Who is creating the "perfect man"?

"A man will die for his best friend, and a woman will dress up to please the one she loves" - this sentence reflects people's long-standing expectations of different genders: men should pursue a career, and women should focus on love and appearance.

Of course, things have changed a lot now. Women say "making money is great", while men are beginning to worry about their appearance.

An article published on August 29 in Singapore's Straits Times mentioned that more and more men in China are choosing (through plastic surgery) to get double eyelids, pointed chins and thicker hair.

According to data from consulting firms and medical beauty institutions, three out of every 10 people who underwent plastic surgery in China last year were men, while in 2019 the proportion of men was only one in ten. In 2019, the average spending of men on medical beauty was 7,025 yuan, 2.75 times that of women (2,551 yuan).

Achieving "perfection" through plastic surgery was originally a popular self-transformation among women. Why has it become the choice of many men? What changes will the participation of men bring to the plastic surgery industry?

When men start plastic surgery, what other procedures will become popular?

Generally speaking, cosmetic surgery techniques are mainly concentrated in three categories: open surgery, foreign body injection, and fat transplantation.

There are two purposes for plastic surgery: one is to provide timely assistance, aiming to repair physical trauma, such as burns and deformities caused by congenital surface problems or accidental injuries, etc. The other is to add icing on the cake, hoping to transform the appearance into one that is more in line with mainstream aesthetic standards through medical means.

However, due to different physiological conditions and different social and cultural expectations for the appearance of men and women, the cosmetic surgery options chosen by men are naturally different from those of women.

For example, liposuction surgery, which is favored by women, has not yet become mainstream among men. On the one hand, it is easier for men to get a lower body fat percentage through exercise and fitness. On the other hand, society is more tolerant of men's body shapes. As long as they are not too fat and affect their health, there is no need to "take risks".

For example, as celebrities, the body management of male artists in the variety show "Brothers Who Chase Lights" is generally not as strict as that of female artists in "Sisters Riding the Wind and Waves".

So, where are the men doing it?

1. Hair transplantation.

It is reported that almost all cosmetic surgeries for women are attempted by men, among which hair transplantation and eye bag removal are the most popular. Men are more likely to suffer from hair loss at an earlier age than women.

According to a survey by the National Health Commission, about 164 million men in China have hair loss problems, accounting for more than 65% of the population suffering from hair loss. Hair loss caused by androgen cannot be cured because it is impossible to fundamentally eliminate the secretion of androgen.

In this case, no matter how "duangduang" shampoo and hair care products work, you can only resort to hair transplant technology.

2. Younger.

Removing eye bags is also a high-frequency cosmetic surgery procedure for men. This group is mainly middle-aged men around 40 years old. In order to look younger and avoid losing their jobs due to aging, they will choose rejuvenation procedures such as removing eye bags, wrinkles, and crow's feet.

3. Beautify defects.

In addition to some people who need plastic surgery due to accidents, in recent years there have been many young men who hope to improve their appearance through surgery, such as rhinoplasty, double eyelid surgery, and jaw reduction, and some even have a pointed chin.

4. Andrology.

Just as women have cosmetic surgery on their private parts, men also have cosmetic surgery needs on their private reproductive organs. Earlier media reports said that 10% of men in some large cities have undergone genital plastic surgery. There are even projects that "surgeon" sperm, attempting to treat male infertility by modifying sperm quality and quantity.

Regarding women's "appearance anxiety", it is that women hope to approach the mainstream aesthetic orientation of men through perfect transformation. Therefore, the plastic surgery plans of most women are also similar. The famous Miss Korea pageant was played a connect-the-dots game by netizens because the candidates were too similar.

But according to traditional gender standards, men are only responsible for earning money and supporting the family, and being successful is the standard. How come there is a rigid demand for plastic surgery?

Who is creating the "perfect man"?

As cultural critic Simmel said, "Things don't become popular after they are produced, they are produced in order to become popular." This statement is also applicable to the plastic surgery industry.

It is worth mentioning that men who choose plastic surgery are not all entertainers who rely on their looks to make a living. Many are politicians, students, ordinary company employees, etc. Since it is not a choice made out of their own heart, then what factors are shaping the male body?

A study on the body self of Chinese people, after surveying 381 subjects (136 plastic surgery patients and 245 non-plastic surgery patients), found that those who had plastic surgery tended to feel more interpersonal and media pressure, had a higher tendency to social comparison, and were more afraid of negative comments about their appearance.

Men are gradually feeling the pressure, fear and anxiety about their appearance. It mainly comes from three aspects:

First, competition in the workplace is more intense.

Every year is the "toughest graduation season". The total number of graduates from ordinary colleges and universities in China in 2021 is 9.09 million, setting a new record. Graduates want to stand out when looking for jobs, and handsome appearance is also considered a plus. In reports by the Singapore media, some men claimed that their job prospects have improved due to (plastic surgery).

