Brotox boom

Women are no longer the only ones concerned enough about aging to opt for cosmetic procedures in a bid to arrest its onset — men in the city are now also heading the Botox way!

The saying ‘Vanity, thy name is woman’ can have an expanded dimension in the 21st century through a masculine counterpart pandiculating to unexplored areas. Women have long been held to a higher aging standard than guys but it appears as though that gap may be closing. According to a new study in the journal Cosmetic Dermatology, the number of men getting Botox injections — which relax the facial muscles to minimise lines and wrinkles — has skyrocketed 258 percent over the past decade or so.

Simon Cowell has admitted to using Botox, as has reality star Todd Chrisley, and while guys may be less open about using the age-defying injections, there are hundreds of thousands of men heading to the plastic surgeon’s office for these non-invasive procedures. We explore the development with cosmetologists, dermatologists and city youngsters.

Prakash Kumar, a 35-year-old lawyer is getting ready to marry his long time sweetheart. Along with setting up a new home, arranging a honeymoon, compiling the guest list, his planning includes a skin rejuvenation procedure that includes Botox to get rid of his forehead wrinkles and laser treatment to get rid of excess facial hair permanently. He shares, “Call it the machinations of a patriarchal society but the pressure of looking good has traditionally been on women. I am a man of today, and believe it or not, dudes are searching for the fountain of youth too. I have grown fond of enhancing my looks and opening up to cosmetic correction techniques. I think this development or indulgence or obsession of looking good is no longer considered un-macho. Men clearly don’t mind applying fairness creams (as is evident by the sales), nor do they mind endorsing them (as is evident by the fact that top male actors are brand ambassadors of the same). And Botox is a wonder drug that involves minimum risk.”

“The last ten years have brought a visible difference in the approach of men vis a vis beauty and appearance,” says Dr Varun Ahuja, a leading aesthetic physician who has seen 20-25 per cent increase in men opting for Botox in the past 5 years. “There has been a very significant sea change in how men approach aging. They think some wrinkles are okay but when they see their grandfather peeking through, they slam on the aging brakes and give in to Botox and some fillers,” he adds.

He continues, “Their receding hairline, clothes or accessories always concerned them but today they are increasingly embracing aesthetic procedures like Botox to reduce signs of ageing and maintain a youthful appearance. However, men never want to look ‘done’ and they won’t be having Botox parties anytime soon, like women. Men want to keep it private.”

“The number of men seeking Botox has increased and a similar boom is happening with other non-invasive procedures like filler and laser treatments,” reveals dermatologist Dr Deepali Bhardwaj. She adds, “Combine the availability of easy outpatient treatments with wider cultural acceptance and an increased emphasis on the value of youth in the workforce, and what you’ve got is the makings of a mini-revolution.”

On the treatments that she has been giving to men, Dr Deepali shares, “Men come to me for Botox for several conditions that include broad jaw, frown lines, forehead lines, wrinkles on neck, excessive sweating on face, under arms and hands. Procedures to cure or reduce crow’s feet are of course a very common procedure that I perform on an everyday basis.”

Both Dr Varun and Dr Deepali say that on an average, their male Botox clients are under 40 years old, while men in their 20s and 30s opt for fillers. Dr Deepali further says that there are significant differences in the outcome of injectables in women and men, so choose a doctor who’s experienced with male patients and according to her, doctors need to take into account each patient’s muscle mass, muscle fiber pattern and hair distribution.

“Although exact dosing regimens do not yet exist, there is widespread consensus that men require higher doses of Botox than their female counterparts because their skin is thicker and hence they need more number of units of the botulinum toxin to knock the muscle,” she shares. About the kind of investment that men are looking at, Dr Varun reveals, “Investment directly depends upon the number of units needed and that’s dependent on the number of wrinkles and their depth. The longer and deeper the wrinkle, the more number of units are needed. And generally botulinum toxin wears off in 3-4 months and has to be repeated in that time span to continue living wrinkle free. The cost of per unit of Botox is `250-350.”

Even though the male standard of beauty is seeing this huge shift, from the point of view of a metrosexual man, Vijay Malik, a wedding planner and entrepreneur, the best way to take care of one’s body is through hitting the gym.

“Why not take measures to look and feel our best by being physically fit I mean, I understand the emotional dilemma a man can go through due to his receding hair line but Botox Why For that matter, why should anyone (man or woman) go for such treatments Do you not want your face to be like a ‘map’ of all the things that you have conquered through your years on the planet Crow lines for instance, account for the times that you have laughed, forehead lines depict how much you have worried over things.

The face is the index of your mind and I don’t see why anyone would want to hide it from the world. Having said that, I am also thankful for all the technological advancements in the field of medicine and to its varied extended usage in helping someone who has gotten injured or to a person who is suffering from a disorder. But these are all things intended to correct something that has gone wrong. Ageing is a natural process, not something irrational or wrong that needs to be corrected,” he concludes.