Male Aesthetic Treatments: What do Men Want for the FACE!

In comparison to women, men are not seeking out our dermatologic services as much; however, they represent a growing segment of the cosmetic dermatology population. Based on a recent survey posted in Cosmetic Medicine on March 14, 2016, completed by the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic surgery, Americans spent more than $13.5 billion dollars towards cosmetic procedures. Even though only 9.5% of the cosmetic procedures performed in the U.S. last year were on male clients, the number of men partaking in cosmetic procedures has grown by 325% since 1997.

Men are spending more time and money on their appearance than ever before – factors influencing this pattern may include knowing others who have done similar procedures, transparency of procedures through social media, and the competitive workplace marketplace. Men want procedures with minimal downtime. Over the next several months, I will be reviewing, via our newsletter and blog, our most commonly sought after treatments for men that have little to no downtime as well as providing realistic recommendations for those men who are wishing to get an extra edge.

The double chin is a big area of concern for my male patients. Two new procedures that we have available are Kybella® and CoolMini™. Even fit men may have a genetic fat pocket under their chin that gives them the appearance of being heavier than they are, or not on their game. For men with a larger double chin, I recommend starting with CoolMini™ as a way to debulk the fat, with two treatments spaced eight weeks apart. There is minimal bruising or pain; the area will be red for a few hours and may feel numb or be sensitive to the touch for a few days or more (temporary). Another treatment Kybella®, a copy of the body’s molecule that breaks down fat in our digestive system, is great for men with a small to medium sized double chin or as a follow up treatment for those patients with residual fat after CoolMini™. 2-4 treatments are usually needed, each of them lasting for ten to twenty minutes, and spaced six to eight weeks apart. Swelling and numbness often lasts a few days or more. Both treatments cause retraction of the skin, in other words it does not hang more after the fat is removed.

Many men may wish to join the so-called Benjamin Button club, where through the use of injectable neurotoxins or fillers they can temporarily reverse the signs of aging. Neurotoxins (Dysport™, BOTOX® Cosmetic, Xeomin®) soften the wrinkles accentuated with movement, and fillers (hyaluronic acid and collagen stimulators) replace the volume loss that can improve a tired look, sagging cheeks, loss of jawline definition and jowls. And don’t worry – we know you don’t want to be feminized! There are completely different techniques for women and men for all fillers and different areas that are emphasized.

Another commonly seen issue for the male patient base is facial redness, broken blood vessels, or rosacea. I educate all of my patients that for these concerns, topical treaments may not be enough – laser treatments are available and highly efffective. We have several different lasers to address this and can find the best one for each patient’s type of skin. These treatments may be performed to the entire face, or in a more targeted fashion to the most problematic areas. Each treatment may be as short as ten minutes to thirty minutes with little to no downtime. A series of three to five treatments, spaced four to six weeks apart, is recommended for best results.

So, whether you have a double chin, wrinkles, are losing your jawline, looking tired, or have facial redness, there are many non-invasive treatments which can be safely performed and provided to you at our comprehensive medical and aesthetic dermatology practice. It is my hope that this article helps you spark a conversation with your regular provider at Advanced Dermatology, and seek our expertise in achieving a youthful and refreshed look! Also, don’t forget to follow up on our discussions, as we move towards other commonly sought after procedures for aesthetics geared towards men.