The infamous male patient – the patient which every injector would love to treat but doesn’t always have access to! We often find male faces to be anatomically less complex and have fewer ‘rules’ attached to them. As a bonus, male patients usually like to know the facts, the price, the time frame and whether I can deliver the result asap with a “Thank-you very much!”
Treating a male patient requires a thorough understanding of the specific aesthetic and anatomical differences that are associated with men. Men typically should have a square face shape; and lower, straighter, flatter eyebrows. Eyelid or eyebrow heaviness is considered acceptable and attractive – think Brad Pitt. Also, men should have sharp angles in their cheek and jawline (curves or roundness, particularly in the mid-cheek, is considered feminine and looks great on women, but strange on men). Men have a more dominant lower face, with a stronger, wider, and squarer chin; larger muscle bulk; and facial hair; with thicker and more sebaceous skin.
Now envisage this same man in his 30s or 40s – his jaw has widened, the angles of his face are sharper, and his brows have lowered, with a few lines here and there: a masculine rugged man is born.
Our opinion is that men look better with a few lines – and it’s best if they can move their face normally rather than appear frozen! In terms of treating each area, the dose required is usually larger, due to their bigger muscle bulk. In a frown, for example, the dose needs to be measured correctly to soften the angry appearance but not to lift the brow – which can make the brow appear feminine. In the forehead, you don’t need to worry about brow lowering like in a female, however being able to raise your eyebrows normally is exceptionally important.
Male dermal filler options fit mainly into two categories: 1) reducing sagging/or heaviness and 2) masculinizing a younger patient. The options with filler are endless for men, common areas to treat for our male clients are temple, cheek, tear trough, pre-auricular, jawline, lips and chin lengthening/projection/ widening. The overall goal always comes back to restoring or correcting the square face shape, retaining or enhancing the masculine features and ensuring the patient looks great at rest, on animation and in profile.
Sometimes there’s a cultural aesthetic difference in what men want to look like – e.g. contemporary Japanese males, where they prefer more of a slender face, so will often request treatments for facial slimming. The other instance might be a man seeking a more feminine look. We would firstly educate on what we can achieve whilst taking on board the client’s wishes and goals. In order to achieve the desired result, it’s important to men to find a clinician who shares the same aesthetic and treatment goals.
