Evening Standard / by Lizette Borreli
‘BROTOX,’ MALE BOTOX, ON THE RISE AMONG MEN FEARING YOUNGER COMPETITION IN BUSINESS AND PERSONAL LIFE
Ladies, you may be surprised to know what men talk about on “guy’s night out,” besides women and sports — “Brotox,” also commonly known to the rest of us as Botox (botulinum toxin A). The long-time cosmetic enhancement procedure, often linked to women, has now reached a wide group of men who desire to appear more youthful. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the number of men undergoing Brotox has gone up 10 percent from last year, but why? Amid fear of competition with younger folk in the workplace and in their personal lives.
“Any man’s afraid he’s gonna get bumped by somebody younger in business or personal life too. I think once he gets over the stigma of it being something feminine, I could see more men being drawn to it,” said an unidentified man to CBS Atlanta. These fears are echoed in the office of Dr. Sutton Graham, plastic surgeon with the Aesthetic Center for Breast and Cosmetic Surgery in Greenville. Graham admits his clients express concern about their “employment and how it affects them in their job with their co-workers and with clients and people they meet.”
A multitude of men are currently making more appointments to “freeze” time and hold onto their eternal youth through this age defying treatment, but does the “freezing” effect work? Botox injections contain the bacteriumClostridium botulinum that can block signals from the nerves to the muscles so the muscle can no longer contract, preventing the onset of wrinkles when injected, says the Mayo Clinic. The treatment is used on forehead lines, crow’s feet, or lines around the eye, and frown lines. However, men and women, should note wrinkles caused by sun damage and gravity do not respond to Botox injections.
The Botox procedure takes about a few minutes, with no anesthesia required. Patients will start to see results anywhere from three to seven days when the procedure begins to take effect. It is advised to avoid alcohol at least one week before treatment, and to stop aspirin and anti-inflammatory medications two weeks before treatment in order to reduce bruising associated with Botox.
Despite its rise in popularity because of its potential to give a“youthful” appearance, doctors like Ayham Al-Ayoubi, a leading surgeon who owns the London Medical and Aesthetic Clinic, believes Botox can give very good results if used to soften lines on the forehead. However, when it is injected into a lower part of the face, problems can arise. “This is what gives a frozen appearance, which I call “celebrity face,'” he told the Daily Mail. While it might be wrinkle-free, it’s also expression-free. Practitioners must administer the Botox correctly by knowing where to inject it and how much of it to use to keep a “natural look of the face.”
Men have begun to adopt a more open attitude toward cosmetic procedures and have become more aware of the treatments available to them, as the age range of men being treated has widened. The BRO culture has fostered recent trends like the Hipster beard transplant, and now Brotox. The desire to climb the career ladder and keep up with the “younger-looking” has become the crucial reason why men opt for Botox — it’s surgery-free. Now, both men and women, vie to be the youngest and most desired of them all.
To view Dr Ayoubi in the media click here.
