More Men Are Having Plastic Surgery to Save their Jobs

The recession may have had an unexpected consequence for men, particularly those over 40. In 2010, more men may have gone under the knife for the sake of saving-or finding-a job. The number of men getting facelifts rose 14% from 2009 to 2010 while men using Botox increased 9% and male liposuction rose 7%, according to new statistics just released from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). The reason for the increases may have to do with the tighter job market, which has hit men disproportionately.

"I have guys telling me they're getting passed over for job promotions that are going to younger guys," said Phil Haeck, M.D., a cosmetic surgeon who practices in Seattle, the heart of the very youthful tech industry. "I have others who are unemployed and are desperate to get back to work and ask, is there anything you can do to make me look younger?" said Haeck, who is also the president of ASPS.

Until the recession, many of the men he was seeing were those who wanted to look buff like Ken, the counterpart to Barbie, who women prefer to emulate through surgery. But now, he said, men just want to be able to compete in the job market and they're competing with men who are in their 20s and in better shape and wrinkle-free. Adding to the pressure on men to look good is the trend towards more casual dress codes. It's harder to hide a paunch or love handles under a casual shirt that's tucked in, than it is under a sports coat. Of course, losing weight the old-fashioned way through diet and exercise is a less drastic way to go.

In general, said Haeck, men in their late 50s and 60s who are seeking cosmetic procedures are looking for face lifts, while those their 40s and early 50s are asking for liposuction, Botox and fillers. Haeck said he hasn't seen a recession-related shift in the reason women give for getting cosmetic surgery, which has always been and still is primarily to look youthful (and buxom) but not necessarily to be more employable.

In 2010, men had more than 1.1 million cosmetic procedures, a figure that includes surgeries as well as minimally invasive procedures like Botox and fillers-still a drop in the bucket compared to the 11.5 million cosmetic procedures that women underwent.

Here's where men nipped and tucked:

2010 Top Five Male Cosmetic Surgical Procedures

1. Nose Reshaping (64,000)
2. Eyelid Surgery (31,000)
3. Liposuction (24,000)
4. Breast Reduction in Men (18,000)
5. Hair Transplantation (13,000)

1. Botox (337,000)
2. Laser Hair Removal (165,000)
3. Microdermabrasion (158,000)
4. Chemical Peel (90,000)
5. Soft Tissue Fillers (78,000

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