Plastic Surgery for Men

Plastic surgery is increasingly sought after by men. In 2016, men had over 1 million surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures performed, accounting for over 9 percent of the total. Men want to change the things they don't like to see in the mirror. Statistics available from the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery show that surgery is becoming popular with men as a way to deal with image maintenance and change.

In 2016, the top surgical procedures for men with over 10,000 procedures were:

• Liposuction (45,012)
• Male breast reduction (31,368)
• Eyelid surgery (28,025)
• Nose surgery (26,205)
• Facelift (13,702)
• Ear surgery (10,457)

Other types of cosmetic surgery sought by men in 2016 included tummy tuck, neck lift, fat transfer to face, brow lift, and chin augmentation, each with over 2,000 procedures.

Male breast reduction for gynecomastia has risen by 181 percent in 20 years, including a big leap from 2014 to 2016. Cosmetic procedures for men have risen over 40 percent since 2010, although they still have far fewer procedures than women. Men account for 9 percent of both the surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures. The categories in which men have the highest percentages by gender are 37 percent of all tattoo removals, 29 percent of ear surgery, 23 percent of chin augmentation, 21 percent of neck lifts, and 18 percent of nose jobs.

Photorejuvenation grew in popularity as a nonsurgical procedure for men in 2016, and other manscaping procedures such as laser hair removal and Botox remained popular. Plastic surgery gives quick-fix results, although the downside is the cost and danger associated with elective surgery. There is also the notion of falseness (plastic), something that isn't real or worked for and sometimes the unrealistic expectations people have of the cosmetic procedure as the thing that will improve and cure the problems you may have.

Costs differ depending on the type of cosmetic procedure you're getting, the fees charged by the members of the surgical team and the premises used. You can shop around for good deals but remember you must have a properly qualified cosmetic surgeon who works out of good healthcare facilities.

Here is the average cost of these procedures in 2016:

• Liposuction $3,347
• Facelift $7,503
• Botox injections $376
• Eyelid surgery $3,216
• Nose job (rhinoplasty) from $5,067.

Elective cosmetic surgery, as with any surgical procedure, has risks as well as benefits. Going under anesthesia and sedation poses risks that include abnormal heart rhythm, heart attack, brain damage, nerve damage, stroke, blood clots, and blood loss and airway obstruction. Infection, skin death, asymmetry, numbness, irregularities, puckers, scarring, and fluid collection after liposuction can result from the surgery itself. Dangers also exist with unlicensed and untrained doctors offering anesthesia and surgery, poor regulation within the field, and the fact that unsanitary areas can sometimes be used during surgical procedures.

If you decide to have cosmetic surgery, it is important to do your homework. Find a doctor who is properly qualified, trained and specialized and who carries out the operation in a hospital or clinic. Also, consider these recommendations:

• Be realistic about the outcome of surgery.
• Make sure you understand the risks involved.
• Stop smoking and drinking alcohol prior to surgery in order to maximize healing.
• Get as fit and healthy as possible.
• Seek advice if you are taking any medication, are overweight, or have on-going health problems or conditions. It may be that you are not fit enough and the risks are too great for you to undergo this type of elective surgery.