The latest data from the International Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery show that in 2016, 1,606,653 cosmetic surgeries (15.4% of the total) and 1,657,601 cosmetic medicine treatments (12.5% of the total) were performed on men worldwide. Long perceived and considered the exclusive preserve of the female population, aesthetic surgery has progressively become more and more demanded by men as well. Moreover, the numbers of those who turn to the surgeon to improve their physical appearance are growing. We talk about this topic with Professor Marco Klinger, Head of Plastic Surgery at Humanitas.

Most popular interventions

Rhinoplasty, or interventions for the nose are most common, blepharoplasty in second place, including eyelids and any bags under the eyes. Furthermore, there is also the correction of gynecomastia, the imperfection linked to the appearance of “breasts” in men. These are the most sought-after interventions by the male population who turn to cosmetic surgery. “The plastic surgery for men is different from that for women – explained the specialist. In addition to having obviously different shapes, men and women also have tissues with different characteristics, especially evident in the face: male tissues are more robust and richer in collagen, even in old age. It is therefore essential to take these differences into account in the surgical approach in male patients”.

Nose and eyelids: a new face shape

The desire is to give the face a more harmonious appearance. Therefore, among the most requested aesthetic interventions by men is the rhinoplasty. In this case, the aesthetic correction is made taking into account the front-nasal angle (created by the nose and forehead), the naso-labial angle (created by the nose and lips), the opening of the nostrils (which should be equivalent to the distance between the eyes) and the length of the nose itself, which should occupy a third of the face. In the aesthetic correction of the nose, in the vast majority of cases men ask for the preservation of viral features, guaranteed, for example, by a squared tip of the nose and by an uncapped back. The intervention initially involves intervening on the tip, where necessary, remodeling it (tightening, raising or lowering it, depending on the case), and then continuing inside the nose upwards. It then passes to the septum (which is corrected if, for example, it is deviated) and to the nasal bones, necking, fracturing and “recomposing” according to the individual needs. In the end, the result will be a symmetrical nose, without humps and proportionate to the other elements of the face, such as the chin and forehead. The duration of surgery varies from 30 to 60 minutes and for 6-10 days after the operation the patient should wear a plastic protection. Once the brace has been removed, plasters should be used for 3-4 days to reduce swelling.

The other area in high demand is the eyelid area. Goodbye to the bags under your eyes, to the accentuated wrinkles and to the heavy upper eyelids. All this is aimed at rejuvenating the eyes, giving a younger appearance to the whole face. In men, however, to rejuvenate the face, it is often necessary to combine blepharoplasty with the infiltrations of botulinum, to intervene on the wrinkles of the forehead and on those at the root of the nose. Blepharoplasty can be performed with two techniques: transconjunctival and traditional. Transconjunctival blepharoplasty involves the removal of the fat present in the lower eyelids, and responsible for the “bags”, by means of an incision made on the inner part of the lower eyelid, the one in contact with the ocular globe. This is a rapid intervention (about 15-20 minutes), which is usually performed under local anesthesia. Due to the location of the incisions, there are no obvious scars. Usually the procedure is performed in young patients, who do not have the need to reduce wrinkles in the region around the eyes. Traditional blepharoplasty, on the other hand, aims to eliminate excess fat, muscle or skin. It is also usually carried out under local anesthesia. It can be performed on the lower eyelids only or on both lower and upper eyelids. When working only on the upper eyelids, the incision is completely invisible to the open eye. When, on the other hand, both the upper and lower lashes are trimmed, the cut is placed under the lashes and therefore minimally visible. During the 2-3 days following surgery, swelling and hematomas will occur, which are reduced until completely disappeared in about ten days. The duration of the effects of the intervention is about ten years.

Gynecomastia Correction

Gynecomastia is an increasingly common disorder characterized by an increase in the volume of the male breast. Depending on the seriousness of the situation, surgery may be carried out either by simple lipoaspiration, with the aim of eliminating the excess fat mass present in the breast, or by lipoaspiration associated with the removal of a disc of mammary gland, in the presence of a significant enlargement of the latter (due to poor nutrition or as a result of treatment with hormones administered to treat the tumors). The first approach involves the insertion of cannulas in some incisions made near the armpit with which to perform aspiration; in the second case, it is necessary to make a cut along the lower edge of the areola, to remove a disc of mammary gland. The operation lasts about 30 minutes and it is performed under local or general anesthesia, the convalescence is very short.