The field has broadened to include not only surgery but some more expeditious clinic work as well. For the most part, men are drawn to options that address the face, body shape, hairline or chest. To be blunt, you will find them opting for gynecomastia surgery, rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery, male liposuction and hair transplants. Then there are the non-surgical routes like laser hair removal, dermal fillers and Botox.
Jasper Whitlock might say it is because blokes have come to view their appearance in the same light as they do dental or skin care and fitness; it is maintenance, not an exercise in vanity. But some legwork is called for in the research phase since what you expect and the reality of it can be as different as a Melbourne weekend forecast and the actual weather. This guide is for the man considering aesthetic services in Australia to set out the facts on who these treatments suit and what to make of them.
A Case for Booking In
You will not find men inquiring about treatments so discreetly as before. There is a good deal of interest in male aesthetics and aesthetic services for men at clinics around the country, particularly from those intent on putting right something like hair loss or enlarged breast tissue, or simply to put some definition back in the face and shed some fat.
It is partly a matter of being seen; one has to have confidence at work and on video calls or social media. It is also practical. With proper planning a number of these procedures are hardly invasive and can be over in a lunch hour with minimal recovery time.
Surgical Procedures in Demand
If one were to look up the top cosmetic operations for men, the front-runners in Australia would be things like hair restoration, liposuction, chin augmentation and facial work of the rhinoplasty or blepharoplasty variety. These are for change that is both apparent and enduring.
There is a misconception that surgery must be dramatic. A competent plastic surgeon is concerned with proportion. The result should be nothing more than a version of you on a day when you are leaner and better rested.
| Procedure | Main Goal | Downtime | For Whom |
| Gynecomastia Surgery | To firm and flatten the chest | 1–2 weeks away from your normal routine, more if you are to return to the gym | Those with gland tissue that is more than just fat |
| Hair Transplant | Put some density or a hairline back | Some social downtime for a few days, months until growth is evident | Where there is pattern loss and stable donor hair |
| Liposuction | Get at the fat pockets that will not go | Up to 2 weeks or so | Men of a stable weight after contouring |
| Rhinoplasty | For function or to alter the nose | Swelling lingers but visible recovery is 1–2 weeks | Correction of structure or breathing |
| Blepharoplasty | To put some life back in heavy lids | Bruising and swelling for 1–2 weeks | Hooded or puffy lids |
| Chin/Jaw Surgery | More definition in the lower face | Depends on the approach and any implants | To balance the profile |
One could follow the international trend data and see the same thing. The ASPS in America will tell you that male breast reduction, nose reshaping and the like are established categories, and that is in line with what the average patient in Australia is researching.
Non-Surgical and the Like
Then there are the non-surgical alternatives for the man who does not want or require an operation. They are in vogue for tidying up grooming or erasing lines and tiredness without the need to be off work for weeks.
Do not be fooled into thinking “non-surgical” is a casual affair. Male injectables call for a clinician with an understanding of the male face and conservative dosing. Anything overdone shows.
Subtle Injectables
Botox is the go to for frown and forehead lines, crow’s feet and even to tone down a square jaw from an overactive masseter. With dermal fillers the approach is typically more restrained than with a woman, perhaps to support the chin or under-eye area.
Timing is where people are caught out. Even a small volume treatment carries the risk of bruising ahead of a holiday or an engagement. Do not think that quick means you will be presentable by evening. Allow a few days to be on the safe side.
Treatments for the Skin and Grooming
The likes of laser hair removal, resurfacing and a medical-grade skincare regimen for men are among the most popular of male cosmetic procedures. One could say they are done to cut down on the day to day bother rather than to alter one’s identity; the aim is better skin texture, an end to razor irritation and ingrown hairs and not having to put in as much maintenance.
Then there is the matter of commuting and the sun which can quickly put paid to good treatment habits for a man in Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane. He may put some money into his skin and then be out in the UV with no sunscreen. It is rather like giving the car a wash before you put it through a muddy paddock.
Chest Reduction for a Practical Fix
Gynecomastia surgery is very much a personal choice for many men since it can remedy what exercise will not. Where the chest is enlarged by glandular tissue as opposed to fat, all the bench pressing and clean eating in the world will not put right the shape. That is what makes a male breast reduction so in demand. The ideal patient is in sound health, of a stable weight and has a clear idea if he is dealing with true gland enlargement or just a fullness to the chest.
A Case for Surgery
It is the way to go for those with a chest that has not yielded to weight loss, or who have asymmetry, tenderness or persistent puffiness under the nipple. Some have had it since they were young, others develop it with age or due to hormones and medication.
Do not make the mistake of thinking any full chest calls for an operation. In some instances it is fat and liposuction or a bit of weight management is more appropriate. A consultation is essential to see how the tissue type dictates the plan of action.
Recovery and What to Expect
Patience is called for during recovery with its compression garments and swelling. You may be back at your desk in a few days but do not count on being cleared for running, heavy lifting or chest work for a while. As for results, the reality is not as dramatic as the movies would have you believe when the bandages are off. Swelling and firmness will take weeks or months to settle and contours will come in their own time.
Hair Restoration
There is something about hair loss that is hard to overlook, being as public and progressive as it is. While a transplant can be effective for men, it is no magic reset button, particularly if the donor area is wanting or future loss has not been factored in. Jasper Whitlock would tell you that is where men get over-ambitious, imagining a new hairline by Christmas and then being put out when the transplanted hairs shed of their own accord. For the most part it is to be expected.
Technique and Other Considerations
Follicular unit extraction and transplantation are the usual talking points. But design of the hairline is key to a natural look in a man as he gets older; put it too low or sharp and it will show. And while healing is visible in a matter of days, real growth is a few months off.
You will find Dr Movassaghi, MayClinik, St Charles and North Beach Plastic Surgery in your international searches but an Australian would be wise to put local regulation and surgeon credentials first. If the clinic is not on your doorstep, think about the travel. After a procedure it is better to have someone pick you up in Melbourne than to contend with the trams and peak hour parking with the fatigue and tenderness that comes with it.
Body Shaping
Even with a good diet and training some fat is tenacious and liposuction is a popular way to deal with it in the abdomen, flanks, under the chin or chest of a leaner man. But it is not a replacement for losing weight. Get carried away and let the weight become unstable and the refined shape will drift.
Liposuction is best reserved for a man near his target weight looking for definition, not a complete overhaul. Poor elasticity in the skin will mean the contour is not as crisp as desired.
There is an appeal to facial procedures in that they put right imbalances or the look of fatigue and masculinity without altering the face as a whole. Rhinoplasty for men, blepharoplasty, chin work and jawline contouring are what comes up most often.
Restraint is key to a good result; it has to be in keeping with one’s other features. Over-correct any single area and the face will seem a touch off to onlookers, though they might not be able to say why.
Nose, Eyes And Profile Balance
A man might have a rhinoplasty for function, cosmetics or a combination of the two. The desire is usually for a straighter bridge or some post-injury refinement, but done in a way that leaves a masculine profile intact as opposed to a smaller, softer nose at odds with the rest of the face.
Then there is blepharoplasty for when the upper lids are heavy or the lower ones have a puffy, worn out appearance. To add definition and projection to the lower face one may opt for chin augmentation or to have the jawline contoured. Fillers can be used to try out a look before going under the knife, but an implant or more skeletal method is called for in some instances.
How To Choose Safely
One would do well to select a practitioner over chasing the latest trend. In Australia the approach to cosmetic work should be as level-headed as any medical decision; they are not uncommon so it is easy to become complacent. The official Healthdirect Australia guidance on cosmetic procedures has some sound advice on the matter. It makes plain that risks are part of the equation and that informed consent should not be hurried, and one ought to check the practitioner’s credentials and know what recovery entails.
Questions Worth Asking
- Is the practitioner properly trained and registered for this procedure?
- Do I need revision work, or am I a poor candidate trying to address the wrong thing?
- What if bruising is bad or healing is protracted?
- Be realistic about how many days will be needed away from the gym, work and socialising.
