Of Men, Cosmetic Surgery and Botox

If you had believed all along that women were the only ones negatively affected by idealized body images portrayed in the media, then you are highly mistaken. TV images of hunky male physiques affect a man’s body image as much as they do to a woman’s.

In a study, it was found that even a brief exposure to media images of muscular men affects a man's view of his body. Those who viewed more prime-time TV and music videos felt worse about their looks.

A recent study has revealed some very interesting facts - Most women, and large numbers of men, are interested in seeking recourse to cosmetic surgery to enhance their looks.

 David Frederick, a UCLA psychology graduate student and lead author of the study said, “The majority of women expressed some interest in cosmetic surgery, and more than one-third of men expressed some degree of interest, which I found really surprising. 

We know there is tremendous pressure for women to be thin and have a certain appearance and for men to be fit and muscular, but I would not have guessed that so many people would be interested in surgical body alteration.”

The DailyMail reports that more and more middle-aged men are turning to Botox to smooth away their wrinkles and that they are willing to shell out millions of bucks on the treatment in their quest to look younger. 

Injections of fillers - gels which iron out lines and plump up the lips - and permanent lip implants – all these seem to be quite popular with men who want to hold back the hands of time without going under the surgeon's knife, it adds. 

No doubt, men can be treated with Botox for cosmetic procedures in the same way as women, but, the fact is, they require higher doses of Botox in all treatment areas as they have a greater muscle mass than women.

Men losing the battle with bulging waistlines and sagging faces are also resorting to liposuction to have their stubborn fat sucked out of their bellies and eye bags cut away to make them look younger. 

Savina O'Neill, of London Plastic Surgery Associates says, “These anti-ageing measures are no longer just part of the woman's domain - most men nowadays appreciate a little external help when it's needed.”