Why Men Won't Talk About Cosmetic Surgery

While more and more men are visiting aestheticians for invasive treatments, most are still hesitant to talk about it

- Sukriti Shahi

While many questioned my choice of career when I decided to pursue beauty journalism, my father was the first one to support me. The reason was not just his love for his daughter, it was also his awareness and intrigue towards beauty and grooming. I am talking about a man who owns a fragrance wardrobe, uses best anti-ageing creams, and cannot stand a single grey hair in his brows.

It was in 2015, he stood in front of a mirror plucking extra hair from his brows, that he said while giving a closer look to his skin, 'l think I should go for a face lift, the skin on my neck looks sagging.' I stood behind him, proud but flabbergasted, wondering why he was the first man I heard talking about getting an invasive treatment.

The buzz around ageing has changed; we are now leaving behind the idea of anti-ageing as pro-ageing takes over our routines. While anti-ageing talks about slowing down the process of ageing, proageing is embracing age with a holistic approach towards self-care-taking care of nutrition, lifestyle, wellness, and skincare. According to the Anti-Aging Market Report by Demography, "The global anti-ageing market size reached US$ 71.6 Billion in 2023. Looking forward, IMARC Group expects the market to reach US$ 120.4 Billion by 2032." And so, the popularity of invasive treatments or 'tweakments' is on rise. According to a GlobalData's report, the injectables market in India is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5 per cent till 2030. Is it enough to prove that more people are walking into a clinic for an invasive procedure? The answer is yes. But wait, are men part of this growing interest and awareness around tweakments?