This month, Botox Cosmetic turns 20! What started as a treatment for involuntary eye spasms ended up revolutionizing the anti-aging world. So this month we are going to focus our blogs on the magic of Botox. This week let's look at Botox for men. Over the last ten years, men have become a much larger part of the medical spa demographic, and just like our female clients, there’s no one “type” of man that comes in for treatments. We have all age ranges and styles.
I found a comment about this from a plastic surgeon: “There is no demographic and to me that speaks volumes ― the fact that it’s crossing every racial, every sexual, every social demographic. There is no way to pigeon hole [a man] and say, ‘Oh, he’ll never get it.’”
Some of the motivation for having treatments like Botox is similar to why women get treated: look your best for your partner, a potential partner, and for yourself. Ever-present social media has fueled this desire to look younger as well. But there is one major factor, more than any other, that drives men to seek Botox treatments: maintaining a youthful look in an ageist job market.
The beauty of Botox is that the results can be quite subtle, simply relaxing some of those static lines, and have you looking rested and less worried in about 5-10 days.
So if you’re a man seeking out a Botox treatment, what should you keep in mind?
Men must be injected differently than women.
There are anatomical differences in the face that need to be kept in mind, such as that men’s eyebrows are not arched like women’s, and therefore injections must be done accordingly so as to not give a male patient a feminized look.
Don’t aim for 100% correction.
Taking away all of a man’s wrinkles and creases can often cause a feminized look as well. When Botox is injected properly, some movement and some lines can be left so expressions are natural, and the result simply looks relaxed and more youthful. With 100% correction, the appearance would be smooth and frozen.
I have seen this before, and all I knew was that there was something wrong with those men’s faces, I just couldn’t figure it out until I worked in this industry. I would see men in their mid 50s to mid-60s and I would think, Hmmm…did they WAX their face?? What is happening here on their very shiny, smooth face that shouldn’t be happening?!
And now that I’m in the know I think, OHHHHH!!! They’ve had too much Botox (or not had it properly injected).
Men need more Botox units than women.
Men have stronger facial muscles, and therefore need more units to relax these muscles. Also, the longer you've waited for your first Botox treatment, the more static lines you will have, and the longer it will take for them to smooth out. You will of course see results with your first treatment, but you may not see your optimal results until after several treatments.
Don’t look for the best deal with Botox, look for the best injectors. And be aware that Botox injections require maintenance: generally every three to four months for as long as you want to keep those wrinkles away.