14 DAY TRIAL // Many still consider plastic surgery and beauty treatments as the exclusive prerogative of women, but that has long ceased to be the case. With the rise of new beauty trends for men and the change in accepted (role) models, together with the tightening of the competition on the job market, men have been pushed towards surgery to maintain their footing. This would explain the increase noticed in their numbers as regards Botox, Brinkwire informs.
According to figures just released by The Harley Medical Group, more and more men are turning to Botox for better looks. The most popular procedures in the year that ended (2009) were Botox for wrinkles (“Boytox”) and Botox to prevent excessive sweating (“Sweatox”), both registering a boost in the male demographic. This is due to increased pressure in the job market, but also on a personal level, experts explain.
“Figures released by The Harley Medical Group, the UK’s largest cosmetic surgery provider, reveals the non-surgical cosmetic surgery market has seen continued growth in 2009, with dermal fillers and chemical peels driving the increase by 26% and 306% respectively. 2009 also saw a continued rise in the number of male patients (up 5%), who now account for 18% of all patients seen, with ‘Boytox’ (male Botox) and ‘Sweatox’ (anti-sweat Botox), both driving the growth. The latter part of the year saw the City clinic bounce back when banker bonuses returned to the agenda, with a 24% month on month sales increase in September alone,” the report says.
It’s the trends that set the pace of this boost. “I would predict continued market growth in the cosmetic surgery industry for at least the next five years. There’s a huge emphasis on grooming in popular culture and the job market is tough – people need to be younger, fitter, and better and this is reflected in the maintenance of personal appearance. Men have now caught up with the times and don’t want to be left behind so I’m sure we’ll see big increases in this sector in particular,” Jeremy Baker, consumer analyst at ESCP Europe business school, states.
Of course, this upwards tendency in male patients has been noticeable for about a couple of years now. A report released in October 2009 revealed that between 2007 and 2008, there was an increase of 44 percent in male patients asking for breast surgery, for instance.