Cinderella men fight wrinkles

“There’s been an increase in the male aesthetic market in South Africa and the age groups vary from early twenties to late sixties,” says Dr Gordon Cohen, speaking from his practice in Melrose Arch, Johannesburg.

Dr Martina van der Mescht from Krugersdorp agrees. “I’ve definitely seen an increase in male patients in the last two years, from about the age of 25 and upward. I see a lot of high-flying execs who work under immense pressure, and eventually it begins to take a toll on their appearance.”

“Anti-wrinkle injectables and dermal fillers have quickly become part and parcel of men’s grooming routines. I have a steady clientele who range from businessmen and TV presenters, to plumbers and personal trainers,” says Cohen.

A recent survey by global medical aesthetic company and manufacturer of antiwrinkle injectables and dermal fillers, Allergan, revealed that men blame smo-king (72%), stress (70%) and lack of sleep (66%) for having a negative affect on their looks.

A man’s face ages differently to a woman’s in that their skin is naturally thicker so they won’t have as many fine lines as a woman, but the lines they do have will be much deeper. Male ethnic skin also ages differently as it tends to be oilier, so will ward off signs of aging for longer, but again, will wrinkle deeply.

Men also require a higher dosage of an anti-wrinkle injectable than women, as their facial muscles are generally bigger and stronger.

However, with age comes loss of volume and elasticity and sagging of the skin, so older men are requesting dermal fillers more often. One of Van der Mescht’s new patients, Jacques Botha, 42, a national sales manager, recently tried an anti-wrinkle injectable for the first time to treat his frown, or glabellar lines.

“I had a pronounced frown, with a deep groove between my eyes. It’s completely gone now; I love the results and will definitely continue with this treatment,” he says.

As they age, men can lose vo-lume in the temples, cheeks, under the eyes, and the lips. Although most doctors can administer anti-wrinkle injectables, Cohen believes there’s a certain art to working with dermal fillers.

“Fillers are amazing in that they allow me to build a man a stronger chin or brow, plumper cheeks, and give lip shape where there previously may have been none. I have also used dermal filler to change nose and nostril shape, which is great for someone who doesn’t necessarily want a surgical procedure,” he says.

The relationship between a doctor and his patient is critical to the overall experience and aesthetic outcome.

“My male patients tend not to move from doctor to doctor, as compared to female patients who may,” says Cohen.

Van der Mescht says that her male patients stick to their appointments, and won’t skip a treatment.