How “Brotox” Helps Men Keep Their Jobs

One of the big concerns for “men of a certain age” is how to attain job security in the current workplace environment.  They want to retain a youthful look in order to stay relevant in their industry and to their employers. While some men had a facelift in the past to try and keep a younger appearance, there are others that are looking for a more subtle solution that does not involve invasive surgery. Plus, many male workers don’t want to take the necessary time off work that is required after a facelift. The latest trend to try and keep a youthful appearance is known as “Brotox”.  And yes, the name means exactly what it says in that “Brotox” is Botox procedures for men.

The Growing Popularity of “Brotox”

The growth in popularity of Botox for men has been a welcome sales success for Allergan (the maker of Botox) as well as a very clever marketing phrase that helps the public instantly know the purpose of the treatment.

It is not just men in sales or mid-level management positions that are showing an interest in having a Botox treatment. “Brotox” has been suspected of helping older men in the public eye maintain their authoritative look when they are in front of people. For example, at the second Democratic debate in Detroit last year, many people remarked on the appearance of Joe Biden at the event. He looked refreshed and more youthful and rejuvenated than in past appearances.  Many political commentators remarked on his surprisingly youthful look for a man in his late 70s.

In an interview with FOX Business, Dr. Kevin Tehrani, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City, said “Most men want a natural look without the frozen look or stigma. As baby boomers are getting older and fitness-savvy, they want to have facial features to match and also better fit in with the workforce compared to younger men.”

During the interview, Dr. Tehrani showed “before and after” photos of his actual patients. He noted that his typical male patient is younger than many people think. In fact, these patients are often in their late thirties and in good physical shape.

One of the reasons these men want to have Botox is because they often have developed a furrowed brow that can make then have a look that is upset or angry.  The forehead will often age at a more rapid rate in men which means wrinkles located on the brow can have a deeper look in men thanks to muscles mass.

Botox by the Numbers

As recently as 2018, there were almost a half-million men that had Botox treatments. This statistics comes from research conducted by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. In addition, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports that an additional 10,000 men decided to have filler injections to help them achieve a more youthful look by adding volume to areas of the face that lost its volume due to the aging process. In general, Botox is ideal for the treatment of fine lines and preventing the deepening of wrinkles on the forehead.

In addition, a report by Men’s Health showed that social media is part of the reason men feel pressure to keep a younger look. Prospective employers often look at the social media pages of candidates for a job. They want to see how they look in candid photos and moments so men don’t want to post photos where they appear to have an older look.

Allergan has also tailored some of its advertising to reach men that are attending major sporting events and other “guy friendly” events. There are even some barbershops that are cashing in on the “Brotox” trend by offering a Botox treatment along with a haircut. The trend of having Botox with a haircut has been very well received as men feel that the option to have this service validates the idea that self-care for men is acceptable.

Botox – How it is performed and its Results

Botox works to block signals that travel from the nerves to muscles so the muscle that is injected is not able to contract. Instead, the muscles will relax which lessens the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

The procedure only takes a few minutes as the doctor uses a small needle to inject the Botox into the targeted muscles. It takes a week or two for the full effect of the Botox to be seen.

In general, the results from Botox last anywhere from three to six months. Since the results are not permanent, patients will need to have follow-up treatments in order to maintain the results. As the effects of Botox (and “Brotox”) wear off, the fine lines and wrinkles will start to appear again. However, these wrinkles and fine lines might be less pronounced or severe in appearance as time passes because of the shrinking of the muscles.

MA