Cosmetic surgery interventions in men already represent 15% of all those performed in Spain. They go to aesthetic centers to enhance the gluteal crown (giving volume at the back, at the top), sculpt the jaw with hyaluronic acid to have a more virile appearance or to undergo non-invasive techniques to eliminate localized fat using cold.
On the other hand, techniques that have caused rivers of ink to flow are still very marginal, says Isabel de Benito, president of the Spanish Society of Reconstructive and Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (Secpre) and co-responsible for the Porcuna clinic
The nipple operation has become one of the most searched for on the internet by men. In this case, the aesthetic inspiration is David Beckham. Nevertheless, men arrive at the operating room earlier for breast reduction (for men, this is the second most requested intervention, with 5,811 Spaniards operated on in 2022). Gynecomastia – the development of the volume of a man’s breasts caused by hormonal changes – also appears due to the use of steroids and hormones to increase muscle mass, as well as in overweight and obese people, since in in the peripheral fat there is an enzyme called aromatase that transforms part of the male hormones into female hormones and stimulates the development of the breasts.
The point is that more and more men are daring with cosmetic surgery, especially with non-invasive techniques. This is the case of cools-culpting, one of the most popular alternatives today to eliminate unwanted fat with a cold application treatment. Another technology that is on the rise, reveals the president of Secpre, is Morpheus8, “a radio frequency that men are using more and more to stretch the skin in the chin area, in the abdomen, even in the arms after dieting”, explains De Benito.
In addition to flat stomachs, sharply defined jaws and hairy heads, the newest thing under the sun is the interest in less invasive techniques among the young and the not-so-young. According to the latest data from Secpre, 26.9% of interventions correspond to people aged between 45 and 60; 35.4% in the age group between 30 and 44 years; and 29.5% to those aged between 18 and 29. On a global scale, the pattern is repeated, except that operations on people younger than 34 account for more than half of the total.
“Today the search is for facial and body perfection. What I see most in the consultation are young people who are looking for greater body definition, since, even being athletes, they may not be able to eliminate fat accumulations in certain areas”, comments Lorca. Thus, one of the most useful options is body contouring surgeries, also such as 360 degree liposuction. The intervention usually lasts about three and a half hours and is done in the operating room under general anesthesia. It is normal to start with the patient upside down and then turn him over. The price can reach up to 8,000 or 9,000 euros when the surgeon is experienced.
Having surgery on the gluteal area, “has also become a trend”, says De Benito. Basically, it is about improving the profile of the gluteal crown and this usually involves filling the places where it is nice to have volume, that is to say above and not below, so that the glute is rounded and well defined”, he explains. The filling is usually done by extracting and then injecting fat from areas where there is excess (such as the cartridge cases, the abdominal area, the inside of both knees and the hips) and is called lipofilling or lipografting. The technique is used not only to enhance the buttocks, but also to cover scars, fill glasses or cheekbones and rejuvenate the face.
To attract younger people, some clinics in the United States use the slogan “You, but better” on Instagram and TikTok. But the goal is often unattainable, since these are not real images, but retouched with the thousand digital filters of these platforms. Almond-shaped eyes, sharp chins, high cheekbones and squarer chins are some of the operations most requested by young people, who follow the new canons of beauty on social networks. With a digital filter you can retouch the nose, raise the ears or sharpen the face as much as you want, because filters have no limits, unlike surgery.
For this reason, Dr. Lorca recommends following the Instagram account Belleza falsa (@bellezafalsa), which shows the true face of celebrities (literally). Just a few months ago, the BBC warned about looksmaxxing (‘maximizing physical appearance’), a trend that has been around for a decade and now seems to be back with a vengeance on some forums and the internet in an attempt to become as attractive as possible according to a series of prescribed criteria such as, for example, “hunter’s eyes” or slightly inclined towards the temples. Looksmaxxing assigns “scores” to aspects of male appearance, focusing particularly on the jawline, musculature and skin. The goal is to increase the score through softmaxxing and hardmaxxing (which may involve the use of steroids, hair transplants and cosmetic surgery).
