The Rise of Men’s Beauty Treatments in the Age of Social Media and Remote Working
Social media and remote working have sparked a cultural shift towards men seeking beauty treatments to enhance their appearance. Dr. Dunne explains that various factors such as increased professional visibility on social media, high-definition photography, virtual meetings, and a growing awareness of the benefits of subtle enhancements have contributed to this trend.
In response to the growing demand, the men’s beauty industry is rapidly evolving with procedures and treatments specifically tailored to men’s individual needs and concerns. One of the popular treatments, known as brotox, involves using a higher dosage of Botox to account for men’s thicker skin and stronger facial muscles. Clinics are also offering services like abdominal etching and male breast reduction, with the latter being one of the fastest-growing cosmetic procedures among men in the US in 2024, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
Men are no longer shying away from these procedures and tweakments. Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon Sean Satey notes that men are transitioning from feeling embarrassed to being curious and comfortable with enhancing their appearance. For instance, there is a growing interest in scrotox, a procedure that relaxes scrotal muscles, reduces wrinkles, tightness, sweating, and gives the appearance of larger testicles. While some practitioners like Dr. Satey do not offer this procedure, others, like the Harley Street Skin Clinic in London, have seen a significant rise in scrotox enquiries over the past five years.
Dr. Aamer Khan, the lead practitioner at the Harley Street Skin Clinic, highlights that men are now more open about requesting scrotox for both cosmetic and functional reasons. Some men seek the treatment to address issues like excessive sweating, discomfort, chafing, or to achieve a more youthful appearance. Dr. Khan emphasizes that many men’s concerns about their genital appearance are influenced by unrealistic perceptions perpetuated by social media.
According to Dr. Dunne, the goal of these beauty treatments is not to change a client’s identity but to help them appear as the most refreshed and confident version of themselves. Plastic and reconstructive surgeon Ash Soni, founder of The Soni Clinic in London, notes that the stigma surrounding male aesthetic procedures is diminishing, with an increasing number of men undergoing treatments and openly discussing them. In Dr. Soni’s practice, male patients have grown from 5% to 10% of the total clientele over the past three years.
Preventative Skin Care for Men
With the availability of various tweakments, men are also adopting a preventative approach to skin health. Celebrity facialist and aesthetician Melanie Grant observes a significant rise in male clients seeking maintenance-led treatments to proactively care for their skin. Men are now opting for services like LED light therapy, ultrasound technology, IPL, gentle lasers, and custom clinical peels to maintain their skin health.
