8 minute read
THE ART OF MALE CONTOURING
Male celebrities such as Simon Cowell and Robbie Williams have been open about their use of aesthetic tweakments in recent years.
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, there has been a 337 percent increase in “Brotox” (aka Botox for men) injections over the past decade. Closer to home, around 10 percent of the million Brits a year who have cosmetic procedures are now male, including myself. That’s according to the marketplace and search site RightClinic.com.
The market is certainly changing – or growing. And at our clinic, we’ve certainly seen a big shift in trends. When it comes to aesthetics treatments, us guys are no longer shy!
And if you’re a guy like me, and you’re worried about ageing, or you want to accentuate your face’s masculinity, there are plenty of non-surgical fixes at hand…
What is Male Contouring?
When we speak of facial contours, we’re referring to features and structural outlines, such as jawlines, chins, cheeks, and brows. As we mature, it’s natural for these contours to lose definition. This is because our skin produces less collagen. With less collagen, skin weakens and thins, and can slowly sag. This leads to fine lines and wrinkles, too.
However, many contouring concerns could also be down to genetics. Not all of us are blessed with Brad Pitt’s square jaw or Robert Pattison’s razorsharp cheekbones (damn!). Weak jawlines, double chins and rounded cheekbones are things many of us guys are born with, and these can become more prominent as we age, too.
Non-surgical male contouring procedures typically involve two types of treatment: injectables and thread lifts. Injectables, such as Hyaluronic Acid Fillers (Juvederm, MaiLi are popular brands), add instant volume and plumpness to treated areas. Some fillers give you a double whammy by stimulating the production of collagen too. Other injectables, such as Lanluma, even work exclusively by building up collagen fibres deep within the skin. Final results take a couple of months to appear, but they’re completely natural and worth waiting for.
The other popular injectable option are Botulinum Toxin muscle-relaxing injections, more commonly known by the brand name Botox. Or, as the buzz word has become for guys, “Brotox” . These temporarily freeze the muscles beneath the skin, preventing them from contracting. Fine lines and wrinkles are instantly diminished with “Brotox” . These injections are VERY popular with guys. However, results generally only last several months so regular top-ups should be expected. A lot of our clients combine Botulinum Toxin injections with other treatments in order to achieve a truly optimal outcome. Think about it. Hyaluronic Acid fillers add volume and plumpness, and “Brotox” diminishes wrinkles.
For many blokes, it’s a winning combo! For slightly more advanced cases of ageing – or weakening skin – thread lifts are extremely safe and effective. Procedures involve a thread being placed under the skin in strategic points. When pulled, the threads tighten the skin and create a lifting effect, restoring a person’s facial contours to their former glories. It may sound uncomfortable, but after a very short while, patients don’t notice them at all! The threads themselves are typically made of polylactic acid, which is naturally absorbed by the skin over time. Once the effect is lost, a patient may decide they want a repeat treatment. Again, results are very natural looking. And safe too, with minimal downtime. Unlike most surgery!
The Masculine Touch
As I said earlier though, male contouring is not always about reversing ageing worries. Plenty of guys simply want to enhance the masculinity of their features. That’s very common in business, or men who work in media. It’s perhaps little coincidence that many of our male clients have busy city jobs, especially guys in their 30s and 40s.
Psychological studies have shown that first impressions matter in the business world. As well as smart dress sense and a natural air of confidence - facial features can play their part, too. Attributes perceived as ‘masculine’ , such as a square jaw (we call that a ‘Texas Jaw’) or pronounced cheekbones can not only convey a sense of power to the outside world, they can also instil confidence in the person themselves.
Masculinising features and adding definition to contours is something we’re asked about a fair bit now. Again, reshaping and accentuating features is very much achievable with Hyaluronic Acid fillers. Using filler products specially formulated for the smaller facial areas, a skilled and qualified doctor is able to reshape noses, square off jawlines and enhance cheekbones. In fact, I’d have to say that our own Medical Director Dr Liakas and our whole medical team are absolute masters when it comes to these sorts of treatments. Dr Liakas and our whole medical team are absolute masters when it comes to these sorts of treatments. From non-surgical nose-jobs to the “Texas Jaw” , it’s amazing what can be achieved, really! Male contouring often involves combining treatments, too.
