The shift to WFH and the vogue of video calls has led to an acceleration of what was already an emerging trend – over the last twelve months, we’ve seen an increase in men turning to aesthetics to enhance their appearance and boost confidence through this challenging time
Cosmetic surgery as self-care
Until now, the self-care sphere has been largely dominated by women but after the last twelve months we have seen a cultural shift as more and more men are coming to the realisation that taking care of themselves now goes beyond the gym.
Male professionals want to look as dynamic as they feel, and facial rejuvenation surgery is increasingly perceived as a valuable investment in their careers. A recent study published in the JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery journal, found that male facial plastic surgery increased perceptions of attractiveness, likeability, social skills and trustworthiness.
Turning back the clock on COVID face
Many of us think the pandemic has visibly taken its toll and one possible culprit is cortisol. This is our body’s primary stress hormone and sparks the fight or flee mechanism by boosting blood sugar and suppressing other normal body processes. All of which is good in a sudden emergency, but a year-long stressful situation has resulted in food cravings, lockdown weight gain and rapidly ageing skin.
Combined with this, is our increased use of social media and online video meetings which has made us all look a bit closer at our lines and wrinkles or focus on our flaws. In a survey published this month, the aesthetic experts Aedit found that those who regularly participate in video conferencing are significantly more interested in aesthetic treatments. Thirty-nine per cent of respondents who use video conferencing weekly reported interest in non-surgical aesthetic treatments, while 37 per cent reported interest in surgical treatments.
Men have been increasingly turning to anti-ageing treatments whether that’s wrinkle smoothing treatments and dermal fillers to restore a more youthful appearance or a surgical solution in the form of the facelift or eyelid lift.
Choosing a skilled and experienced practitioner is a must though whether for cosmetic surgery or injectables. Brotox should be specifically placed to maintain a more masculine, horizontal brow rather than an arched, feminine brow. The male facelift also demands a difficult surgical approach and Mr Alex Karidis understands the importance of preserving more masculine, angular features while at the same time restoring volume.
Mr Alex Karidis was recently interviewed by Esquire magazine for their deep dive on male cosmetic surgery and its increased popularity in recent times. “There are many recent seismic changes in surgery,” Mr Karidis is quoted. “The techniques have improved, the speed of recovery, as a result people are more likely to embrace it. If you say you can go back to work in a couple of days rather than weeks, it’s more appealing for a professional sort of man. Demographic-wise, we see absolutely all walks of life, it’s truly been democratised.”
A digital age in aesthetics
Information is also now more accessible than ever. As we’ve all spent more time at home and in front of a computer, many men have had the opportunity to research treatments they may only been vaguely aware of before.
Hair loss is often an uncomfortable topic for men, but social media is normalising treatments such as hair transplant surgery. YouTuber Zane Hijazi posted a TikTok of his hair restoration journey that has gone viral and now has over 14.5 million views and 2.4 million likes.
Since the first lockdown we’ve been offering online consultations as the first stage in our cosmetic surgery journey and recently launched virtual consultations with our aesthetic nurses for everything non-surgical. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the use of telemedicine and patients – both male and female – have embraced this new technology to find out more about what is available and what can be achieved.
