In reading a recent entertainment article which I came across in researching a plastic surgery topic, the writer presented an opinion on the top ten plastic surgery disasters in men. Using before and after photographs, they compared the before and afters of several well known male celebrities- of which there is no doubt that these men have had facial work done. And I am not referring to in-office procedures such as Botox and injectable fillers. All had obvious surgical manipulation of aging facial features.
Those listed are well chronicled and include often cited celebrities such as Kenny Rogers, Gary Shandling, Carrot Top, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Jenner, Burt Reynolds and David Gest to name a few. While I am certain that they don’t feel unusual looking, most women would disagree. This begs the question of what is it that makes them look unnatural? Is there a common problem that they all share?
In reviewing the after images the problem lies for many of them in the work around the eyes and cheeks. On the whole, the appearance of these men has changed to more of a feminine look. This is the result of a variety of changes that include over-elevation of the brows, a pulled too tight appearance around the eyes, and unnatural cheek bone augmentation giving an apple-cheek effect. In an effort to rejuvenate the aging and sagging face, they have been overlifted and augmented. Neck and jowl line work, even when done well, can often reinforce a more feminine look.
This may make the skin much smoother and eliminate a lot of skin wrinkles and folds, but the end result is anything but natural in appearance, and is a red flag that screams facelift! to even the least discerning eye. (even though a true facelift works on the neck and jowl area) Certainly, men care about their appearance as they age, and want to look as young as they feel. With regard to celebrities, it is usually a foregone conclusion that plastic surgery is a necessity in order to keep pace with the up and coming younger entertainers. However, great work and natural looking results are never a guarantee in Hollywood surgical circles, and paying top dollar to a well-known or famous surgeon really has nothing to do with the final outcome.
To get a natural looking result in men, facial rejuvenation really has to be ‘underdone’ in comparison to the female equivalent. Women can aesthetically tolerate more significant tissue movements. The goal of very smooth skin and sleek facial features simply looks better on women. Even when women have gone too far, they rarely look as bad as what can happen in men. Nips and tucks are very helpful to slow the aging process down in men, but dramatic sweeping changes simply trade-off one problem for another. Facial rejuvenation in men illustrates the age-old concept that less is often more.
Barry L. Eppley, M.D., D.M.D.
Indianapolis, Indiana