- And do not be swayed by a good before-and-after picture; ask what the outcome will be at a week, a month, six months.
You will come across the likes of Dr Jeremy Hunt in Australian cosmetic research as a plastic surgeon of repute, but the name is beside the point. What is important is to have the right specialist for the job and to know who is carrying out your care.
Costs, Downtime And Expectations
In Australia the cost of a procedure for a man is subject to all manner of variables: the city, the clinic, the surgeon, anaesthesia, facility fees and how complex the work is. A theatre-based operation is a far greater financial outlay than a session of injectables. Do not make assumptions from figures on the internet, get exact pricing at your consultation.
Non-surgical options can set you back several hundred AUD and more, surgical ones several thousand once you factor in the associated fees. People also overlook the cost of recovery in terms of time from work, medications, parking, transport, compression garments, follow-ups and accommodation if you have to travel.
Should you have a day to put into research, a quality consultation is better than poring over clinic galleries. Put questions about downtime in plain terms. “Back to normal soon” does not tell you much. Will you be able to drive, put in front of the camera for work, lift the toddler? That is what counts.
It is not something for the novice to be lured by a package deal and have multiple treatments in one go. Better to put your mind to one concern first, see how you heal and like the result, then consider if there is anything else to be done.
Common Misjudgements by Men
The cardinal error is to assume the most effective treatment has to be the largest. More often than not, one is hard put to find that to be the case. Surgery is not always the answer; a little of the right men’s injectables, laser hair removal or an apt skin regimen will put a sharper, more rested look on a face.
Then there is the matter of recovery which is too easily written off. One can imagine the outcome and overlook what comes in between: some swelling and bruising, a bit of asymmetry for a time and even an emotional wobble are to be expected after a procedure. Left without an honest accounting of it, the in-between can be as rough as you like.
It is best to determine what problem is calling for a solution, be it ageing, profile balance, chest tissue, fullness, hair loss or the quality of your skin. From there make a call as to whether surgery is called for or something less invasive will suffice. Put in the time to have a proper consultation and weigh the advice before you put yourself on the line.
Jasper’s Final Word
As for the popular cosmetic procedures for men and which are worth your while, the short of it is that the problem dictates the best option, not the hype. A hair transplant or gynecomastia surgery can have a very tangible effect on a man’s day-to-day confidence. In other instances, Botox, dermal fillers or simply better skincare will do without the theatre and downtime.
My advice from Jasper Whitlock is to be steady, put in the awkward questions and not mistake a well oiled sales pitch for medical counsel. The treatment ought to simplify things, not have you in pursuit of a fix for a fix.
FAQ
Which procedure will take 10 years off your face?
You will not find one that does so with any reliability on every face. Some men get a good measure of refreshment from blepharoplasty since heavy lids give them a tired air. For others a facelift or some conservative fillers might be more of an impact. It is down to the specifics: sun damage, deep lines, volume loss or laxity of the skin and eyelids.
What are the 5 most common plastic surgeries?
Reporting periods and country will put a different spin on the top five but liposuction, breast augmentation, rhinoplasty, abdominoplasty and eyelid surgery are frequently cited. With male plastic surgery the categories most in demand and research tend to be liposuction, hair restoration, rhinoplasty, eyelid work and male breast reduction.
Is there an ideal age for a male facelift?
Not one that is universal. While a fair number of our patients are of a certain age or older, it is the facial structure, health and expectations that count, not the figure on the birthday cake. A younger man with jowling may be a candidate, another would be better served to wait and opt for non-surgical treatments for a few years.
Will non-surgical options be enough for most?
Depends. Where you have early volume loss, texture or mild lines they can be. But if we are talking about advanced hair loss, major nasal concerns or loose skin of a significant nature, or true gynecomastia, then surgery is the more effective route.
How can I tell if it will look natural?
Conservative planning and a surgeon who knows his anatomy and listens to what you want to alter and what to leave alone will produce the result. Have a look at examples of male patients with like features. Be cautious of anyone who would rather see you follow a trend than address what is bothering you.