For men in the 4th through the 6th decade, blepharoplasty (upper and lower eyelid tucks), neck liposuction, face and brow lifts, laser resurfacing for fine wrinkles and Botox injections are common. These procedures, when performed incrementally, allow men to maintain a fresh, youthful look well into their 60’s and 70’s.
Special considerations requiring expertise in male surgery are necessary to achieve the most optimal outcomes. Men’s skin, in general, is thicker and has a richer blood supply that increases the risk of bruising or hematoma formation (counteracted by a well-planned anti-bruising regimen). Incisions must be artistically placed in the hairline, within the ear or behind the sideburn to avoid visible post-surgical scarring. In balding patients or those with thinning hair, creativity must be used to hide brow lift incisions, particularly in the temporal area.
In the neck area, muscles may be thicker, but elimination of the “turkey” jowl beneath the chin and a sharper neckline can be achieved by lipsuction alone or in conjunction with skin trimming. Softening of the cheek jowls can be accomplished by limited-incision mid-face lifts. Botox injections, carefully planned at three – to six-month intervals, can erase “worry” lines of the forehead, frown lines between the brows and crow’s feet at the corner of the eyes. Bagginess under the eyes can be flattened by removal of excess fat and trimming of the skin through concealed incisions at the lash line.
Recovery from most of the procedures ranges from a couple of days to a couple of weeks. Shaving is often postponed for 7-10 days in some procedures because of skin sensitivity, but the beard growth often helps to camouflage bruising. Return to work or exercise regimen depends on the complexity of the individual procedure.
