Has Plastic Surgery Become A Men's Thing?

Cosmetic surgery was once the domain of Hollywood starlets and Park Avenue socialites, but now American businessmen are going under the knife to fend off advancing age and competition from younger peers. As boomers age, more American businessmen opt for cosmetic surgery to fend off competition. Women still account for most of the patients getting cosmetic tune-ups, but more men are embracing the idea. However, changing attitudes, an aging work force and TV shows like "Dr. 90210" and "Nip/Tuck" have demystified plastic surgery for many men. In fact since 2002, cosmetic procedures among men have increased at a faster pace than among women. Surgical and nonsurgical work for men jumped 57 percent between 2002 and 2006, compared to 9 percent for women, according to the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Many men are having cosmetic work done for "business purposes," the academy said.

Baby boomers, the original architects of the youth culture, are certainly a key driver of this trend. Men are no longer ashamed of a little "nip and tuck" surgery. Our society is youth and beauty oriented and wants men with 20 years of experience with a 30-year-old face. Unfair as it may be the fact is that looks improve your standing at your job according to Daniel Hamermesh, a University of Texas professor who has studied the economics of beauty for 15 years. His research shows that good-looking people earn more money and are more successful than average or ugly people. The pay differential can be as much as 15 percent more, says Hamermesh, who studied more than 4,000 Americans and Canadians.

Older Americans are working full time longer, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute. Workers 55 and older in the U.S. labor force have grown from 38 percent in 1993 to 45 percent in 2006. More older workers coupled with fewer younger ones means companies are relying on more baby boomers. In the meantime, doctors and surgeons in Atlanta and around the country are seeing more men wanting to have their noses streamlined, tummies tucked, face and eyelids lifted and cheeks plumped. Their patient roster include business executives, lawyers, real estate agents, airline pilots, hairdressers and others who believe a tweak can lengthen their careers. Making eye contact and looking fit and rested is important when you're selling anything from homes to cars to insurance.