Plastic surgery for men: the most popular procedures

Find all our procedures on the page dedicated to plastic surgery for men.

Long considered an exclusively female domain, plastic surgery and aesthetic medicine are increasingly emerging as appealing options for men who want to take care of their appearance. This societal shift reflects a deeper trend in which masculinity is now also expressed through an elegant appearance and an ever-more important projected self-image (body confidence). Here is what you need to know about plastic surgery for men and the procedures most commonly performed on men.

Plastic surgery for men: the end of a taboo

The growing acceptance of plastic surgery among men is part of the broader context of « male self-care », in which taking care of your body is no longer a taboo subject reserved for so-called metrosexual men. It goes hand in hand with a more demanding redefinition of male beauty standards.

From the comeback of barbers (male grooming) to the popularity of skincare routines (moisturizing creams) and regular gym attendance (fitness culture), male grooming is now multifaceted, driven in particular by the influence of social media. The field of plastic surgery is no exception, and more and more men are turning to it to smooth out certain features they consider unflattering, slow down skin ageing or sculpt their body contour. Men are now thought to account for at least 20% of requests for plastic surgery procedures, a figure said to have tripled over the past twenty years or so.

Taking care of your appearance is therefore now seen as a way to assert yourself and project energy, helping to boost confidence and improve self-esteem. Plastic surgery for men must nevertheless take into account certain anatomical and social realities that call for a different approach and discreet results, to avoid an « operated-on look » that sits poorly with masculinity.

Gynecomastia: restoring a flat, masculine chest

Gynecomastia (or breast reduction for men) is an exclusively male procedure. It corrects an abnormal development of the mammary gland or excess fat on the chest that creates breasts resembling a female chest. Depending on what is causing the excess volume, the procedure may involve a glandular resection (removing the surplus gland through an incision around the areola) and/or liposuction to remove the excess fat cells around the pectoral area.

According to 2023 figures from ISAPS (the world’s leading authority on plastic surgery), gynecomastia is said to be the second most commonly performed procedure for men worldwide (with 352,302 gynecomastia procedures in 2023). It allows the men concerned to put an end to a major source of insecurity about their masculinity (particularly at the beach or while playing sport). The procedure indeed gives them the chance to regain more prominent pectorals and a finally masculine chest.

Abdominal etching: sculpting your abs through surgery

Visible, defined abs are an endless quest for many men. Despite a strict diet and regular physical exercise (running, core work), it can prove very difficult to achieve the coveted « six-pack« , especially as the years go by. A thin layer of stubborn fat often prevents the abdominal muscles from being truly sculpted and from achieving those famous « washboard abs« .

Abdominal etching, or « six-pack surgery », is a form of HD liposuction or 4D liposuction specifically dedicated to the abs. It addresses this problem of stubborn abdominal fat by gently suctioning the excess fat deposits around the muscle grooves.

It is a more advanced and more precise procedure than liposuction for men or an abdominoplasty, since it involves selective liposuction, directly at the muscle insertions of the abs. Thanks to ultrasound-based VASER technology, the abdominal fat is liquefied so it can be suctioned more easily. Abdominal etching then makes it possible to bring the skin as close as possible to the muscles in order to define an « abdominal etching« .

Rhinoplasty for men: harmonizing the nose without feminizing it

The nose is a central feature of the face that can, on its own, be decisive in the image you project. Certain imperfections and malformations can indeed prove bothersome for men, whether they are congenital (nasal hump, drooping tip, overly wide tip, etc.) or the result of a trauma (deviated nose, boxer’s nose). Rhinoplasty for men aims to correct these anomalies while preserving the patient’s character traits and the specific features of the male face.

Depending on the particularities of the patient’s nose, the procedure may involve modifying the shape, volume or projection of the nose to make it more harmonious with the rest of the face. Rhinoplasty for men calls for particular care to preserve masculine features and a certain virility (a strong bone structure, a right angle in relation to the upper lip, etc.). Certain nose shapes that feminize the face should therefore be avoided during the procedure (an upturned nose, an overly thin nose, etc.).

Rhinoplasty, in addition to being aesthetic, can also prove functional when it is combined with a correction of the nasal septum that has become necessary due to breathing problems, a nose broken after an impact, or snoring. It is the 4th most commonly performed procedure for men worldwide, again according to ISAPS’s 2023 figures.

Facelift and facial rejuvenation in men: the specific considerations

Even though it is generally thicker, men’s skin also bears the weight of the years. Over time, wrinkles, fine lines and skin laxity can give the face a sad, harsh or tired look. A neck-and-face lift can then slow down facial ageing and even restore all its radiance.

By acting comprehensively on the various signs of ageing, it helps to re-tension the skin of the face and neck and to redefine the oval of the face by restoring lost volume. A facelift for men may also aim at a reshaping of the jawline, a feature that is particularly telling of masculinity. Jawline contouring in particular makes it possible to tighten the skin of the jaw in order to redefine the mandibular angle.

A facelift for men requires the surgeon to adapt to the male SMAS (superficial musculo-aponeurotic system) and to a skin thickness greater than in women. The surgeon must therefore work on the deep muscles beneath the skin to achieve a lasting, natural re-tensioning rather than a frozen look.

Other challenges come with a facelift for men. In particular, the surgeon must work with care to limit bruising and to plan a thorough lymphatic drainage, as men’s skin is highly vascularized. Male facial hair is also a major constraint, since men’s hair, often short, conceals scars less easily. The beard must also not be displaced too much when the skin is lifted. Finally, the cheekbones must not be too prominent, for natural results and to avoid a more feminizing frozen look.

