In the past, facial fillers were mainly used by women, but today they are increasingly sought after by men as well. Men are sometimes more reluctant to undergo plastic surgery procedures like facelifts, so minimizing fine lines and wrinkles on the face in a less-invasive way is a viable option.
Men are aging just like women, but there are some differences. For instance, men tend to have thicker skin, more facial muscles, and prominent bone structure. So, when it comes to facial rejuvenation, men need different treatments than women. Men also have less collagen in their skin, so they can require more injections than women.
I when I see men in my Dallas plastic surgery practice, they often express their desire to want to stay active for both professional or personal reasons. This typically means we're weighing options for treatments that will rejuvenate and maximize their masculinity and their competitive edge while keeping downtime at a minimum. A lot of men in my practice are choosing injectable dermal fillers for this reason.
Men Need Different Dermal Fillers
Next to Botox for facial wrinkles, injectable dermal fillers are among the most popular injectable treatments for men. Recent advances in technology have yielded more robust and longer lasting fillers that are perfect for facial contouring.
Areas that respond well with deeply placed fillers to augment and restore volume loss to the facial skeleton are the temples, cheeks, nasolabial folds, chin and jawline. These fillers are placed just above the bone to sharpen and define facial anatomy.
For men, a strong, well-defined chin and jawline help to masculinize the face. Strong cheekbones also give a more angular and chiseled appearance to the face while elevating the soft tissue.
Several fillers are tailor-made for skeletal augmentation and work great for men. They are:
- Voluma is a hyaluronic acid filler created within the Juvederm portfolio of dermal filler treatments, and it's designed to last up to 24 months once injected.
- Restylane Lyft/Restylane Contour: Lyft is a more viscous filler while Contour is a robust filler with expressive movement capabilities called XpreshAn technology
- Radiesse is an hydroxylapatite filler that also works to stimulate the body's ability to make new collagen. It comes in a 1.5cc syringe in contrast to 1.0cc syringes typical for the hyaluronic acid fillers.
When augmenting the chin, jaw, and cheeks more product will be required than for fine facial lines and wrinkles. When I treat male patients, it's common to use 1 syringe per cheek and 2-4 syringes for the chin.
Less is More For Men
It's not uncommon for men to present with a hollowed appearance under the eyes, as well as a combination of volume loss at the tear troughs and a presence of under eye bags. A word of caution for men looking to rejuvenate the eye area: over-filling areas like the eyes, cheeks or lips can cause a puffy appearance and a more feminine facial aesthetic. If you're a man who is considering aesthetic treatments or dermal filler injections to masculinize your appearance, you should consider speaking with several plastic surgeons with a proven track record and years of experience before taking the plunge.