Cosmetic Surgery for Men
Cosmetic surgery for men is becoming more and more popular. The statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons indicate that the number of men seeking and undergoing cosmetic surgery is increasing each year.
Reasons for cosmetic surgery for men appear to be more complex. In part it is due to an increasing awareness of cosmetic surgery possibilities and a growth in decision-making by men in their own health care.
Times are gradually changing as men are taking more responsibility for their own health care and one aspect of this is the growth in cosmetic surgery.
Another reason cosmetic surgery for men is increasing is due to the competitive nature of the business world. The perception, not only in business but throughout society, is that the older person is less up to date and less efficient. Our society doesn’t value age but instead values youth. In an effort to retain a youthful appearance and gain an advantage at work more men are turning to cosmetic surgery for men.
Because of the differences in structure between a man and woman’s body many of the same procedures must be approached differently. For example, the skin in a man is thicker which means the area has a better blood supply. This results in a greater risk of bleeding but better healing. Surgeons also have to contend with the growth of hair over the face.
In most cases the surgeries chosen by men are similar to those important to women and the standard operation is slightly modified to account for the difference in male structure. However, there are operations, which are specific to the male situation, such as gynecomastia (large breasts), hair transplants and penile reconstruction.
Your surgeon will evaluate your health, your reasons for desiring a change in your appearance, your current physical and general health, as well as take pre-operative photographs and explain which techniques will work best for you and your individual situation.
You should discuss the type of anesthesia, the risks of surgery, the facility where the procedure will occur and the costs involved. In some cases your insurance company may cover part or all of the surgery if the reasons are more reconstructive than cosmetic. Some surgeons offer a special financing plan for cosmetic surgery or accept credit cards for payment.
Evaluate your own expectations of the surgery and understand that although you will receive improvement, perfection is out of reach for anyone. If you are planning any type of facial surgery your surgeon must evaluate your hair growth and whether the surgery will involve these areas. Surgery over facial growth may change the growth pattern or completely eliminate it.
Anyone considering surgery is encouraged to give up smoking and alcohol because they impact the healing and increase the potential for infection post-operatively.
Liposuction and body contouring is often sought by men who are seeking the ideal male body shape but whose love handles are resistant to diet and exercise. Because of the differences in male vs. female structure liposuction is often effective to control these problems. Men retain their skin elasticity longer than women, and the fat beneath the skin is firmer and more vascular.
Cosmetic surgery for men is becoming more popular as more men succumb to the popular societal belief that younger is better. Competition in the workplace and more responsibility for the decisions about their own health care round out the reasons why men are more apt to turn to cosmetic surgery for men today than they were even five years ago.
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