Men have different anatomical goals when seeking plastic surgery

MIAMI — Plastic surgeons should focus on the anatomical differences between men and women when treating male patients to avoid feminizing their features and should also spend more time during consultations to educate male patients about available treatments, according to a speaker here.

“I think we are seeing a tremendous increase in the number of cosmetic procedures that men are undertaking as we move forward,” Neil Sadick, MD, said at South Beach Symposium 2017. “They still represent in most of our practices a very small number of patients ... but they are increasing in number, and they remain an untapped frontier for companies that are looking to build new approaches.”

Neil Sadick

The most common aesthetic goals for the male patient, according to Sadick, are a natural, masculine look, fat reduction and hair loss treatment. It is important, he said, to avoid exaggerating features or feminizing features but rather to keep the patient within a small sphere of a natural appearance.

Sadick believes that men are often less informed about the wide range of available procedures because they are less likely to partake in the type of media outlets, such as magazines and television shows, that focus on aesthetic procedures. Consultations with male patients should offer information on the range of available procedures.

For skin resurfacing, Sadick uses intense pulsed light for rejuvenation, lasers for vascular lesions or tattoo removal and microneedling radiofrequency for acne scarring.

For toxins and fillers, the common goals that Sadick’s patients have are dealing with volume loss and augmenting facial features to appear more masculine. He recommends avoiding medial and lateral overcorrection because this can appear more feminine.

The technologies that Sadick uses for skin tightening in his male patients include ultrasound or radiofrequency for the neck, chest, arms and flank and shockwaves following liposuction in the flanks and abdomen.

“Men have different anatomical considerations and goals than women, and you want to be aware of that when men come into your office,” Sadick said. “Similar to women, combination approaches are not only for the face but for the whole body. I think there are less evidence-based studies out there looking at the efficacy of these technologies in men and women and we need more of them as we move down the road.” – by Talitha Bennett

References: Sadick N. Treating the Male Aesthetic Patient. Presented at: South Beach Symposium 2017; Feb. 9-12, 2017; Miami Beach, Florida.

Disclosure: Healio.com was unable to determine whether Dr. Sadick has a direct financial interest in the products discussed in this article or if he is a paid consultant for any companies mentioned.