Blepharoplasty: erasing signs of tiredness from the male eyes

As a complement to a neck-and-face lift or on its own, eyelid surgery also helps to combat facial ageing in men. The eyes are indeed one of the first areas of the face to betray the weight of the years.

Blepharoplasty makes it possible to correct under-eye bags, dark circles or drooping eyelids that give the face a tired look. By performing a removal of fat (fat hernias) and possibly of the excess skin around the eyes, the eyes are instantly opened up and the face looks younger and more radiant. A man can thus regain self-confidence thanks to a suddenly more energetic, more relaxed appearance and a more captivating gaze.

Blepharoplasty is one of the most commonly performed procedures in plastic surgery for men (it was even the number 1 procedure in 2023 according to ISAPS’s worldwide figures). This is explained in particular by its relative simplicity, by an immediate rejuvenating effect on the face and by very limited social downtime.

The other procedures available for men

Beyond these most common procedures, other plastic surgery procedures for men are also available, most of them performed by Dr Hunsinger and Dr Henri Derhy at the Rive Droite Paris Étoile practice in the 17th arrondissement. Among the more or less common male procedures, we can mention:

• the placement of pectoral implants for men who struggle to develop their chest evenly (muscular agenesis) despite regular weight training;
• liposuction of the love handles to suction the most stubborn fat in the lower abdomen and hips. A more diffuse abdominoplasty across the whole abdomen can also allow the body contour to be reshaped by suctioning excess skin and fat;
• hair transplants, which concern more and more men affected by alopecia (FUE or FUT hair implant techniques in particular). Mesotherapy can also help slow hair loss and stimulate hair regrowth at the temples;
• aesthetic medicine procedures, which are also growing strongly, even among men. They make it possible to freshen up the face without major surgery and without social downtime. Hyaluronic acid injections, for example, offer the opportunity to soften overly marked wrinkles (frown lines and crow’s feet in particular) or to restore lost volume on a gaunt face. Botulinum toxin injections, on the other hand, are not well suited to masculine features (an overly frozen face) and are limited to purely functional use (for example in the underarms or hands to reduce sweating).

Surgery for men vs surgery for women: what are the technical differences?

The male and female approaches to plastic surgery differ on several points, particularly because of the anatomical characteristics of each sex. These specific features have implications for how a procedure is planned and for the expected results. Among the major differences between surgery for men and surgery for women, we can mention:

• the greater thickness of men’s skin, which requires deeper treatment within the tissues. Male skin contains a higher density of collagen and elastin which, while it delays skin ageing, in turn calls for deeper work on the SMAS in order to anchor the tissues more firmly. The anchoring must indeed be strong enough to prevent the sutures from opening;
• skin texture: male skin is more vascularized. It therefore bleeds more quickly and heavily, which calls for even more rigorous hemostasis procedures to control the flow of blood;
• facial and body hair: hair follicles are more numerous in men (especially when it comes to the beard). This is something that must be taken into account for incisions, scar healing or skin redraping;
• a different aesthetic approach and different goals: surgery for men aims to enhance bone projection and to define right angles, signs of assertiveness and virility. Surgery for women, on the contrary, seeks more roundness, curves and fluidity;
• male fat that is more fibrous and located around the abdomen (love handles), which requires the use of specific cannulas to suction the deep fat (visceral fat) during a liposuction.

For your plastic surgery requests for men, do not hesitate to consult our expert practitioners at the CERDPE practice in Paris 17, very close to the Place de l’Étoile and the Arc de Triomphe. Our surgeons are indeed also attentive to the expectations of men, who often want a more discreet, understated approach. They will be able to guide you through a measured process in order to achieve natural, harmonious results.

FAQ on plastic surgery for men

Is plastic surgery for men covered by France’s national health insurance?
Generally not. When the procedure is purely aesthetic in purpose, the health-insurance fund considers it an elective procedure. However, if the procedure also addresses significant physical or psychological discomfort, partial coverage may be considered through a prior-agreement request. This may be the case in particular for gynecomastia and rhinoplasty.

Will undergoing plastic surgery for men change my personality?
No, that is one of the major challenges of plastic surgery for men. The aim is indeed to avoid a frozen look and to harmonize the result with the features of your face or your body contour. The procedures must therefore be very discreet and intended to preserve masculinity. The surgeons at the Rive Droite Paris Étoile clinic make it a point of honour to achieve harmonious results with a natural, French-style look.

Can I keep weight training after plastic surgery on the pectorals or abs?
Yes, weight training and physical activity more broadly are perfect complements to optimize the results of a gynecomastia, an HD liposuction or a six-pack surgery procedure. You should nevertheless respect a certain recovery period after the procedure and resume gradually so as not to compromise the results obtained.

Is there an ideal age for plastic surgery for men?
No. You must nevertheless be of legal age (except in special cases of malformation or significant discomfort, with parental consent). Procedures between the ages of 20 and 35 generally concern morphological insecurities (a crooked nose, protruding ears, breast agenesis). Between the ages of 40 and 60, the procedures very often serve to prevent and correct the signs of ageing and skin ageing. After the age of 60, a comprehensive rejuvenation such as a facelift is very often considered.

How do I choose the right plastic surgeon for men in Paris?
Rather than relying on fine promises on social media, base your choice on reviews from previous patients, on the surgeons’ training and experience, on their accreditation with the medical board, and on what the practitioners say. A good surgeon must in particular listen to you and be willing to explain things, adapt your expectations to your anatomy and inform you objectively about what is and is not possible. Do not hesitate to contact Dr Hunsinger and Dr Henri Derhy for a personalized consultation.