Cosmetic And Plastic Surgery for Males
In my link on Skin and Appearance, I tell you
about how to dramatically improve
your appearance and decrease wrinkles using non-surgical methods, i.e. lifestyle
and supplement-related solutions. However, for some of you middle-aged and
beyond guys out there, this may not be good enough for you.
You may have extensive skin issues from smoking damage or sun exposure. Or
maybe you are entering the market again and just want to look as good as
possible. You may even want to
Date Someone Younger.
Any of these reasons, and a dozen more that we could name, may require you to
consider surgical alternatives. Below I have compiled a list of procedures
that are tailor-made for males. It is a complete myth that cosmetic
surgery and plastic surgery are for females only.
Yes, we've probably all known a female or two that have been obsessed with the
subject. You may even know a female or two that have over-cupped themselves to
the point of the absurd. Well, I'm not talking about anything weird here:
I'm just talking about wrinkle-reduction so that you look and feel your best for
whatever reason. Cosmetic surgery is about looking good and us males
should want to look and feel just as good as the females in our lives.
Besides surgery, cosmetic or not, is science. Philosophically, what is the
difference between taking Vitamin C or Alpha-lipoic acid to look and feel youger
than using surgery? Obviously, one can go to an extreme here - think
Michael Jackson - but the great majority of guys are not going to spend their
money on cosmetic surgery unless it's really necessary. If you've got a
lot of sun damage, your much more likely to consider foregoing a new set of
clubs or that trip to Cabo in order to get a new face.
CAUTION: The only cosmetic surgery I caution you on is bariatric, or
weight loss surgeries such as liposuction. These are the most common cosmetic surgery procedure for males by
the way. In 2007 almost 60,000 guys had one!
So why do I caution against it? Liposuction, or other weight loss
procedures, can bypass your investigation into the root cause of your
overweight condition if you have one. Peak Testosterone readers know that extra
fat can be result from low testosterone, low growth hormone, overeating,
underexercising, insulin resistance, an underactive thyroid or some combination
of the above. These are all deadly and you need to know exactly
what has caused
you to put on those extra pounds.
In addition, bariatric surgeries actually carry significant risks. A recent
study [1] found that "about 4% had at least one serious complication (a
life-threatening blood clot, the need for more procedures related to the weight
loss surgery, or death)". [2] That's a 1/25 chance of a near death
experience! Again, talk with you doctor, but wouldn't it be better to lose
weight through exercise and proper diet with little to no risk of death?
Regardless, realize that being
Overweight is Deadly and it is
literally life and death to defeat this issue in your life.
Below is a list of great cosmetic surgeries for guys, depending, of course, on
your situation. I have also
documented
How Common Cosmetic Surgery is For Males.
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1) Thermage. Thermage is a "monopolar radiofrequency" procedure. It
essentially cooks your skin so that the skin rebuilds. Thermage for about
two thirds of individuals does something magical: it actually can reduce
facial and neck sag. The downtime is minimal, a couple of days on average
although it can be longer, and the cost is in the medium range (~ $1,500). Again, most people get younger looking skin
with less sagging but not dramatically so. CAUTIONS: Thermage can "boil away" subcutaneous
fat and it can leave small burns that are slow to heal. Talk to your doctor about risks.
2) Bipolar Radiofrequency Plus Pulsed Light. Bipolar radiofrequency does
not heat the skin as deeply as Thermage but when combined with Pulsed Light does
achieve good results. Again, this can actually decrease skin sagging on the face
and neck, although results are generally somewhat less than with Thermage.
CAUTIONS: Side effects can still take place but are
generally less than Thermage. Repeated treatments are usually require.
2) Dermal Fillers. This involves injecting substances into a wrinkle
to reduce the appearance of the wrinkle, kind of autmotive putty for the face
one might say. The classic use of dermal fillers is on the nasolabial
fold, i.e the lines beside your mouth. The beauty of dermal fillers is
that results last a long time, e.g. 18-24 months, and downtime is minimal.
3) Eyelid Surgery or Blepharoplasty. The eyes are the most
revealing aspect of your body. Women stare into them longingly - well,
hopefully - and few can argue that they are the "window to the soul". They
also reveal your age better than any other part of the body. This is
because the skin is very thin and easily damaged from the sun, lack of sleep and
so on. The eyes instantly flash whether you are tired or well-rested. Blepharoplasty
can remove the excess skin from upper and lower eyelids and remove the bags from
the lower lids and, if done well, take ten years off your appearance in a matter
of a few hours.
You may want to read this link which has many reviews of those who have
undergone the procedure.
4) Microdermabrasion. This one may be worth a try. It
is, after all, the #1 procedure for Hollywood-types. Some stars have this
procedure done every two weeks (or even more frequently) while filming. Lighting
directors apparently go ga ga over the smooth finish that it gives skin. The
important thing for guys to know is that it
is sometimes called the "lunchtime peel", because there is almost no downtime.
Better yet,
the cost is low: just a few hundred dollars per session normally. It
consists essentially rubbing a sandy material over the skin of your face in
order to cause mild skin damage which then forces regeneration of new, improved
skin. Unfortunately, the results are often not spectacular, but
if you are one of the lucky individuals that respond well to
microdermabrasion, it is an excellent alternative, especially for the price.
CAUTION: It is uncommon but you should know that a few individuals
respond with excess tissue inflammation and can come out looking a little worse,
i.e. with increased wrinking in certain areas.
