From Botox to ‘Brotox’: Why more and more men are taking the plunge

Some men have been getting Botox injections for many years. But lately, male demand, particularly from Gen Z, for aesthetic procedures has been on the rise. On TikTok, hundreds of videos show men getting Botox injections. And the phenomenon is gaining momentum on the social network, with the hashtag ‘Brotox’ racking up 17 million views. Patients and practitioners alike are multiplying the number of videos showing men getting the injections.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Botox injections are the most popular minimally invasive cosmetic procedure for men. In 2020, some 265,000 men in the US underwent the procedure, an increase of 182% since 2000. In fact, men account for 6% of Botox injections in the United States.

Liana Sahakyan, a nurse and co-founder of Lauréate Aesthetics in Los Angeles, is only too familiar with this rise in male demand. About 20% of her clients are men, she tells the NY Post. “We’ve observed a steady increase in male patients seeking various cosmetic treatments over the past few years. While Botox is the frontrunner, procedures like dermal fillers and laser treatments are also gaining traction among our male clientele,” she told the US media outlet.

This demand has become all the more apparent since the Covid-19 pandemic. Plastic surgeons and dermatologists have experienced overwhelming demand for their services in the wake of the pandemic.

This is due in particular to the “Zoom boom,” and the ubiquity of videoconferencing. And that’s not to mention social networking, which has changed the way we perceive ourselves. The advent of selfies, for example, has set new standards for beauty, and is at the root of cosmetic procedures such as rhinoplasty and bichectomy. This is particularly true of Generation Z.

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‘Pop culture’ effect?

Shelly Woods, an advanced aesthetics practitioner and founder of Skin Techniques, sheds light on how aesthetic modifications have moved into the mainstream: “For Gen Z, Botox has become another way to personalise the way they look – it’s now treated like a haircut or hair colour,” she told Metro UK. “As the trends change, young people are the ones leading those trends on platforms like TikTok and influencing the new standard.” In addition, the specialist told Metro UK that Gen Z males are “more aware now than ever” of their aesthetic image. 

This booming business is being fuelled by beauty ideals and standards imposed on men, which make aging a taboo. Woods points out that men are now under “huge pressure to stay healthy and fresh,” and as a result seek, to convey a certain ideal “that they see on celebrities, influencers, films and on their social media pages”.

Indeed, among male celebrities, cosmetic procedures are becoming an increasingly accepted and uninhibited subject. In 2021, Joe Jonas, singer and member of the Jonas Brothers, admitted to having had Xeomin injections, an injectable treatment similar to Botox commonly used to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. He had also advertised it on the Instagram page of Xeomin Aesthetics. 

And that’s without taking into account the influence of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie, and the Ken character played by Ryan Gosling, who, against all odds, has become a new beauty icon that some men aspire to. In fact, with the Kencore trend, men now want to look just like Barbie’s longtime companion. 

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