Michael Bell was tired of looking tired. He’d had enough of the pesky questions about whether he had slept well.
“I wanted to look as good as I felt,” said the retired educator, 53. “My face didn’t show how much energy I really had.”
So, after months of research, he got a little help for his sagging eyelids from a plastic surgeon. And he looks younger. Even his friends say so.
Forget droopy eyes. Bid farewell to those telltale wrinkles. And say sayonara to turkey neck. A small but growing group of middle-aged men are going under the knife to hold back the relentless march of time. They’re also getting Botox injections, soft tissue fillers and chemical peels in pursuit of a youthful look.
Procedures for men grew by 2 percent in 2010, led mostly by baby boomers — those born between 1946 and 1964 — who are getting more comfortable with the idea that a little cosmetic help can go a long way. It’s the first uptick since 2007, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, who say the change also signals that people are growing more comfortable spending money on themselves after the recession.
Between 2007 and 2009, the number of male cosmetic procedures remained steady at 1.1 million. But last year, the number inched up to 1.2 million. And, of all plastic surgeries, the share of men’s procedures has grown more significantly — from 8 percent of the total in 2008 to 13 percent in 2010.
The biggest increase has been in minimally invasive procedures — Botox and soft tissue fillers, primarily.
“It’s more acceptable,” says Ivan Malave, 50, who had his eyelids tucked, his eyebrows raised and then a hair restoration procedure for good measure. “My father would’ve never ever thought of doing this, but I definitely feel I made the right decision.”
Men of all ages are growing more comfortable with the idea of getting help for their looks, from special creams to injections or laser. Popular plastic surgery reality shows and affordable financing have also fueled the interest. Men see guys like themselves — not just celebrities or actors — improving their appearances on these shows and learn they can get the same results without taking too much time from work.
HAD SURGERY
Alfredo Amoedo for instance, had surgery for the annoying bags under his eyes on a Friday and was back at work by midweek.
“If you feel sick, you take a medicine,” Amoedo, 50, explains. “If you work out, you take a supplement. This is pretty much the same.”
Local doctors say boomers are reaching an age where exercise may no longer be able to fight off gravity. Hence, in 2010, facelifts for men rose 14 percent and liposuction 7 percent nationally, according to that ASPS.
“For the baby boomer generation,” says Dr. Jeffrey S. Epstein, a Miami and New York plastic surgeon who specializes in hair restoration and facial plastic surgery, “looking good and looking young has always been very important. Now they want to stay competitive and they want to look good.”
About 70 percent of Epstein’s patients are men, most of them in their 40s and 50s. In the past three months, he has seen a 20 to 25 percent increase in patients from the same time last year. “There’s pent up demand,” he adds. “I think there was a lot of job insecurity at one point and people weren’t willing to spend the money.’’
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