Sure, you’re into the latest grooming lotions and potions. But are you ready to make Botox a regular part of your grooming routine? It’s gone more mainstream than you think, and Botox for men may be just the tip of the anti-aging iceberg. According to The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the number of men having cosmetic procedures has increased 325 percent since 19. Wow!
In fact, TV analyst, Hall of Famer, and former pro football and baseball player Deion “Primetime” Sanders is now the spokesperson for the Botox brand. “I’ve always taken pride in my appearance. Turning 50 prompted me to take an honest look in the mirror. When I did, I noticed lines between my brows and in the corners of my eyes — and that’s just not Prime. So that’s why I’m telling men is that, if they’re like me, and don’t like seeing frown lines and crow’s feet, they should talk to a doctor. I did, and with his help, made the choice to get treated with Botox Cosmetic.”
In case you’re curious about taking the plunge, we reached out to plastic surgeon Dr. David Shafer, MD, FACS for his insights on using Botox to refresh trouble spots and keep you in your prime.
Have you seen a steady uptick in the number of men seeking Botox?
There certainly is a greater number of men coming in for Botox treatments. There are several groups of patients that see improvement of their wrinkles with Botox. Some are younger guys in their 20s to 30s that start to see the early stages of aging and want to do some preventive Botox. Others are starting a new stage of life — either a career change or divorce — and seek improvements in their looks, while others are worried about looking older at work or are actively interviewing for work and want to maximize their appearance during the interview process.
Do you find that your patients have specific reasons for treatment? Do they want to look younger because they’re dating or back on the job market? Or, do men just want to look their best?
Yes, either prevention, improving their appearance, or treating trouble areas between their eyebrows (labella), to the sides of their eyes (crow’s feet), or forehead worry lines. Also, we commonly use Botox to help slim the face by injecting in the masseter muscle along the jawline or in the chin to prevent dimpling of the skin. Another common use of Botox in men is for underarm sweating. One treatment per season can decrease sweating by more than 90 percent.
What is the average age of your male patients?
The average age of a male patient seeking Botox for the first time is 40. In women, it’s closer to 30 years old.
Should men start using Botox at a younger age to prevent wrinkles?
Yes, preventive Botox is a real thing. Using Botox to soften dynamic wrinkles with movement decreases stress on the skin and prevents the development of static wrinkles that you can see even at rest.
Are there particular areas of the face that bother men more than women? Are there trouble spots specific to men?
The most common area for men are the squinting lines to the sides of the eyes. These are commonly called crow’s feet. The most common area for women is the “11’s” or glabella, which is the area between the eyebrows with vertical wrinkles. Both men and women are seeking treatment for the horizontal forehead lines.
Wrinkles and laugh lines often give men their rugged good looks. Is there a way to refresh a man’s complexion without taking away from the character of his face?
The goal with Botox in men is to soften the wrinkles without affecting animation or character. I would rather under-treat someone and have him, or her, come back for more than to over-treat someone and have them look abnormal.
Are most men happy with the results? Do they come back as often as your female patients?
Botox for men and women is the No. 1 treatment over all other treatments in any specialty. Botox has a very high satisfaction rate, lower complication rate, no downtime, and is very cost-effective compared to doing other treatments, such as laser or surgery.
Do you think there is a stigma attached to Botox for men or has the treatment gone mainstream?
As with most things, society has evolved. While in some circles the use of Botox may not have started yet, in metropolitan an areas, in the financial and business world, men are taking care of themselves and concentrating on their appearance, which involves the use of Botox.
Also, with the exponential rise of social media and camera phones, people are more aware of their appearance. Many camera phones do not have selfie flashes, so the pictures are not washed out with the exposure of the flash — this makes wrinkles more apparent and people come in looking for treatment.
