More men discover that cosmetic procedures make them look and feel better
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Danny Paranik, 64, of Beaver is injected with Botox by cosmetic surgeon Dominic A. Brandy in Scott Township.
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Danny Paranik, 64, a personal trainer and tennis instructor in Beaver County, works out with weights four times a week, watches his diet and competes regularly in tennis tournaments. He is deeply tanned and tall, with impeccable posture. His license plate reads "STAYFIT."
"I live in a very physical world," he said. "My life's mantra would be: Be the best 'you' you can be."
So when Mr. Paranik began to notice wrinkles in his face, Botox was the natural choice.
"I was feeling very good inside, but my outside wasn't matching my inside," he said. "You can't exercise your face like you can other body parts."
PG VIDEO: COSMETIC SURGERY FOR MENWhen Mr. Paranik began receiving Botox treatments in 2000, he joined a group of American men getting cosmetic procedures that has since grown to 750,000 in 2010. While males are just a small portion of all patients -- statistics gathered by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery show that men made up 8 percent of all cosmetic procedures in 2010 -- the number of cosmetic procedures for men has increased more than 88 percent since 1997.
In 2009, Time magazine reported on the increasing numbers of men receiving Botox injections and termed the phenomenon "Boytox."
The national trend is reflected here as well.
"The increase in men getting Botox and other small cosmetic procedures has been on the constant rise for the past several years," said Suzan Obagi, director of the UPMC Cosmetic Surgery and Skin Health Center and an associate professor of dermatology and plastic surgery.
Botox is a brand name for Clostridium botulinum toxin type A -- a sterile, purified form of the toxin that causes botulism -- which doctors inject into patients' faces to paralyze the small muscles there, giving them a smoother, lifted appearance. The product is available under several brands in Europe but only Botox and Dysport in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration approved Botox for use in smoothing wrinkles in 2002 and Dysport, in 2009.
First Published July 19, 2011 12:00 am
