Even though women continue to be the primary beneficiaries of cosmetic surgery, the number of men who get plastic surgery has been steadily rising over the past several years. There are a handful of surgeries that are especially popular among men, including facelift surgery. Over twelve thousand of these procedures were performed on men in 2013, almost a 10 percent increase from 2012! What makes the facelift so heavily favored among male patients?

Body Issues

Women aren’t the only ones who grow up with concerns about their appearance; men are also subjected to teasing, bullying, and mocking about how they look. Teenagers who are the target of bullies can be self-conscious about how they look long into their adult lives. This can lead to confidence issues in their personal and professional lives. Men who feel less confident in themselves are less willing to take risks or to put themselves in a position to be judged.

Like women, men also feel the need to appear young and attractive. They feel the effects of aging and get self-conscious of wrinkles or sagging skin. Men want to be able to put their best face forward in order to look and feel like the best versions of themselves.

How a Facelift Helps These Issues

A facelift is quite literally designed to “lift” the face so that it will gain a firm and more rejuvenated look. The surgeon makes tiny incisions at or just behind the hairline, or underneath the chin, in order to repair facial muscles and pull the skin tighter. By lifting the skin, the surgeon can smooth out wrinkles and reduce or eliminate any sagging around the cheeks and eyes. This will also create better contouring and definition around the chin and jaw.

This procedure will reduce and help fight against damage from the sun, stress, and gravity effects. As a result, men can have a younger and handsomer look to their face. This can dramatically alter the level of self-esteem and self-confidence in a man, which can lead to improvements in the workplace and in interpersonal relationships.

The Difference Between Men and Women

There are certain characteristics about men that have to be taken into consideration by facelift surgeons. Men have different facial anatomy than women; for example, men have more definition in their cheek and jaw bones. Men have a more prominent brow and an Adam’s apple. Men also have the ability to grow facial hair and tend to have less hair on the tops of their heads than women.

These are all things that a facelift surgeon has to be mindful of during the procedure. If the skin is lifted too much along the jaw or forehead, the result will be a face that is too tight and very uncomfortable. If the skin is pulled too much around the neck, the Adam’s apple will become more obvious. Skin that grows facial hair can’t be pulled too far, or the patient could start sprouting whiskers behind their ears or the hairline. Surgeons also have to be careful of where they make their incisions, as men tend to have shorter hair that recedes farther than women.

Male Facelifts From Dr. Choe

Dr. Choe is a board-certified facial plastic surgeon who specializes in creating the best possible face for his patients using facelifts and a wide variety of other procedures. It’s actually very common for patients to get other procedures done at the same time as their facelift! If you are interested in getting a personal assessment, contact The Choe Center for Facial Plastic Surgery in Virginia Beach at 757.389.5850 to make an appointment.