Distinctive Considerations in Male Aesthetic Surgery

Aesthetic surgery has steadily gained popularity over the last century. The current market size is estimated to be in billions of dollars in the United States of America alone. This same trend is seen throughout the world. Males are seeking out more cosmetic surgeries as well as injectables and other in-office procedures. Males still only constitute approximately 10% of patients undergoing aesthetic surgery. Those numbers are likely to increase. Total number of aesthetic procedures performed on males has almost tripled over the last two decades. This can be attributed in part to a rising number of men investing more time and money in grooming. In recent years, the men’s personal care industry has exponentially increased and is now valued at tens of billions of dollars. Male aesthetic surgery is distinctly different from that of women. Males have different goals, expectations, anatomy, and physiology. Some procedures also done in women require modification for males, such as facelifts. Others are distinctly for males such as genital and gynecomastia surgery. This chapter presents an overview of the distinctive considerations of male aesthetic surgery as a precursor to the other chapters which explore each of these areas in depth.