Men who are already in the workplace are also “forced to join in” as they face the trend of a younger workforce. Take the male-dominated government work as an example. Ten years ago, many officials changed their age or had plastic surgery to look younger because of age and appearance anxiety.

Italian President Silvio Berlusconi also underwent a four-hour plastic surgery. He attended the meeting with tape on his face and complained that he had "sacrificed too much for the country."

This is true for fields that are traditionally dominated by men and where standards are set by men, let alone those industries that require female consumption and purchasing power?

When "male beauty" becomes a consumer product, naturally there will be male practitioners willing to produce corresponding products. The entertainment industry is the first to be affected, becoming a high-incidence area for male plastic surgery.

According to a survey on career aspirations conducted by Xinhuanet, more than half of the post-95s aspire to be anchors and internet celebrities. These industries are typical "appearance economy", and the size and loyalty of fans directly affect the subsequent commercial potential and monetization ability. The level of appearance becomes the key to attracting fans. It is no wonder that a male model once said that he had plastic surgery to make every photo of himself "worthy of printing".

In addition, competition in the marriage market has become more intense.

After the release of the main data of the seventh national census, the sex ratio of the total population was 105.07, with 34.9 million more men than women. The ratio of young men and women of marriageable age is even more unbalanced, and the rise of celibacy and non-marriage makes it more difficult for men to find a marriage partner. Therefore, many men hope to stand out in the marriage market through plastic surgery.

Of course, compared with the scale of the female cosmetic surgery market, male cosmetic surgery is still in its infancy. Therefore, the promotion of cosmetic surgery institutions cannot be ignored.

In recent years, many women have begun to refuse to be affected by "takeaway anxiety", trying to break stereotypes and accept flawed bodies and appearances. Victoria's Secret, a lingerie brand known for its "sexy angels" and supermodel catwalks, has begun to invite the founder of plus-size women's clothing to serve as brand ambassadors.

Women's attempts to break free from the shackles have naturally also sent a chill through the cosmetic surgery market. It is not surprising that some profit-seeking cosmetic surgery institutions have tried to stimulate male consumer demand and use exaggerated publicity to attract customers in order to pre-position themselves in the emerging male market.

Perhaps it can be said that in the face of strict social standards and consumerism, both men and women cannot avoid the cosmetic surgery scalpel hanging over their heads.

New Spark: Feminized Technology, Masculinized Market?

The plastic surgery market is becoming more masculine, but plastic surgery technology itself has very strong feminine characteristics.

1. In the male-dominated medical technology system, the number of female physicians has increased. The number of female students enrolled in many medical schools once exceeded 40%, and the larger number of female audiences also made the technical position of plastic surgeons not exclusive to female participation. The overseas medical platform Zocdoc shared a set of data. Patients can filter doctors by gender. 1.2% of searches are specifically for female doctors, and only 0.27% of searches are for male doctors.

2. Delicate cosmetic surgery projects require feminine qualities such as attentiveness and patience. A skilled surgeon should have the eyes of an eagle, the heart of a lion and the hands of a woman. Cosmetic surgery projects require more delicate operations. For example, hair transplantation requires accurate judgment of the depth, thickness, direction, etc. of each hair follicle before treatment. Many cosmetic surgeons are women.

3. Cosmetic surgery requires a lot of consultations and face-to-face consultations, which require communication to complete, and female doctors usually spend a long time listening to patients' opinions. In one study, female doctors waited an average of three minutes before interrupting patients, while male doctors waited an average of 47 seconds.

In addition, many patients seeking cosmetic treatment often have psychological insecurity, unclear self-awareness, etc. They need not only treatment plans, but also the repair of psychological trauma. At this time, the obvious difference in empathy between male and female doctors will also affect the patients' choices.

The field of cosmetic surgery, which emphasizes communication and service, needs more female doctors to shine.

At this time, new contradictions emerged.

On the one hand, the demand is growing, but the career cycle of female doctors is not as long as that of male doctors. Generally speaking, female doctors are under greater professional pressure. For example, they spend too much time listening to patients' opinions, which makes them finish their work later than male doctors. For example, they need to spend more energy to take care of their families. Therefore, as the rank increases, the proportion of female doctors has also dropped significantly, and many patients can only choose male doctors.

In addition, the cosmetic surgery industry is more market-oriented, and with the introduction of a multi-point practice policy, the conditions for setting up individual clinics have been relaxed, so patients often make repeated visits. At this time, having a strong personal IP appeal is very helpful for career growth. However, female doctors are more susceptible to risk control, lack of energy, and "impostor syndrome" in building their personal brands, and lack the willingness and action to further and proactively market.

If the masculine market will bring new growth opportunities to the cosmetic surgery field, then the feminine technology will give female doctors greater development potential.

This also proves that technology is related to the future and destiny of all people. Neither pure masculinity nor pure femininity should be the direction of future technological development.

Only technology that grasps and respects gender differences and focuses on gender harmony will have longer-term vitality.