It’s Raining Men!

Shriyal Sethumadhavan and Vishakha Sonawane take a sneak peek into the growing trends in aesthetic treatments for men.

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When one thinks of the Indian aesthetic medicine industry, images of women undergoing facial procedures often flash in mind. Even treatments such as rhinoplasty, botulinum toxin, facelift and liposuction are often associated more with women and a lot less with men. However, men often take centre-stage in terms of hair loss and hair transplantation procedures. But apart from just this, while women are still a large customer base of the aesthetics industry, there has been a rise in the number of men opting aesthetic treatments.

The aesthetic medicine market in India remains conservative – more so with regards to male aesthetics. However, growing awareness on aesthetic treatments, the need to look young and presentable and overall consciousness about appearance has made Indian men turn towards aesthetic treatments.

Let’s consider some of the prime influencers! Popular Bollywood celebrities have also reportedly undergone aesthetic treatments – invasive and non-invasive – to enhance their features. Karan Johar, Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Aamir Khan and Ranbir Kapoor reportedly have had dermal fillers, botulinum toxin and extreme hair correction technique. In Hollywood, Brad Pitt is reported to have had otoplasty; Clint Eastwood has had eyelid surgery and taken botulinum toxin injections; and Steve Martin and Sylvester Stallone have opted facelift surgeries.

Ultimately, its about enhancing your beauty and feeling good about yourself… Why should only women have all the fun! Men are exploring this space too.

CURRENT SCENARIO

Men have started spending more money on skincare and are taking up spa treatments and facials. This has been driving the male aesthetics market. According to a report published by Technavio, the overall medical aesthetics market is forecast to grow by US$ 29.67 billion at a CAGR of 8.6 per cent between 2022 and 2027. In India, the male grooming market is reportedly expected to reach US$ 1.2 billion by 2024 at a CAGR of more than 11 per cent.

THE SURGICAL APPROACH

Dr Medha Bhave, Plastic Surgeon with special Interest in Cosmetic Surgery, Laser Cosmesis explains that while male patients come forward for aesthetic procedures themselves, some are brought in by their wives or girlfriends. The flow of male aesthetic patients has increased post COVID-19, she mentions further adding, “It is due to work from home coupled with so many start-ups delivering goods at home. People have accumulated fat due to sedentary habits. Now, even though they are back to healthy routines to lose the excess, some of the fat stays back as stubborn fat. It can also lead to hormonal disturbances and thus people land at the doorstep of aesthetic clinics.”

Dr Parag Telang, Consultant Cosmetic Plastic Surgeon and Founder and Director of Designer Bodyz Centre for Advanced Cosmetic Surgery, says that male patients are often referred by friends or relatives who underwent similar procedures at his clinic. “Male aesthetic surgery patients are quite aware of cosmetic surgical options and enquire through email and social media.”

NON-INVASIVE APPROACH

The good old word of mouth plays an important role in bringing in male patients to her clinic, agrees Dr Madhuri Agarwal, Founder & CEO, Yavana Aesthetics Clinic. “Here, regular patients bring their husbands, male partners or their sons for skin and hair concerns. At times, they also refer their neighbours and colleagues. We also have a string social media presence where we disseminate regular update information about our clinic treatments. This attracts lots of male aesthetic patients to our practice.”

Dr Apratim Goel, CEO/Medical Director of Cutis Skin Solutions, notes that 28 per cent of the patients who came for aesthetic treatments in 2022 were males. According to her, male patients have nearly doubled in five years. “There was a time when male patients consisted of young teenagers for their acne. But I do see middle-aged and elderly men who come for facial and body aesthetics.”

Furthermore, the influence of celebrities and social media have also pushed men to get aesthetic treatments. Dr Goel says, “Men who travel often opt for full-body laser removal. There also has been a gradual increase in men seeking facial aesthetic treatments such as face contouring, de-tan procedures and beard shaping (which has picked up after cricketer Virat Kohli and a lot of male actors).” She adds, “However, the majority of them are pushed by their better halves or their children or colleagues. Often, we have a female come to the clinic and say that my colleague would also like to come and fix an appointment or bring them in on their next visit.”

A lot of men are conscious about their broad face, nose, and – after losing weight – they worry about their gaunt look.

GROWING CONCERNS IN MALE AESTHETICS

Abdominal fat and gynaecomastia are common concerns of men who seek cosmetic procedures.

Speaking of invasive treatments, Dr Telang shares, “The most common concerns are male boobs (gynaecomastia), six packs abs etching, jawline creation and nose job.”

Dr Bhave, agrees too, that gynaecomastia is one of the growing concerns of men. She adds, “Common concerns are abdominal fat – intra-abdominal or subcutaneous fat deposits leading to abdominal enlargement. Gynaecomastia – when body fat increases beyond a certain level, there is conversion of male hormone into female causing breast enlargement. When the patient loses fat, the effect still persists and requires attention.”

