Today more men than ever are coming for cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery. The reasons for this are complex. It probably reflects an increased awareness of cosmetic surgery and a growth in decision making by men in health care issues. In the past it was known that almost all decisions about health care were made by women. An old joke was that if a man needed a urologist he asked his wife who to go to and she would ask her gynecologist! Times have changed. Men now take increasing responsibility for their own choices in health care and one aspect of this is the growth in cosmetic surgery.
Another stimulus is the intense competition in the business world. There is often a perception, correct or not, that an older person is less up to date and efficient. In an effort to remain young looking , many men have turned to cosmetic surgery. Eating disorders, which may be a result of these stresses, are becoming more common in men.
Cosmetic surgery in men uses many of the same procedures as in women. However, because of the structure of a man's body there are many technical differences. For example, the skin in men is thicker and in the facial area contains hair. This means the blood supply is greater. The result is a greater risk of bleeding but good healing. In general, men tend to be less happy with the results of cosmetic surgery than women.
There are some problems and operations which are special for men. These include gynecomastia (large breasts), penis surgery and hair transplantation. Still, in most cases the surgery is a modification of the standard cosmetic operations.
Finally, as more men become aware of the civil rights issues of infant circumcision many are seeking a medical solution for infant genital surgery.