June 3, 2008 – Well, you learn something new everyday. For instance, although I'm a plastic surgery copywriter who's written hundreds of pages for plastic surgeons across the country, until today, I had never heard of a Cosmetic Surgery Consultant. Still, that's what Denise Thomas is. In fact, for close to three decades, it's been her job to match women and men considering plastic surgery with plastic surgeons.
Recently featured in U.S. News & World Report ("The Scoop From a Cosmetic Surgery Consultant"), Ms. Thomas states three reasons as to why so many women and men elect plastic surgery today:
Regardless of your reason(s), you don't have to travel all the way to New York to meet with a cosmetic surgery consultant. Here at the Guy's Guide to Plastic Surgery for Men, it's easy to Find a Plastic Surgeon close to home to consult with.
May 11, 2008 - Kathleen Doheny recently wrote an interesting article – "Banish Wrinkles with Fillers" – for WebMD. The piece focuses on the use of cosmetic fillers – Restylane®, Juvéderm™, Radiesse® and Sculptra™ – to smooth nasolabial folds (the lines running from the sides of the nose down to the corners of the mouth). Dallas plastic surgeon Dr. Steve Byrd, who spoke about the effective management of nasolabial folds at the annual meeting of The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) is quoted in Ms. Doheny's WebMD article, which you can read in full here. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), in 2007, cosmetic fillers for men accounted for 63,955 of the soft tissue filler treatments administered in the United States.
May 9, 2008 - As you've probably heard, male plastic surgery is on the rise both here in the United States and around the world. With that said, Dr. Robert Rey ("Dr. 90210") wisely sates, "plastic surgery is the last thing you turn to." While elective, it's still surgery. So, the first thing you turn to? Well, if you're concerned with unwanted bulges caused by pockets of hard-to-lose fat, hopefully, you first turn to exercising regularly and eating healthy. When working out and watching what you eat doesn't work, if you're a woman, you maybe then turn to Dr. 90210 and his partner's (Bruno Schiavi) Dr. Rey Shapewear to look and feel better about yourself. You wouldn't be the first. Launched in October 2007, Dr. Rey Shapewear enjoyed sales of over $1 million dollars in its first weekend! But, what if you're a man who's considering male liposuction? Would you consider wearing shapewear instead? You might want to start thinking about it, because Dr. Rey Shapewear for men will be in stores by the end of 2008.
March 25, 2008 - Jo Ciavaglia of the Bucks County Courier Times recently wrote a fascinating piece for phillyBurbs.com entitled, "Don't Call Them Pretty Boys." In the article, he mentions several possible reasons for the sudden rise in cosmetic surgery for men. His findings include:
In Mr. Ciavaglia's article, Dr. Richard Fried (a clinical psychologist and the director of Yardley Dermatology Associates) says that the motivation for the average man to seek a cosmetic medical treatment is not so much about being "pretty" as it is about being practical—about keeping his job, making more money, making himself more attractive and maybe even enjoying more sex.
March 13, 2008 - Although women continue to be the driving force behind cosmetic surgery, men are catching up, according to the results of the 2007 Procedural Survey conducted and recently released by the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS). In the survey, women were responsible for 80% of the cosmetic medical procedures performed in the United States. Still, since 2002, the AACS reports a 13.7% increase in the number of men electing cosmetic surgery. The most interesting figure, though, has to be that in the last 5 years, sclerotherapy for men increased 226.3%! In that same period, women saw an increase of just 3.5%.
Read the AACS press release, "Men are opting to remove spider veins over replacing hair."
February 21, 2008 - Remember Christopher Hamill? No, then how about Limahl? That's right, the lead singer of the 1980's group, Kajagoogoo. Well, the 49-year old singer is about to reunite with his old band for Retrofest and, wanting to look his best, Mr. Hamill says he has no problems with cosmetic surgery helping him to do just that. In fact, he recently reveled that he's had several male plastic surgery procedures, including blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), BOTOX® Cosmetic, and fat transfer (a procedure in which excess fat is removed from one area of the body - in Limahl's case, from his "love handles" - and then transferred to another, such as the face to temporarily fill in wrinkles).
Regarding eyelid surgery, the singer says, "That was fantastic. It freshened up my eyes."
He says he had plastic surgery for his fans, but if you're a man considering plastic surgery, you should only be doing so for one person: yourself.
February 14, 2008 - The Hospital Group, the leading provider of cosmetic surgery in the United Kingdom, reports that during the first week of January 2008, requests for both more information about cosmetic surgery and formal consultations were at an all-time (as compared to 2007 and 2006):
Why are so many in the UK interested in cosmetic surgery? A recent YOUGOV poll reveals several reasons, including a desire to improve one’s self image; to make oneself appear more attractive; and, to overcome insecurities.
Great reasons. Of course, if you’re considering male plastic surgery, the only reason that matters is yours.
February 4, 2008 - The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) just released statistics from their annual audit, and the numbers of U.K. men having plastic surgery may just surprise you… or not. Please note that percentages are 2007 vs. 2006:
January 28, 2008 - Which male celebrity would most men considering plastic surgery prefer to look like? Mr. Angelina Jolie, aka Brad Pitt.
Considering male plastic surgery - say Rhinoplasty or Abdominoplasty? Curious as to which male celebrity the majority of men who have consulted with a plastic surgeon stated they would most aspire to look like? The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) was curious, as well. So, they sent a survey to over 20,000 plastic surgeons in 84 countries around the world, and Brad Pitt’s came back most often, this according to UPI. The plastic surgeons who responded to the survey said that in consultation, men considering male plastic surgery admired Pitt’s forehead, nose, cheeks, lips, abdomen and buttocks.
Which male celebrities were considered to have the best hair, chin and chest? Read the full story at the ISAPS site (PDF file).