In addition, sagging on upper and lower eyelids is extemely common. And,
unfortunately, once skin has sagged in a major way in the eye area, there is no good non-surgical way to
re-firm it. (Thermage can do some firming in the eye area for some people
but it generally not going to do a major improvement.)
This is where an "eye lift" or blepharoplasty can come into play. It will
take you out of commission for awhile, but there really is no substitute.
5) Peels, Laser Resurfacing and Face Lifts. These are much more invasive
procedures with a more significant list of side effects. Of course, if you
have significant skin damage or sag, then you may want to consider these.
6) Botox. The above procedures, for the most part, will only be partially
successful on "motion wrinkles and lines". These lines, such as crows feet
and glabellar lines (between the eyebrows), are caused by the expressions you
make. Botox works by injecting a Botulin toxin into the muscle area
involved, which "deadens the muscle" that causes the wrinkling.
It works
remarkably in many people and seems to actually allow the body to heal the
wrinkles in some cases. Botox treatments generally last
about four months and cost $300-400 per treatment. CAUTIONS:
One should be aware that researchers recently found, to their surprise, that a
minute amount of the Botulin toxin did actually migrate down the nerve.
Most doctors do not believe the small amounts involved will cause any kind of
permanent issue, but no one knows for sure of course. Botox, if done
incorrectly, can actually cause "new wrinkles" and can lead to ptosis (sagging).
In addition, some individuals actually become Botox resistant over time. In
addition, a 2009 study found that Botox results in an immune response, at least
in mice. The long term consequences of this immune response have not been
studied. [4]
CAUTION: Watch out for the new GFX procedure to handle facial wrinking,
especially in the area between the brows. It has been approved for
"overactive muscles" by the FDA but has not yet been approved for cosmetic
purposes yet. And that may be with good reason: it works via the
same radiofriequency used to Thermage, except in this case it's used to actually
temporarily stun the local nerve. This produces a Botox-like effect, except that
in the case of GFX, one does not know for sure if nerve function will be fully
restored. In other words, if you don't like the results, it may be too
late.
7)
REX. There is another very new procedure called REX, or
Relaxed Expressions Toxin-Free RF Treatment, that works by inserting a small
needle and using radio frequency waves (kind of like Thermage) to deaden nerve
function, essentially accomplishing the same thing as Botox, but without using
any nerve toxins. It is first being pushed for glabellar lines between the
eyebrows, but its proponents say it can be used for crow's feet and even
forehead lines. Its practitioners claim that results are better and more
natural.
CAUTIONS: Results last for a year or more, which is both good and
bad. If you like the results, its great. If you don't like the
results for some reason, you're going to be waiting for awhile.
This is still not FDA approved and no one knows long term effects.
8) Dysport. This is a brand new replacement for Botox and the results look
promising. One recent study showed legitimate wrinkle reduction for frown
(or motion) facial lines in 85% of participants. [3] Results appear to initiate
and last in roughly the same time frame as traditional Botox. (Dysport is, like Botox, a botulinum neurotoxin type A.)
Hopefully, this will drive down costs due to competitive pressures. (There are
also a couple of other Botox competitors coming down the pike as well.)
9. Hyaluronic Acid Fillers. These, as the name implies, reduce
wrinkles by "filling in the valleys". However, hyaluronic acid is a
natural is a natural substance of skin and WebMD reports that there is some evidence that it
actually promotes collagen formation.
Collagen formation is the "backbone" of your skin and almost anything that
promotes the protection or renewing of it is a good thing for your appearance.
In other words, repeated injections of hyaluronic acid may very well help your
body actually reduce its own wrinkles. Costs vary depending on the amount of
filler used and are typically in the $400 to $1000 range with one treatment
lasting, in general, for 6 to 12 months. Common brands are Juvederm,
Restylane and Captique. Results in the brow area are excellent and can last
up to two years in many cases. CAUTION: You want to get someone with good
experience (and board-certified) because, if done incorrectly, you can get tiny
mini-bumps on the skin.
10. Fraxel Laser. Traditional ablative laser treatments were effective but
fraught with side effects: the problem being that these older lasers
heated both the top and deeper layers of the skin. The Fraxel Laser
changed all that by heating only the deeper layers of the skin which
allowed for decreased side effects and downtime. However, there is
generally downtime of several days to a week as the patient has an actual
"sunburned" look during that time period. If you get treated on a
Friday, for example, you might be ready by Monday. The good news is that the new
skin that emerges is usually well worth the wait: wrinkling, blotching,
age spots, pigment spots and other skin problems are usually substantially
improved. If you want a new face to jump start your career or a
relationship, Fraxel laser is definitely worth
considering. It is one of the few treatments that is accepted as getting
rid of fine lines around the eyes. Keep in mind, though, that it is quite expensive: about a grand per treatment and
3-5 treatments are usually recommended over the course of about a month.
If you truly want a new face, though, the cost and inconvenience may well be
worth it.
11) Tri-Luma. One of the most popular and successful treatments for skin
discolorations is prescription-only Tri-Luma. If you have melasma
and/or age spots on your face, you may want to talk to your dermatologist about
Tri-Luma. It does have a fair number of side effects, but for the
most part, are what you might expect, including peeling, dryness, redness and so
on. In a small minority of people, it can create a bluish tint and, of course,
should be discontinued immediately.
NOTE: Read here about the
Most Common Cosmetic Surgery and Procedure for
Guys.
1) Flum, D. NEJM, Jul 30 2009, 361:445-454; Robinson, M., NEJM, Jul 30 2009;
361:520-521
