2016-08-02

What once was considered to be primarily a women’s beauty secret, facial plastic surgery, Botox and facial fillers (like Juvederm and Sculptra) are becoming mainstream for men of all ages. Why the uptick among guys? Males of the species want to look their best and stay competitive in the job market.

But there’s a key difference in how the genders regard plastic surgery: women usually don’t mind telling their mom, sister and besties. But men are intimidated, even embarrassed, and often keep their facial rejuvenation activities a secret.

“Guys get nervous because they want to look better, but they still want to look like themselves. They’re afraid the other men in their golf foursome will notice and give them a hard time,” says Andrew Miller, M.D. of Far Hills. “Guys don’t want to be made fun of, and that’s why we like to roll back the clock just a little bit for men so that the procedure is subtle. We’ve done a good job when our client looks great and nobody knows exactly why.”

Many patients can look more rested with just a bit of Botox and fillers, often injected during their lunchtime. These virtually painless procedures help banish facial wrinkles and, since there’s no incision and no downtime, no one will be the wiser.

Older men, especially actors, salespeople and others in the public eye, want to look more virile because they are in competition with younger males. Eyelid surgery is common among middle-aged men who want to appear more like they did 10 years earlier. And some guys consider facelifts and mini-facelifts because they want to appear more “refreshed” after a divorce or separation. In this case, gentlemen often grow a beard or sport a new haircut just after surgery so that the surgical transformation isn’t so obvious to friends and colleagues.

But plastic surgery isn’t limited to older guys. Some twenty- and thirty-somethings also seek a bit of medical intervention to help them look their best. “Younger men just starting their careers come to us for all kinds of procedures from straightening a crooked nose to pinning ears,” says Dr. Miller who has specialized in facial plastic surgery for 20-plus years. He and his Associates in Plastic Surgery team have offices in Edison, Marlboro and Warren, NJ, as well as Manhattan and Staten Island, NY.

If you’re contemplating a procedure, it’s smart to consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon with years of experience in the specific type of surgery to be undertaken. “For example, if your friend was happy with the surgeon who did her breast augmentation, but you want a nose job, find a doctor who specializes in noses and not breasts. That’s what specialists are for,” Dr. Miller advises.

The post Plastic Surgery and Fillers for Men? appeared first on New Jersey Monthly.

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