Botox Is Not Just for Women Anymore

Botox has been used for more than 20 years to smooth wrinkles and lines in the face. The minimally invasive procedure entails injecting botulinum toxin in the face to relax the tiny muscles in the corners of the eyes and mouth.

Botox is the most popular nonsurgical cosmetic procedure in the country, and men are heading to their dermatologists more and more to have the treatment, too. It’s estimated that more men have more than 500,000 Botox treatments annually.

This article describes why men rely on Botox more to look younger and essential details about the procedure.

Why Botox Is More Popular With Men

Women still have most cosmetic procedures in the United States, but the number of men having work done is rising. Nonsurgical procedures such as Botox are one of the most popular treatments for men.

Some of the reasons men are turning to Botox to look younger include:

Competitiveness In The Workplace

There are laws in the US against age discrimination, but older men are often motivated to get cosmetic treatments to compete against younger men at work. Many believe that looking years younger can help them to get desirable jobs and promotions.

Social Media

According to Dr. Amita Shah of Hill Country Plastic Surgery, “The ubiquity of social media and online dating sites today could be a key factor encouraging men to make themselves look better for their profiles.”

Farber adds that many believe Western society is vainer today because of social media channels and people taking selfies to impress others. This phenomenon is causing more men to go to their doctors for cosmetic treatments.

Also, cameras on smartphones and computers don’t always take the most flattering pictures and can accentuate lines and wrinkles in the face.

Encouragement From Partner

Some men may be encouraged to have work done because their spouse has had it done, too.

Some of the most popular parts of the face that men have Botox are:

• The corners of the eyes to reduce lines and wrinkles (crow’s feet)
• Between the eyebrows to smooth frown lines
• In the forehead to eliminate horizontal lines
• Around the mouth to minimize laugh lines

To Prevent Lines And Wrinkles

One of the newer phenomena with Botox is both men and women having injections when they’re younger and before they have significant facial aging.

If the patient has Botox injected, for example, in the corners of the eyes, this can prevent some of the lines and wrinkles from appearing. Of course, the patient will need to keep having injections every few months, but it can help to prevent facial aging from taking hold for years.

How Botox Works

Men usually have Botox injections at their doctor’s office. The cosmetic procedure involves the injection of botulinum toxins into the face muscles. This toxin is the same one that may cause botulism, but it’s safe when used for cosmetic purposes in small doses.

After Botox injections, the substance prevents the release of acetylcholine, which blocks messages from the nervous system telling the muscles to contract. Instead, it tells them to relax. The relaxation of the tiny facial muscles reduces the appearance of lines and wrinkles.

You should be able to see the effects of Botox about one or two days after injection. Some men report slight bruising after Botox injections, and your doctor may advise no exercise or alcohol for 24 hours.

Botox takes up to two weeks to have the most effect, and they aren’t permanent. Most men need touch-up injections every three or four months to maintain results.

Additional Botox Benefits For Men

Botox doesn’t just give you a younger-looking face; it also offers these benefits for men:

Sweat Less

Sweating is natural when we work out, but it can be annoying at other times. For example, men who sweat too much may have concerns about unattractive sweat patches on shirts or wet palms. Other men may dislike the smell of their sweat when under stress, which may have an unpleasant odor.

But Botox can help with this problem. Injections may paralyze sweat glands and lower the amount of sweat in parts of the body. This means men don’t have to worry about sweating under the armpits during a meeting or smelling unpleasant when on a date.

Relax Muscles

We know Botox can relax facial muscles to reduce wrinkles, but it also can treat stiffness and spasms in the handles, ankles, and other parts of the body. The effects last only three or four months, but having no annoying spasms during this time is a significant benefit for some men.

Reduce Headaches

Millions of men suffer migraine headaches, but Botox can help. The chemicals in Botox can block the chemicals in the head that transmit pain signals.

Your dermatologist may need to administer several shots in the part of your head where you have the most pain during a migraine.

More men are getting Botox injections because they think keeping a younger appearance helps them in the workplace. If you’re thinking about Botox, talk to your plastic surgeon about your aesthetic goals to determine if Botox is a fit for you.