In the case of non-invasive treatments, when it comes to younger male patients (13-14-year-olds), pimples, scars, dandruff and hair loss are main problems, says Dr Agarwal. She adds, “With the increase in the fad of looking good and having the perfect body, young men are coming for laser hair removal, body contouring and acne treatments. At the peak of their profession, middle aged men approach us for hyperpigmentation and early ageing concerns such as fine lines and open pores. Hair loss is a common problem across all ages and is a highly demanded solution in our practice,” she stated.

Dr Goel explains that men often seek treatment for their acne scars. “Many of them do not come in the acne stage and when the scars have already formed. Their acne could have happened 10-20 years back, when they must be in their teens,” she says, further explaining, “Tanning of face and arms is another concern for which men opt treatments. And the third concern, which is also the growing one, is facial contouring. A lot of men are conscious about their broad face, nose, and – after losing weight – they worry about their gaunt look.”

Further, the need for injectables has gone up because of concerns over frown lines or dynamic lines. Several enquiries come in for related treatments, says Dr Goel, further adding that self-awareness among men has increased. “Some come to treat fresh marks on their body, and laser hair removal. There is also a growing interest in IV injections for hair loss, skin brightening, fatigue and tiredness.”

WHAT’S TRENDING!

According to a research men prefer non-invasive treatments over the invasive ones given its recovery time, cost and natural-looking results. Unlike women, men generally look for health, wellness and strength instead of focusing on their appearance. However, this does not mean that men shy away from seeking out invasive treatment if required.

According to Dr Telang, the trending invasive treatments these days are six-pack abs etching and cat eye creation with brow lift. Elaborating more on the invasive treatments that men undergo,

Dr Bhave shares that radio frequency-assisted liposuction (RFAL) is one of the most sought-after treatments. “If the person has fat deposits subcutaneously and there are no fat deposits inside the abdomen (around intestines, liver, kidneys) liposuction can be offered. Of course, this is reserved for patients who are willing to adhere to a proper diet and exercise routine. I challenge the patient to follow my diet and exercise routine for two to three months, achieve a loss and then go for the remaining fat. The beauty of RFAL is in tightening of the skin.”

Dr Bhave also adds that normally tummy tuck is offered to patients who have hanging skin and fat or tummy muscles are separated from each other causing the tummy to bulge. But with radio frequency liposuction, the hanging skin can be tightened well. Thus, if tummy muscles are not loose, the patient need not go through tummy tuck. He can settle for a much less extensive procedure of radiofrequency liposuction and still have excellent retraction and tightening of the skin. Removal of excess skin may not be required as the residual hang is minimal. Dr Bhave says, “RFAL is a boon to men because they can avoid a tummy tuck scar. It has also improved the results of gynaecomastia. Even large man boobs need not get scars due to skin removal. It retracts well and drapes on the chest well.”

I challenge the patient to follow my diet and exercise routine for two to three months, achieve a loss and then go for the remaining fat.

Moreover, Dr Bhave points out to gynaecomastia, hair transplant, chin implants as among few trending treatments. “Skin tightening with microneedle RF has also been in vogue as the face becomes lax after weight loss. As the wedding season and celebrations are as before now, more and more people want to look good on the D-day – and continue to look good without make up later. So, the aesthetic surgery clinics of qualified plastic surgeons are geared and updated to help them in a safe and effective manner.” she says.

As for non-invasive treatments, according to Dr Agarwal, the most common treatments done in males are botulinum toxin, dermal fillers, threadlift, micro-needling radiofrequency (MNRF) and high-intensity focussed ultrasound (HIFU). The aim of these treatments in males is to achieve a prominent chin, square cut face and jawline. “The usual age group in males for botulinum toxin, dermal fillers, threadlift and HIFU is between 30 and 40 years,” she says, adding, “Microneedling radiofrequency is usually in the age group of 25-35 years and I do intradermal radiofrequency in our clinic that is again common among those between 30 to 35 years of age.” Patients who suffer from hair loss opt for combination solutions of medicines, low-level laser therapy, hair follicle transplant and GFC therapy for hair loss. “We also offer laser skin brightening treatments such as Peau Claire to improve skin discolouration,” says Dr Agarwal.

Dr Goel agrees that MNRF treatment is a go-to procedure for those with acne scars. Furthermore, carbon facial along with Adam’s facial is also recommended for such patients. “For those with acne scars, we do MNRF treatment, multineedle radiofrequency, which is often done for pitted scars; we also perform fractional carbon dioxide; botulinum toxin for the forehead frown lines or the glabellar lines; de-tan treatments for face and arms and neck, full-body laser hair removal is common; and IV injections. For men who have lost weight and have got desired weight but do not like the skin laxity. HIFU is a good non-invasive treatment.”

Undoubtedly, aesthetic treatments are galore and its demand among men are increasing even more. In a world of equals, aesthetics brings along great solutions for men and women. Increase awareness among your patients and add to your male treatment kitty.