Plastic fantastic – the rise and fall of male plastic surgery

Celebrity Big Brother is known for its weird and wonderful characters, but this year one participant, Darryn Lyons, has hit the headlines for another reason – his slightly odd-looking six-pack.
 
With more men going under the knife than ever before, we’ve decided to find out why more men are opting for plastic surgery and which procedures are proving most popular.

Darryn isn’t the only guy chasing the perfect six pack – procedures designed to enhance the tummy and chest area have recently become increasingly popular, largely thanks to advances in technology. Additionally, while such procedures remain costly, finance packages have also made such procedures become infinitely more accessible.

“Five years ago, male patients made up 8% of everyone we treated, but now it’s 12% to 15%,” reveals Shami Thomas, spokesperson for Transform Cosmetic Surgery, the UK’s largest cosmetic surgery provider.

“Awareness and acceptance of aesthetic procedures is increasing through media coverage. New technologies and techniques allow us to achieve amazing results, and celebrities are also talking more about various procedures - there’s less stigma.” 

Indeed, while the average man might not dream of looking like Wayne Rooney or Simon Cowell.

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The tweeted pictures of Rooney’s transplant show how both celebrity endorsement combined with the power of media can be a great endorsement, whilst Cowell’s honestly relating to his love of botox – in 2003 he told Glamour magazine that: "To me, Botox is no more unusual than toothpaste” – is another case in point.

Eye, eye
Blepharoplastys, or eye lifts, are another procedure that’s recently become especially popular with men, says Shami at Transform. Although it’s a procedure men are often less willing to admit have done – rubber-faced Sylvester Stallone is thought to have work done on his eyes although critics are quick to point out he now looks permanently surprised – it’s another example of a treatment that’s become more popular due to accessibility and flexible payment plans.

“Eyelid surgery is always going to be popular as problems relating to these areas will always exist,” says Shami. “Many men have this procedure done because their top eyelid has become hooded and it’s impairing their eye sight and making them look older.”

[See also: British actresses form anti-Botox campaign]

Who nose?
Rhinoplastys – or nose jobs – are also at the top of the list when it comes to modern man’s “must have” plastic surgery procedures, with David Hasselhoff and Zac Effron all thought to have had work done. 

Surprisingly, face lifts have become less popular, although to be honest, the “stuck in a wind tunnel” appearance of celebrities such as Mickey Rourke could well be the reason. “Invasive anti-ageing procedures such as face lifts are on the decline for men,” agrees Bill Green, managing director of the Botonics Plastic Surgery Group. “The main reason is the availability of new, non-invasive treatments and techniques and dermal fillers. Clients have very little downtime and the results are natural looking.”

The procedure that’s seen the biggest rise in popularity?
Liposuction.“In recent years liposuction on the chest area has been very popular,” reveals Shami Thomas. “There’s been a real resurgence - enquiries have rocketed. This is largely due to the fact that there’s more information out there. It’s also a procedure that treats problems men are often very embarrassed about.”

Don’t do a Darryn
However a word of warning - while it’s hard to see how anyone would see Darryn Lyons as a great advert for plastic surgery, he’s certainly a great example of how procedures can look often look less than impressive when performed on the wrong type of person.

“The key problem with Darryn is that he carries too much fat internally,” points out Bill Green. “Everyone has fat both externally – i.e subcutaneous fat just below the skin - and internally - i.e. visceral fat around internal organs. Men in particular tend to carry fat viscerally.

There’s no lipo procedure in the world that can remove fat from around internal organs - only diet and exercise can reduce this. Darryn’s external fat was effectively carved into the appearance of a six pack around his abdominal muscles.

However, the internal fat which gives him a broad abdomen remained, making the chiselled six pack incongruous with the breadth of his abdomen, and therefore unnatural looking.” In other words, we’re sorry to say that when it comes to looking good, there’s no replacement for a good diet and regular exercise. For now.

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