So, we’ve got Halloween, November the 5th and the American Election out the way. Now it’s the countdown to Christmas and all those seasonal festivities. I have started a little pre-festive diet so that I can let loose during the calorific month of December. I think a lot of us girls tend to do that in the run up to the big day (when of course we pile back on all the pounds that were just lost). But I was quite surprised to learn how some men are preparing for all those imminent parties and events.
Yes, it’s the rise of ‘brotox’: an emerging trend of men getting Botox in pursuit of a chiselled jaw.
When you think of Botox, you might reasonably picture a woman in her 40s or 50s seeking to banish her wrinkles. But, believe it or not, an increasing number of men are now getting the injections – in search of a chiselled jaw.
In a trend being dubbed ‘brotox’, clinicians say appearance-conscious young men are seeking to emulate the sharp features of Hollywood heartthrobs like Ryan Gosling and Pharell Williams. The increase has primarily been seen in men in their late 20s and early 30s seeking ‘feature enhancement’.
Botulinum toxin (often just shortened to Botox) and dermal fillers were among the most popular options sought by men. Both can be used to create this supposed ‘masculinisation effect’, such as making the jaw line slimmer and more defined.
Botox works by relaxing muscles in the face to smooth out lines and wrinkles and, when injected into the masseter muscle – a rectangular muscle in the face used for chewing – it makes the jaw appear slimmer.
Meanwhile, filler adds volume to the face and can be used to define the chin and jowl area, creating a better defined jawline.
There’s been far greater acceptance of men having treatments in the last few years, probably in part due to men secretly admiring the effects that their wives and girlfriends have encountered. Plus, the amount of high-street clinics has made more treatments readily available.
And the demand is not just for Botox — there has also been a surge in men seeking treatments to reduce hair loss.
Another popular treatment involves injecting platelet-rich plasma from a patients’ blood into hair follicles, also known as a PRP injection.
It involves putting a sample of a patient’s blood into a centrifuge — a device which spins at high force, separating platelets from the blood. This mixture is then injected into the scalp in a bid to boost hair growth, with platelets thought to trigger follicle growth.
While the procedure is deemed safe and has shown some success for specific types of hair loss, experts say more research is needed to determine how effective it is, and warn that other treatments are often needed in combination with PRP jabs.
As I always say – think carefully before getting any form of cosmetic surgical procedures. Don’t cut corners, find a reputable and trustworthy practitioner who has the expertise and experience to help you get the most effective treatments to suit your budget.
On to this edition of AZIU, and we check out Louis Vuitton’s one-legged trousers, The GRANDPACORE trend and How To Style This Season’s Knee Length Boots.
