Plastic surgery demands have been booming throughout the pandemic, with some plastic surgery clinics announcing bookings all the way through until 2022. Having spent so much time on camera recently, paired with the abundance of time contemplating in isolation, our insecurities have arisen to the forefront of our minds. Due to this, many men have decided enough is enough and to do something about it.
While most plastic surgeries are still performed on women, more and more men have sought out plastic surgery specialists than ever before. But what were they seeking to fix?
These were the top five performed surgeries of 2020, according to the American Society of plastic surgeons.
Surgery to correct protruding ears, known as Otoplasty, was the 5th most popular cosmetic surgery among men in 2020, performed over 22,000 times. Incisions are made behind the ear during surgery, and cartilage is reshaped and adjusted to the desired shape and angle. For many, this means bringing the ears to face closer to the head. This procedure can also help fix stretched earlobes from piercings.
Many people struggle with their weight, and while it’s often reported that men can lose weight easier than women, anywhere between one-quarter to one-half of men were unhappy about their weight or muscle tone. Contrary to popular belief, liposuction isn’t a weight loss surgery; in fact, you often need to be close to your weight loss goal even to have the procedure by a reputable doctor. Instead, liposuction is a surgery that removes stubborn fat deposits from the body that won’t go away despite diet and exercise. Liposuction can be performed almost anywhere on the body where stubborn fat can appear, from the arms to legs, to the chest. Even men in great shape get liposuction between their abs to help enhance their definition.
Men seeking cosmetic procedures are often trying to look more masculine. Cheek implants, sometimes called malar implants, are usually popular with women trying to create a rounder, soft-looking cheek. The opposite is true for men, who usually see the procedure to create a sharper, more angular and masculine appearance to their face. Cheek implants are often cost-effective, allowing men to add a more youthful look to their faces without paying for an entire facelift. Unlike a procedure such as Botox, which needs renewal every few months, cheek implants are permanent. For these reasons, they were the third most performed surgery for men in 2020, performed almost 30,000 times.
Bags form under our eyes as we age, and the skin begins to sag. This leaves a space under our eyes where fluid and fat can move and fill, causing the puffy “eye bag” appearance. Having eye bags, paired with dark circles, can make men look tired and worn, which is likely why it was the second most popular surgery in 2020, having been performed almost 46000 times.
The nose job reigned supreme in 2020, having been performed over 65,000 times.
While women usually desire rhinoplasty to give their nose a thinner, rounder feminine appearance, men’s rhinoplasty is used to help masculinize their face. This is done by straightening the nose and increasing its width. Any imperfections such as bumps and lack of symmetry are corrected during this process as well.