As we embark on Father’s Day, one of the very last things one would be thinking about is plastic surgery. But in the Sunday June 16th edition of the New York Times in the Business section, an article appeared suggesting that liposuction, chin implants and Botox may become popular gifts for Father’s Day. (if plastic surgeons had their way)
While this story is perhaps entertaining and certainly fills the column space, it is even further off base than even suggesting plastic surgery would make a good Mother’s Day gift. It shows a fundamental misconception about how men approach considering and having such elective physical changes.
While it is certainly true that plastic surgery is more common in men today than ever before and it is also much more accepted, a man’s desire to be more discrete and even secretive about it has not changed. Most men do not want others to know that they have had surgery or are even contemplating it. Giving Dad a gift of plastic surgery would most likely be considered embarrassing not to mention almost offensive. Even if a man needs and wants a plastic surgery procedure, they would be loathe to admit it. (except maybe to their wife) It is one thing to give a gift for a spa treatment, a deep tissue massage or a facial, but surgery is a completely different matter.
Despite the claims of the physician’s in the article, there are no statistics that support a nationwide surge in requests for male plastic surgery around Father’s Day. It may exist in a select few doctor’s offices that promote it, but for the reasons described this is not a remotely popular celebratory concept.
According to American Society of Plastic Surgery statistics for 2012, the top five plastic surgery procedures for men were abdominal and love handle liposuction, rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery (blepharplasty), gynecomastia reduction and ear reshaping….just not as a gift for Father’s Day though.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana