Listen Up, Men: The New Brotox Craze

In the past, there seemed to be an unwritten rule that plastic surgery and facial aesthetics was a domain exclusively reserved for women. As a guy, you went and got your haircut every 4-6 weeks, but that was pretty much it. Anything else to “beautify” your appearance, even just a manicure, wasn’t quite manly enough. You were supposed to look rugged, your hair was supposed to go gray or thin out, and if you had wrinkles, so be it. If you did have anything done to look younger, you sure as heck were going to be very private about it.

Previously Taboo: Men Having “Procedures”

But today, in the age of Instagram, all that has changed. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, cosmetic procedures for men have more than tripled in the last 20 years. And Botox and facial fillers – such as Juvederm – in particular have been on a recent surge among men.

The difference? Social Media. As it has become a thing, particularly among Millennials, to narrate your everyday life with a barrage of selfies on your social media feed, it is becoming more and more important to find a way to make yourself look good and photogenic. Also, more than ever men want or need to feel young and vital in their professional life. Having a LinkedIn profile that reflects youthful vitality is often a must, simply because everyone else has one too.

The answer often lies in regular Botox and filler injections. By making it part of their regular “maintenance,” many men are also willing to break the taboo of not talking about it. Or perhaps they just found a clever way to make it look and sound cool. You can have a bromance, and now you can do Brotox.

Some plastic surgeons go as far as offering specific combos of Botox and fillers such as Juvederm to help define certain areas of the face better to enhance the appearance of selfies. It might seem crazy to spend $250 on average every three months just to have better-looking selfies when a few edits in Photoshop might do. But that seems to be what’s happening more and more. Botox is trending among Millennials of both genders, and it is seen as necessary by increasingly younger adults in their 20s as a preventive measure. But the rate of growth is highest for men.

Is Botox Safe?

Some metropolitan areas offer Botox more or less on every street corner. Make sure you get it from the right place – i.e. a full plastic surgery practice with an experienced surgeon. You don’t want to end up looking waxy and stiff. While it might be ok for others to know that you’ve had “work done,” it’s not okay to overdo it. Just think of Ross when he falls asleep on the tanning bed or when he leaves the teeth whitening gel on too long – was it both at the same time? Needless to say, it looked creepy. Or Jay from Modern Family when he had Botox and couldn’t move his face anymore. You don’t want to come across as that desperate. And you’ll want your selfies to look natural.

While Botox is perfectly safe – it has been FDA-approved since 2002, and it is now even approved as a remedy for migraines – it takes a trained and skilled nurse injector or surgeon to do it right. You want your wrinkles gone, but you don’t want your smile gone along with them. It’s a matter of getting it just right.

Combining Botox with a facial filler is a perfect way to look younger. You reduce your wrinkles – that telltale sign of aging – and you fill out hollow cheeks or thin lips to give your face better contours. Finish it up with a little bit of laser or RF liposuction.

Other Ways for Men to Upgrade their Appearance

Even though it’s been around for decades, the most popular male cosmetic surgery procedure remains liposuction. However, what has changed in recent years is its targeted use. Male breast reductions are quite common, as are non-invasive neck and chin lifts using RF or laser technology.

Fraxel and microdermabrasion have become popular facial treatments among men. They serve to improve tone and texture of the skin, and because they also combat abnormal skin cells, some men view them as more medical than cosmetic, lending additional acceptability.

While the benefits of male hair transplants are obvious, many hair restoration specialists have seen a recent trend for beard transplants. As designer stubble and beards of all shapes are on the rise, the demand for better growth of facial hair has increased.

Do you feel the need to refresh your appearance? How happy are you with your LinkedIn profile? If there is room for improvement, contact NuBody Concepts to get a Brotox date setup, or to learn more about other procedures such as chin liposuction, hair restoration, or Juvederm fillers. Be sure to ask us for our Botox special!