Men, Is Your Jaw Line “Man” Enough?

Young, over-achieving, whipper-snappers surround Sam Florio, wet-noodling their way up the elusive corporate ladder. Recently, one in particular somehow managed to slip past the 39-year-old telecommunications executive, leaving him with the embarrassment and insult of having a supervisor six years his junior.

Florio fights turning the big “four-o” by working out for an hour, five days a week at a gym in Manhattan’s financial district. However, despite the number of skull crushers he does, or how many gains his tris, pecs, and lats have made, or how pleased he is with his hairline, his younger colleagues had something he wanted — strong, defined jawlines.

“They’re at their physical peak—their faces, too,” says Florio (whose name has been changed for privacy). “I wear a suit and tie. No one sees how ripped I am. They just see my face next to my shirt collar.”

As the years went on, Florio became frustrated as the once sharp lines on his face became softer, and less defined. The last straw? He spotted a square-jawed gym rat tossing dumbbells around the weight room with ease. This mood-souring sight killed his vibe, to say the least, yet was the catalyst he needed to make change.

Plastic surgery and implants seemed too aggressive and extreme, and they are not easily reversible. His fiancée kindly suggested jaw augmentation, having heard of this from her plastic surgeon. The very next week, Florio has six vials of Juvéderm Voluma, a popular cosmetic filler, injected into the top of his mandible. The doctor then spent the next half hour carefully sculpting the soft tissue until it was more defined and angular.

In metropolitan areas such as New York, Miami, Los Angeles, and Dallas, more and more men are turning to cosmetic fillers such as Juvederm in order to achieve a more youthful appearance, and prevent or reverse signs of aging. Perhaps they’ve taken a cue from their female counterparts.

“Men make up a growing proportion of the esthetic filler market as they desire the natural results to maintain a youthful appearance and to maintain a competitive advantage in the workplace,” says Dr. Janis P. Campbell, Dermatologist at Laser Rejuvenation Clinic & Spa of Calgary. “Fillers maintain the foundation structure of the face and deal with repetitive skin folds. They require only 1-2 visits per year and can be performed in a single visit. They produce a natural softening of features that were present when they were younger.”

Juvederm is especially popular among men (and women), as the treatments are relatively painless, require no preparation or recovery time, and have little to no side effects aside from minor swelling. In fact, this procedure has become so popular amongst men that many prepare for their appointments by creating vision boards, bringing in images of their ideal celebrity look.

Injectable fillers such as Juvederm are an excellent alternative to plastic surgery in that they offer a more natural appearance almost immediately and without the hassle of a length recovery. Treatments last between five and nine months. However, Juvederm isn’t alone for men desiring to reverse the signs of aging. Men as young as 22 are taking advantage of its benefits in order to achieve a more sculpted, masculine appearance.

Even though the physical changes may be subtle, the boost in confidence isn’t all mental. Dating back to our days as hunter-gatherers and cavemen, a man’s facial structure displayed his health, gene quality, and potential as a mate. Females, and competing males, react to this both consciously and subconsciously.

It is best to receive treatments from a qualified and experienced plastic surgeon, who is familiar with facial anatomy and bone structure. The cost of treatment, both medical and financial, hasn’t deterred hoards of men seeking to revamp their appearance.