I already mentioned how “Brotox” often teams up well with various fillers. Our own ‘Masculine Max Face Contouring’ for Men is a combination treatment plan, which is unique to each of our clients. Depending on a person’s goals, the doctor will discuss with them the best methods for helping them emphasise and strengthen their facial contours. The general aim is always the same, though: to give them that extra step ahead in life, be it in the workplace or in the social arena. The high-flyer package deal, so to speak.
Personal Experiences
And all that leads quite nicely on to me, really. Although, I’ve spoken about male contouring in general, you may want to hear a little about my own experiences. My name is Stephen (hello!). I freelance as a copywriter and content specialist for Vie Aesthetics, but I first discovered the clinic as a client a few years ago. I was in my mid 30s and working for a very well-known global organisation, specialising in world records. In fact, I was the company’s public face of videogaming, and was often appearing on stage and screen alongside gamers, celebrities and YouTubers, most all of whom were considerably younger than me. And quite cool, too!
For a while, I had already noticed that I was losing definition around my cheeks and jawline before I began the job. I had felt increasingly self-conscious as I headed towards my 40s. Dr Liakas explained that my concerns were due to a loss of volume in my upper cheeks area, causing the skin to sag below. An early onset of jowls, essentially. My nasolabial folds were also becoming quite deep, which was both genetic (they were also fairly pronounced) and due to ageing. Nasolabial folds are the grooves that run from the nose to mouth.
Ellansé worked wonders for me. It gave me a gentle, subtle and very natural “lifting” effect. Not enough for people to say “hey, have you had something done, ” but certainly enough to make myself look noticeably refreshed and revitalised. It’s also helped to keep my skin fairly plump and smooth, especially for my age.
Dr Liakas recommended a treatment to me called Ellansé, which was new at the time. It’s an injectable filler, that not only instantly adds volume to treated areas but stimulates the production of collagen inside the skin. That means its results continue to improve in the weeks after treatment, with the outcome peaking at around three months but lasting for many months more. Now just into my early 40s, I get a top-up of Ellansé every year (usually around every 10 months), just to maintain results. Recently, I added a syringe of hyaluronic acid filler in my temples to gently lift the brow and eye area too, as Ellansé is less effective here. Again, I’m still only on one syringe each, and am very happy with my results. Maintaining a very good home skincare regimen is also crucial to maintaining and optimising. That’s my tip for the day!
It may come as little surprise that I’m not the only guy at Vie Aesthetics who occasionally enjoys a “tweakment” . Our male doctors and also Richard, who is our Business Director, all have their regular tweakments too. Richard recently tried MaiLi Filler to add definition to his jawline. Results all round have been very impressive! In Richard’s case, he says his concerns were brought about by the natural ageing process.
Dr Ioannis Liakas, our Medical Director, sees clients in our clinics in Harley Street, in Holborn and in Rayleigh.
As he explains: “I was in the office one day and Dr Liakas pointed out to me that my jawline wasn’t as strong as it should be anymore. This was especially true in the far corners of the jaw, where the bone reaches up to the ears.
My jawline was almost getting lost in my neck, so it was something I was definitely keen to address. I don’t think it’s unusual for guys to be selfconscious about these things in this day and age. I certainly am. I was genuinely overjoyed with the results, ” says Richard. “I was amazed at what it achieved after one session. I didn’t tell my partner that I was having anything done, but she noticed the effect immediately and was ‘WOWed’ . As a man, I definitely don’t have any hesitation in opting for aesthetic procedures, or tweakments as we call them. After all, it’s all about self-improvement. If something bothers you and knocks your confidence, why not do something about it? That goes for all us guys!”
One of our clinic rooms in Harley Street.
Dr Liakas recommended a new Hyaluronic Acid filler called MailLi, which we had just introduced to the clinic. MaiLi Filler is a soft and supple gel, which has a unique and revolutionary spring-like bounce to it. Its advanced formula not only means less product is required (great for the client!), but it also gives the skin complete freedom of movement. Results are also very long-lasting too, as it contains few free radicals, so is broken down in the skin very slowly.
Stephen Daultrey, our Head Content Designer.
