It started in the 90s

Shows like Seinfeld and Friends encouraged men to get in touch with their “feminine sides,” and the world hasn’t really been the same since. The whole paradigm of manhood changed. You can see this in advertising and corporate branding if you look hard enough. Take this quip from Oakley’s website, written to sell their “Holbrook” shades:

“Who was the legend? He was sometimes a loner and sometimes a leader, an everyman who lived by a code, stood up for what was right and did what needed to be done. You wouldn’t call him a man’s man because that macho crap meant nothing to him.”

According to one of the world’s coolest brands, the whole idea of being a “man’s man” is dated, out of touch, too traditional to be hip. $120 shades notwithstanding, a lot of men have started paying more attention to their appearances.

It doesn’t stop at clothes

Cosmetic surgery for men is becoming more and more common, too. According to surgeon Stephen Greenberg, MD, 50% of American men are now considered cosmetic surgery consumers. He adds “The art of plastic surgery has transformed over the years, making the sexual dividing line nearly transparent.”

Some of it is because of the internet

The way we present ourselves to the world is more important than ever. Social networks like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Google+ put our faces front-and-center for whoever wants to have a look. Savvy employers will look you up. Today you’re a Google search away from losing out on a job before you even show up for the interview. A lot of that, sadly, has to do with your appearance. Men have caught on to this, and cosmetic surgery isn’t just reserved for young-obsessed middle-agers in big cities.

Not just jobs

The internet has become more important for dating, too. Even if you don’t use the internet to meet women, women will use the internet to look you up right after they meet you. They want to know if you are who you say you are. And if you are meeting women on the internet, a profile without a picture is like a suit without a body in it. People will skip right over picture less profiles. And they’ll skip right over you if you’re not looking your best.

Common procedures

Botox™ and other products like it (Restylane™, Dysport™) are exploding in popularity, and a lot of it has to do with men getting into the game to improve their appearances and look younger. But a lot of men aren’t stopping there. They’re going under the knife for procedures like male breast reduction and Vaser Hi-Definition Liposculpturing to improve their appearance and self-esteem. As men age, their fitness plateaus, meaning we can try to kill ourselves at the gym and still not look the way we want to look. And all the while cosmetic surgery has become less and less invasive, with many procedures requiring little more than a lunch hour trip to the surgeon’s office and less than a couple of days recovery time. It’s no wonder more and more men are headed to the surgeon’s clinic.

Dr. Matlock is a board-certified cosmetic surgeon who lives and works in Los Angeles. He specializes in Vaser Hi-Definition Liposculturing and world-renowned Brazilian butt lifts.