As well as making you look more attractive and dynamic, a male facelift can also make you appear more likeable, trustworthy and with better social skills, according to a recently published cosmetic surgery study.
As well as the facelift, the results of other facial rejuvenation procedures such as the neck lift and blepharoplasty were also rated very highly by respondents. Published in the JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery journal, the study analysed images of 24 men, with an average age of 49, who had undergone facial cosmetic surgery.
Two plastic surgeons based at Georgetown University in the US showed before and after pictures of the 24 men to 145 participants, aged between 25 and 34 years. They were asked to rate the men in terms of how attractive, extroverted, likeable, aggressive, risk-seeking, masculine, sociable and trustworthy they appeared. To avoid bias, some of the group were shown the before photos and some the after images and they weren’t informed that the men had undergone male cosmetic surgery.
Results of a male facelift
The results of the study were extremely promising for anyone contemplating cosmetic surgery. Facial cosmetic surgery seemingly made men more attractive, likeable, more trustworthy and to have better social skills, according to respondents.
Interestingly, the upper eyelid lift rated particularly highly and was linked to increased likeability and trustworthiness. This doesn’t surprise our medical director Mr Alex Karidis. “The male eyelid lift is a really popular and highly satisfactory procedure with men. The eyes – and eye contact – are so important in all our social interactions and sagging, bulging skin around the eyes can make others perceive you as tired, cross or less dynamic.
“A blepharoplasty is a really effective procedure to beat these preconceptions, particularly if you are re-entering the job or dating market in later life.”
None of the procedures seemed to alter masculinity, either positively or negatively, but Mr Karidis does warn male patients to beware the brow lift. “The lower the brows, the more crowded the upper lids can appear and a brow lift might seem an obvious way to improve loose skin on the eyelid,” he explains. “However, this is one facial rejuvenation procedure that can make a man appear more feminine if the brows are raised unnaturally high. Burt Reynolds was a perfect example of this; post-brow lift, his eyes may have appeared more open, but he also looked less masculine.”
The female vs male facelift
Men are thick-skinned in more ways than one and the fundamental difference between the sexes and how they experience the ageing process is due to the thickness of their skin. Men experience all the same ageing changes as women – deflation, loss of volume and skin sagging – but it tends to happen later on because their dermis is more robust with larger glands that produce more oil.
Eventually, however, no one is immune to the ageing process, and Mr Karidis find that men are often bothered by the appearance of the jawline and neck. “The appearance of the jowls and a turkey neck are often a cause for complaint.”
In general terms, the same approach is employed, whether it’s a facelift or neck lift in that you are lifting and repositioning tissue, but there are certain physical differences between men and women that have to be taken into account when planning facial surgery. “We have to be very careful where we move hair-bearing skin. With female patients, I often make incisions within the ear, as that allows me to camouflage any scarring behind the tragus. With men, I have to stop just before the ear rather than inside, otherwise, he’ll have to start shaving his ears in the future.
“In fact, shaving is one area I always touch on when giving my male patients’ aftercare advice. Post-surgery, they will experience a degree of numbness that can feel quite disorientating, so I often tell them to be careful when putting razor to skin!”
If you are contemplating cosmetic surgery but are concerned that surgery could make you look different rather than better, the results of this study should put your mind at rest. To find out if you’re suitable for a male facelift, call 0203 131 4826 to book a consultation with Mr Karidis.
