Men have taken longer to take the rst step and see an aesthetics doctor, but today we are seeing an ever-increasing number of male patients. Rejuvenating and beautifying men is a speciality in itself and is a rewarding challenge for aesthetics doctors.
By Dr Fabien Giausseran
Men have shaken off any embarrassment and are now happy to have aesthetic medicine treatments…but only after they have gleaned plenty of information from social media! They want to restore or enhance the virility of their face and tighten up any skin that has started to sag. This task is carried out in various stages, using products that are designed to sculpt the face to create “rugged” yet refi ned beauty.
Virile beauty, but not too chiselled
The greatest evolution over the last two years in terms of my male clientele has been how much they know about the treatments and even the products! I think this is due to the lockdowns, as they have had more time to seek information. Zoom meetings have had a real impact on men as well as on women. Seeing one’s face on a screen is very unfl attering as it highlights any fl aws and signs of aging, leading the person to notice any changes and seek to repair and beautify their face.
What bothers them the most? Looking tired.
There is a discrepancy between the image they have of themselves and the one seen in the mirror…and by their entourage. When I listen to my patients during our first appointment, I tend to focus my questions on how they are feeling, how they see themselves, and what they want to correct as a priority. I often have requests for a global and detailed treatment plan that includes rejuvenating the eye area to erase any negative expressions and tiredness, lifting a sagging jawline and jowls, and correcting marked nasolabial folds.
They often tell me that they want to look “virile but not too chiselled”. They want to restore their masculinity, but in a “photoshopped” way! And, of course, there is a desire to look seductive, to be a mature yet sexy older man who can still attract women. I explain that injectable products can be used to sculpt the face, erase any flaws, catch the light and enhance their energy and charisma. And, since they appreciate discretion, they often ask me to carry it out in 1 to 2 sessions.The emergence of Generation Z is also evident. Millennials seek beautifi cation, i.e. the creation of something that was not there: developing a strong angle of the jaw, jawline and chin. This is the demand from young patients.
A sculpted face, like in old black-and-white photos
In men, the areas of light and shadow are very important because they are intrinsic to their charm and personality. The idea is to rejuvenate without feminising. This is why, of all the tissue-inducing fillers available, I mainly use Radiesse, which contains calcium hydroxyapatite and which, I find, is well suited to the male morphology and skin quality. The product is precise, non-hydrophilic, and therefore the result we achieve at the end of the procedure will not change over time. I prefer injecting using a cannula (25G/50mm or 22G/70mm or 90mm) using the “fanning” technique. This allows me to precisely sculpt the face and recreate the bony relief of the cheekbones, which must be injected along their horizontal axis to make them prominent but not rounded. We must make sure we leave any hollow areas intact, in particular in the median third and in the cheek. Another important area for rejuvenation is the hollow temporal fossae, which make the face look skeletal and therefore older. This is why I ensure I inject suff icient quantities in order to fill them just enough to open up the eye area and attract the light. The product lifts the tissues when placed in contact with the bone; I find it is very useful for lifting a sagging tear trough and thus erasing any shadows that make the patient look tired. This is what I call my “secret spot”: the triangle made by the lower eyelid, cheekbone and nasolabial fold. It is very discreet but makes a huge diff erence to the face’s dynamism.The product allows us to “pull in” the jawline without infl ating it or adding any weight, so that we obtain clean lines and can erase any jowls.
I inject “threads” in a retrotracing pattern along the jawline and mandibular angle. We can even “scrape” the dermis to stimulate the fibroblasts, which produce collagen and elastin. I round off by reshaping the chin, which retracts with age. A square, proud chin immediately boosts the patient’s virility and brings energy to the face, whereas a weak chin gives the impression of indecisiveness. When I explain the importance of the chin to my patients, they immediately agree and are very satisfi ed with their dynamic, stronger chin. I inject right to the bone and place two boluses, injecting from above to project and elongate the chin, which adds a lifting eff ect to the jaw by making the jawline even cleaner and more dynamic. In conclusion, I really like the tissue-inducing qualities of Radiesse, which improves the skin quality, providing density and firmness for a skin-tightening effect that will help boost the face’s overall rejuvenation.
Dr. Fabien Giausseran:
Aesthetics doctor, graduated from Lille 2 Henri Warembourg medical faculty. Qualifed in aesthetic and anti-aging medicine and medical lasers. Member of the SOFMMAA, WOSIAM and the scientific committees of the SAMCEP, France Médicine Esthétique and DEFEE. Works in the Centre Laser Liberté in Lille, France.
