Male cosmetic surgery has been on the rise the past several years and the stigma for men has been declining. If you’ve ever been curious about going under the knife, here’s a primer on what the popular procedures are, what they involve, and how much they’ll set you back.
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Rhinoplasty
The nose job is one of the most performed aesthetic surgeries in the world. A fairly straightforward procedure, the operation is done inside the nose, so no scars are visible following the surgery. An incision is made inside the nostrils, which allows access to the bones and cartilage beneath. The surgeon then re-shapes the bone and cartilage – either removing some or adding tissue to the area – before folding the skin back over the new framework, changing the size and shape of the nose.
The operation usually takes around two hours, requiring a local anesthetic and an overnight stay in hospital. While the op itself is relatively quick, you can however expect signs of the procedure to linger for a while.
Bruising tends to last about 10 days post-surgery, though some people don’t experience any bruising at all, just mild redness. It can also take a while for the final result of the rhinoplasty to be fully visible, sometimes taking the nose a year to look its best.
Prices vary, but expect to pay around $6,000 to $20,000, depending on whether you just want the tip changed or a more extensive overhaul, and this includes the surgeon’s fees, anesthesia fees if you are going under general anesthesia, and facility fees.
Hair transplant
The most popular form of transplant – Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE), is a much less invasive treatment than previous techniques and involves removing individual hairs from the back or side of the head (or the chest if you’re already too thin on top for hair to be harvested from your bonce) and implanting them elsewhere on your scalp, usually where hairs once grew.
Carried out under local anesthetic, the procedure takes around eight hours and costs range from $3,500-$20,000 per session, depending on the experience of the surgeon, the complexity of the problem (primary vs. secondary or tertiary transplant) and the number of grafts involved.
Also keep in mind that one FUE procedure may not permanently solve thinning hair problems. If you are predisposed to male pattern baldness (MPB), you will likely have to undergo repeat procedures as often as every couple of years to fend off hair loss.
Beard transplant
According to a poll by WhatClinic.com, surgeons saw a 72 percent rise in inquiries about beard transplants in 2014.
Like Follicular Unit Extraction, individual hairs are extracted from the hair at the back of the scalp (body hair can also be used) and replanted, one by one, where they’re needed most.
A full beard requires around 4,000 hairs to be transplanted while a goatee needs around 1,500. It’s expensive (it can cost up to $7,000) and time-consuming (taking between three to nine hours) but the results, which will need several months to bed in, can look great and scarring is minimal.
It’s worth considering if you’re hung up on your patchy (or non-existent) beard, but probably not best advised if you’re only interested in jumping on the current beard bandwagon.
Liposuction
If you’ve seen liposuction in action, you’ll know it’s basically a procedure where fat is sucked out of the body using a tube. A gentler, less invasive procedure is Vaser Liposelection, which offers a precise way of removing small pockets of fat from the abdomen, neck and chin.
Vaser Liposelection uses ultrasound waves to break up fat while leaving other tissues undamaged. The broken-up fat is then removed with a small tube as part of a local anesthetic procedure that can take as little as an hour.
It costs an average of $5,000, and recovery time is quick: days, rather than the weeks sometimes required following a traditional liposuction procedure.
Blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery)
Especially popular with guys in middle age, blepharoplasty is an operation to get rid of droopy eyelids or any excess ocular luggage you might be carrying.
Small incisions are made in the natural folds of the eyelids to remove excess skin and fatty tissue that cause hooded eyes or eye bags. The procedure can also be used to reduce the appearance of crow’s feet.
It takes around one to three hours, costs upwards of $2,000, and you’ll need around a week’s recovery time.
Otoplasty (ear pinning)
A relatively simple operation, otoplasty involves a re-sculpting of the cartilage at the back of the ear to reposition the ear or bring it a little closer to the head.
An incision is made at the back of the ear – in a fold that makes any scar difficult to see – to expose the cartilage. The cartilage is then reshaped or partially removed, allowing the ear to adopt a more regular position.
The procedure takes around one to two hours, is usually performed under a local anesthetic and costs upwards of $3,000. Results are usually good but cartilage can change over time, affecting the results.
The biggest downside it that you’ll have to wear a head bandage for around a week afterwards, so you might want to consider taking advantage of some of that annual leave.
If you’re considering any cosmetic procedure, do your research first. When you meet with the surgeon, ask about revision rates (the cost of potential tweaks if you’re not happy with the results) and the amount of experience the doctor has had doing the specific procedure. And beware of overseas bargains! Inquiries about hair transplants to overseas clinics in countries like India and Turkey were up 169 percent last year; and while it can be economical, it’s vital you research the clinic thoroughly and consider how you would manage any needed aftercare.
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Curated Article and Photo Credit from FashionBeans
