Are more men going under the knife or pursuing cosmetic plastic surgery? Despite women being the leading consumer base for these types of procedures and the stigma that has persisted for men to do so, studies show men are engaging in the service.
The Shade Room, a Black celebrity news outlet, recently conducted a report which highlighted rapper Bandman Kevo, gospel singer Jovanta Patton, and social media personality Andrew Caldwell, all of whom share how cosmetic procedures positively changed their lives.
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, data estimates show 1.3 million men received cosmetic procedures in 2020.
“Since COVID, there has been a rapid increase in the number of men getting procedures done,” said Dr. Charles M. Boyd, owner of BOYD, which services clients for both surgical and non-surgical medical spa procedures across metro Detroit.
Boyd has earned an excellent reputation nation-wide and internationally for his holistic approach, quality results and outstanding patient care. He’s a graduate of Harvard Medical School and the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.
“Primarily it’s the rise in Zoom meetings. One of the things none of us are accustomed to doing, particularly men, is looking at themselves all day. Zoom forces you to do that.”
Boyd said the pandemic era of virtual video calls has prompted more people to take a closer look at themselves and pursue ways to better their appearance.
“I’ve literally had men whose wives had been in my office for years and they themselves had never come in and all of a sudden and say things like, ‘I’ve been looking at my neck on Zoom or my eyes and I don’t like it.’”
Boyd also points to the advancement in technology for body treatments such as devices for cool sculpting. He says it’s nothing new but appeals more to men because men want to get rid of the love handles or any kind of body area that working out at the gym doesn’t seem to solve.
“Men are different than women in which men don’t do a lot of big changes. They will do subtle or gradual changes that are significant.”
Dr. DeLorean Griffin operates his own practice as well, Griffin Plastic Surgery in West Bloomfield Township. Griffin is a board certified plastic surgeon from the American Board of Plastic Surgery and has a background in medical education, plastic surgery and reconstructive surgery from Wayne State University School of Medicine.
“Social media has influenced men to seek specific procedures as it does for women,” Griffin said. “More and more male celebrities have shared their plastic surgery journeys more recently. Bandman Kevo had high-definition VASER ultrasonic liposuction, also known as ab etching, to enhance the appearance of his abdominal musculature; he is one example of many.”
Griffin says his leading demographic is and has always been middle-aged African American women. The only difference he says he’s seen over the years is a shift in the age of the patients he treats, which has become slightly younger.
Most medical experts have cautioned that no amount of plastic surgery should override proper diet and exercise, but understanding one’s options is key.
“Men can have a “dad bod” and still be viewed as attractive to women if they have other attributes,” Griffin explained. “This plays into the psyche of what is deemed ‘manly’ or not. But men like to look and feel good too. The confidence gained from improving looks via cosmetic surgery is universal, whether it is gynecomastia surgery, liposuction, hair transplant, etc.”
For men shaping up to improve their look in a new and different way for them personally, Boyd says the initial conversation phase with patients is important.
“I show them other men that look like them and the improvements and it really sells itself, and at that point, you’re like, ‘okay, I definitely need that,’” said Boyd.
At the end of the day, Griffin believes, “If you want a procedure that enhances your appearance and confidence, go for it!”
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