Nip, tuck and log on: Men and women get facelifts for the same reason

A growing number of men are getting facelifts. Does this shock anyone? Are we still stuck in dusty chauvinist double standards? How does the hoary old adage go: men age like fine wine, women curdle like milk?

- Barbara Ellen

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons reports facelifts are on the rise. Women still account for most procedures, but the steepest increase - 26 % between 2023 and 2024 - is among men. Motivations for the surgery include "appearance pressure" to "Ozempic face", where rapid weight loss deflates facial features faster than a leaking party balloon. But what about other reasons, and might they be more unisex than we think?

Ageing is a feminist issue, but the motivations for plastic surgery differ along gender lines. With men, it's often attributed to professional ambition: the hunter staying in the game. A stark contrast to the popular image of desperate women craving male sexual validation - all but screaming into haunted mirrors like Botoxed wicked queens.