Breast reduction for men is becoming increasingly common, with the number of operations performed last year reaching 581. That’s an 80% increase from the 323 men who had the operation in 2008, making it the fastest growing part of the cosmetic surgery industry for the second year running.
According to the BBC, the figures come from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons and one of the big contributory factors has been pressure from men’s magazines.
Male cosmetic surgery in general shot up by one fifth last year, with the top operations being nose jobs and surgery on the skin around the eyes.
Plastic Surgeon Rajiv Grover, while understanding the pressures on men to look good in today’s society, stated his preference for people not to go under the knife and to look at any changes that they can make to the way that they live before having surgery. Regarding cosmetic surgery, he stated “ Quite a few cases are caused by obesity, and we often say to men to look at their lifestyles before thinking about the scalpel.”
Plastic surgery has been an increasingly popular decision over the last two decades with women but this surge in surgery for men shows an increasing number of men are becoming more conscious about their appearance and the negative connotations that can come with a particular build or feature. It is understandable that people look to take a quick fix to rectify the problems they have with their bodies but it is important to remember that elective surgery can be just as risky as procedures which are necessary and that things don’t always work out as you might like. A botched operation could leave you with scars, imperfections, pain and disfigurement. It can even cause depression and other psychological problems. Make sure you take all this in to consideration before going under the knife and consider all the alternatives. And remember if you’re really unhappy with the way you look there’s always Gok Wan!
