Every
guy needs to admit the fact that “feeling old” sucks no matter what your age. We
all look in the mirror every morning and judge ourselves by how we look, and
then our day starts — ours friends, colleagues, acquaintances, loved ones, and strangers
in short the whole world looks at us and responds to our quintessence in direct
or indirect ways; compliments (verbal or nonverbal) always boost our morale and
criticism at some level ends up denting our self confidence. Women have been
indulging in anti-aging rituals from time immemorial; the pertinent new-age
question challenging the beau of today is — Is it “OK” for men to take a dip in
the aesthetic fountain of youth?
Women
have always been held to a far higher standard when it comes to aging, therefore
it’s a modern and socially acceptable norm that most females will willingly go
under the needle or knife to reset nature’s clock. Men, by contrast, have long
worn their wrinkles and sun damage as a public badge of endurance, hard work,
experience, and sacrifice. The ultimate symbol of masculinity; Clint Eastwood
roping bad guys in and delivering justice in the “The Good, The Bad & The
Ugly” didn’t have a smooth, flat forehead. Similarly high-profile male role-models
& celebrities like Robert Redford and Sean Connery who have rocked their
creases for decades on the red carpet have also perpetuated the psychological
baseline that it’s better for men to remain au
natural.
But
things can’t always stay status quo, the Marlboro hunk might have portrayed the
picture of the ultimate “Manly Man” looking all rugged and creased with a
cigarette pursed in his lips in 1959, but smoking is not as fashionable in 2016
as it was back then and the same holds true for the wrinkles. The new face of
masculinity and People Magazine’s sexiest man of the year 2015; David Beckham
has allegedly been bitten by the aesthetic surgery bug. Brotox (Bros using
Neurotoxin to erase wrinkles), high-def abs and other aesthetic procedures have
begun to shape the brand new “Menaissance” — a golden Era of Unapologetic Male
Beauty.
According
to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, over 6,757,198 U.S. men received
“Brotox” (a.k.a. Botox for men) injections in 2015, highlighting a 355 percent
increase, since 2000. The goal for most men doing aesthetic treatments is not
to look younger; they just simply aim to look better, more attractive, more
rested, and fit. Though the staggering rise in numbers is impressive and a
testament to the fact that men and women both want to look good no matter what
the age, there still is some stigma attached to men receiving aesthetic
treatments. Most men believe in going to the gym and taking care of their
health, and physical fitness. So why not take other measures to look and feel their
best too?
Reality
of life is: “Men age” and lucky for them the cosmetic tools to hide it are no
longer reserved for ladies and plastic-faced newscasters. The increase in male
patients undergoing cosmetic procedures is driven by:
·
A desire to be more competitive and youthful in the workforce, the
growing social acceptability of cosmetic procedures and increased awareness of
the safety and efficacy are all contributing factors to the increase in male
patients.
·
In addition, age-related concerns have men seeking cosmetic procedures.
With younger urban male professionals, gender conventions are blurring, and
these men also understand the importance of maintaining their youthful look.
·
The constant sharing of photos on social media is also driving pressure
on younger men to look fashionable, well groomed and fit.
The
trends of self-grooming for men are constantly shifting and more men than ever
are fixing their faces with lasers, needles, and chemicals. Men have begun to
accept and realize that tiny injections of neurotoxins can really make them
look well rested, sharp and fresh. Looking young, feeling young — feels good
and restores confidence. It also just might give you an edge at your next job
interview and improve your love life. Furrowed brows and “Elevens” don’t
represent industry experience the way they used to so being able to come across
seasoned as well as youthful is often the ticket to nailing your next big
promotion against the Millennial who’s leveraging age against you. The aesthetic
industry stats back the acceptance of aesthetic treatment among male patients,
one last thing you need to know before you embrace the Bro-tox trend is choose
your doctor very carefully. The injector has to understand the characteristics
of a male face and ensure during injections he/she does not feminize the face
even minutely.
