Male Plastic Surgery FAQ

Q: What is the age requirement for a male getting a rhinoplasty and/or chin implant? Also, is it cheaper to do both procedures at once?

A: Age 16 is around the cut off age for a male wanting a rhinoplasty and/or chin implant; however, there are several guidelines which should be followed when a teenager is involved in a rhinoplasty. This has been handed by generations of rhinoplasty specialist who have deemed 16 the most appropriate age since most male teens have completed their growth spurt by then. Though a true study has never been fully conducted, a study by a well respected plastic surgeon from Mexico City showed that in the hundreds of rhinoplasty procedures in younger teens, none had any growth problems. In much younger teens, trauma and/or surgery can cause growth problems for the nose, however, rarely is that area disturbed in pure rhinoplasty procedures. The real question is the maturity involved in making a decision to go through with a potentially life changing procedure.

In terms of cost, the savings come from anesthesia and/or time during the healing process. Saving time and money are big factors, but you have only one nose and chin, finding an experienced specialist should be paramount in your decision making process.

Q: What kind of surgery would I be looking for if I want to define and create a smoother slope without reducing the size of the nose? Also, can I keep the turned up look, but also slightly lower the tip?

A: In the past, a rhinoplasty mainly involved reduction of the nose. Things have changed presently. Although, some patients do require reducing the tip or narrowing of a bridge, the vast majority of rhinoplasty procedures involve strengthening the nose. In some cases, instead of lowering the tip, the bridge is raised.

Q: Can a man get a facelift and is it different than a woman's facelift?

A: There are numerous differences in the facelift procedure between a man and a woman. A few of these differences are:

• Placement of the incisions
• Length of healing time
• Less tolerance to actually sitting still and healing

For incisions, that is dependent on the beard pattern of a man. Placing the incision behind the tragus (a small square cartilage in front of the ear) is my preference with laser hair techniques. That will allow the use of a laser to re-establish a hairless strip in front of the ear.

In my experience, men tend to want surgery and get back to work. Unfortunately, the increased blood flow in the beard region cause bruising to last longer. Since the likely hood of wearing makeup to cover up the bruising is very small, men will be required to take more time off to allow for the healing process to run its course.

Q: Other than Botox, is there a more permanent option to treat wrinkles around the eyes and forehead?

A: Botox can be a possible alternative to relaxing frown lines, brow lines and crow's feet, but has its limitations. If you are seeking a longer lasting solution, a surgical procedure may be the solution. By removing some of the muscle called the corrugators, the frown lines can be softened. Horizontal lines develop from the necessity to hold up the brow which keeps overhanging eyelid skin or drooping eyebrows from leaning on the eyelashes. In these cases, a brow lift or blepharoplasty is the best alternative.

Q: What is the best brow lift procedure for a receding hairline?

A: First thing I would try on anyone considering a brow lift is Botox to relax the eyebrow depressor muscles. Many patients get a nice lift of the brow even without surgery that lasts around 4 months.

As for surgery, if your hairline is receding and genetically will continue to do so, I am reluctant to perform a coronal, at the hairline or even traditional endoscopic browlift. Endoscopic is an option with incisions in upper brow creases. My favorite procedure for men such as yourself, is trans-Blepharoplasty brow lift. This is performed through an upper eyelid incision. the muscles are cut that pull the brows down and in. The brows are also tacked up to the bone above the eyebrow with a dissolving device called and endotine. The biggest drawback of the trans-Blepharoplasty brow lift is that the results aren't great. But for a man, that is an advantage. Men should not have their eyebrows lifted too high or they may appear feminized.

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