For years women across the world have been reaping the benefits in the quest for eternal youth and, as the aesthetics industry continues to boom, men are finally catching up and realising it’s not just for girls.
The rise of the metrosexual male in the 1990s created a culture which made it acceptable for even the most manly of men to begin taking more care with their appearance, and all of a sudden it was cool to have a skincare regime.
The desire for a perfect appearance is no longer exclusive to ladies and with a recent surge in barber shops bringing a new-found love of perfectly coiffured quiffs and beautifully crafted beards, male grooming has been taken to the next level.
Of course, the effort to look good also brings a new found interest in halting the ageing process and as men see more and more women looking ever youthful and fresh, it’s not surprising there’s been a rise in men going “under the needle” for anti-wrinkle treatment.
Dr Sam Robson of award-winning Aberdeen clinic Temple Medical, said: “Botox is no longer a taboo among men, and recent figures claim that 1 in 5 anti-wrinkle patients are now male. The popularity of so called ‘brotox’ is on the increase.
“Like our female patients, men are looking for a subtle improvement to relax wrinkles which leaves them looking better, feeling better and improving self esteem and confidence.
“There is a new generation of men who understand that taking care of their appearance as they get older is not girly and that vanity isn’t a sign of weakness.”
Many celebrities, male and female, don’t hide the fact they’ve indulged in a little aesthetics to help enhance their features so it is fast becoming accepted as the norm.
However, with many less reputable individuals out there willing to inject people with botox and fillers, it is recommended that anyone considering treatment should always choose a respected clinic that is registered with Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS).
Multi award-winning Temple Medical is fully registered and Dr Robson is a highly respected and experienced practitioner who has been qualified as a GP since 1997 and been practising medical aesthetics since 2004.
If you are a man thinking about a little ‘brotox’ to relax your hard-earned wrinkles, here’s a guide from Dr Robson on what to expect from the process at a professional skincare clinic:
Firstly, you should expect a full consultation with your medical aesthetics practitioner to discuss your concerns and what outcomes you are hoping for.
As part of this process you should be advised of the potential risks and complications of the treatment that is being recommended by the practitioner and asked to fill in and sign a thorough medical questionnaire prior to treatment.
Once the treatment is agreed your practitioner will take a series of photos capturing all angles of your face, which will give them a clearer picture of which muscles in your face will need to be relaxed to achieve the desired outcome.
Any botox or filler treatment should then be conducted in a clean clinical environment and you should be able to watch your practitioner prepare the products so you can be assured that these are fresh.
The areas of treatment will then be cleansed and some anaesthetic gel may be applied to gently numb the area before any injections.
At Temple Medical, we prefer to take the process slowly for a more natural look and top up in a couple of weeks if necessary rather than injecting too much of the product at the first appointment.
There may be a little bleeding around the puncture areas but this is normal and your practitioner will continue to keep the areas cleansed until the area dries up.
Afterwards, you should be careful not to rub the areas too vigorously in order to avoid disrupting the product while it settles.
For botox, do not expect instant results as it takes a week or two for you to begin to see the benefits. Fillers, however, will give instant results.
After the treatment you should be invited to a follow up consultation where the practitioner will carry out another set of photos to compare against the first images. This will allow them to decide if any fine tuning is required to complete the treatment or if they have already achieved the desired results.
Let’s be honest, no-one likes the thought of getting old and with so many options out there to soften the blow or halt the process, it’s not surprising that aesthetic procedures are so popular among women and have now piqued the interest of men.
Although ‘brotox’ is a fairly new concept for many men, a large proportion have now realised that they can manage to dissolve the years – without it being frowned upon!
