasty—nose job—or balance their large noses with chin implants. An alternative to a full-on nose job is a procedure wherein doctors just shave off bits of the nose with a file.
Men aren’t just receiving surgery in higher numbers but are turning to non-surgical treatments at a higher rate as well. Injectables such as Botox and Juvederm are becoming more common to minimize wrinkles and preserve youth. Many men report feeling a greater need to stay youthful and remain competitive in the workforce. Men often feel a need to rejuvenate their facial features following a divorce to prepare themselves for the dating pool.
These procedures can all be done in less time that they used to take, because methods have gotten more effective and instruments have gotten smaller, making smaller holes and taking less time to heal. New less-invasive and non-surgical options are increasingly advanced and offer an quick, easy way for men to fix or enhance areas of concern.