Rise of the male botox jab

Rise of the man jab! From Botox to smart lipo, fast grooming fixes for men are on the up - so have you booked your man in yet?

Anna Magee Daily Mail 15 December 2008

Anna Magee recently looked into the increasing phenomenon of men having non surgical cosmetic treatments. An area dominated by women has increasingly become something that men realise can make a real difference.

“A spot of lunchtime Botox is now about as commonplace as a blowdry  -  if you’re a woman.

If a female colleague returns to work bragging about their ‘procedures’, even those of us who still can lift an eyebrow rarely do so.

But while they’re far less open about it than their female counterparts, a growing number of ordinary, middle-aged men are also freezing their faces, tightening their jowls and having their love handles lifted in quick, non-surgical procedures with little downtime.”

A survey by Men’s Health magazine earlier this year found that 40 per cent of men would consider having cosmetic work done.

In the last year, doctors at the Harley Medical Group in London, which specialises in anti-ageing treatments, have seen a 57 per cent rise in male Botox injections and 5,200 consultations with men.

The appeal of quick, subtle procedures is partly down to the fact that many men want to avoid surgery at all costs, says leading London dermatologist Dr Nicholas Lowe.

‘Male plastic surgery can look feminine and unnatural,’ he says. ‘You get a tightening of the face and obvious scarring because of the thickness of men’s skin.’

Just look at the taut, waxy appearance of male celebs such as Kenny Rogers and David Gest after respective eye and facelifts (both admit regretting having plastic surgery).

Or the obvious change in facial appearance that Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi sported earlier this year after admitting his ‘eyelids had been retouched slightly’.

‘Men want to look better, but they don’t want anyone to know about it,’ says Dr Mike Comins, who practices at Hans Place in London’s Knightsbridge, where one in four of his clientele are men aged 30 to 60.

‘Most commonly, men come seeking solutions for looking angry and tired, receding hairlines and excessive fat in their chins, waists and chests.

‘But they’re not in it for the pampering in the way women are. They want short, sharp treatments with little downtime that can treat the problems they previously believed they had to live with quickly, with natural-looking results.

‘Now we can deliver that without compromising on their masculine looks.’

Medicetics comment

At Medicetics we have always had a large number of men having treatments from botox to laser skin rejuvenation (see male treatments). We have seen the number of men we treat increase from 25% at the start of the year to 37% at the end of the year.

Although the treatments that men and women have done may involve the same product the way the treatment is done varies significantly. Take botox for example; in a woman we aim to maintain the high arched eyebrow. This needs to be in a smooth arc rather than the botched “spock eye” by graduating the botox at correct strengths and intervals.

Male eyebrows are much straighter so we need to avoid causing any arching which involves using more botox in the lateral part of the forehead. However this needs to be done carefully and skillfully if you are to avoid completely paralysing the forehead or causing drooping of the eyebrow and or eyelid.

The upper part of the forehead also needs special attention in men. As the hairline in an average male tends to be higher in a man, it is important to graduate the relaxation of muscles into the scalp. An abrupt stop line before the scalp can cause a bunching in this area or cause “rugging”. Rugging is where there is a smooth flat area with obvious movement above and below forming lines and wrinkles.

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