Many men in their 50s struggle to maintain the bodies they once had when they were in their 20s and 30s.
While many of them limit their efforts for a fit physique to hitting the iron at the local gym and adhering to a healthy diet, some, like Donovan Nelson of Essex, England, also choose to undergo cosmetic treatment to retain (or regain) the figures of their youth.
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Nelson, who runs his own marketing company, told The Daily Mail that the grind of heading a family and running his own business cuts significantly into the time he would spend at the gym. His wife, Anna, is 21 years younger, thus making the pressure of keeping fit much more intense. So after hitting the gym and not getting the results he desired, Nelson resorted to undergoing a procedure called VASER.
The procedure, according to The Daily Mail, “was carried out under local anaesthetic and involved melting away the unwanted fat and removing it via a tiny canula.” Dr. Mike Comins, who carried out the procedure on Nelson, targets underlying fat and “suctions it out around the musculature to create a more defined, finished result.”
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The procedure set Nelson back some 10,000 British Pounds (or a little more than 16,000 U.S. Dollars), but he said it was a great move for him. “Now I feel so much more confident and I love walking around without my top on. I like to go to Ibiza every summer for a few days and dance with my top off – being over 50 it’s hard to dance around with your top off unless you’re in good shape. I would say to other men, try and get in shape through exercise first, but if that doesn’t work then perhaps surgery is a better option. Also, the amount it costs is a good incentive to keep it off.”
Here is more on VASER and why more men in their 50s are considering this cosmetic procedures:
Experts have put this increase down to a more open attitude to cosmetic surgery amongst men, together with the presence of older males in the public eye – from heads of industry and politicians to actors and musicians – who are today being photographed looking fit and well later in life.
Dr Mike Comins, cosmetic doctor at The Private Clinic, who has performed more VASER treatments than any other practitioner in the UK, said: ‘Some four-five years ago the average age of a patient who came to me expressing an interest in VASER was around 30 years old. At that time it was incredibly rare for men in their 50s and 60s to seek the treatment.
“Now a considerable proportion of the males I treat are 50 or older, which demonstrates a dramatic change in attitude towards cosmetic treatment. There are a number of reasons I would attribute to the rise in numbers. A lot of the men I treat have exercised regularly and maintained a healthy diet their whole lives in order to remain in shape. When these men reach their mid fifties and their metabolism begins to slow, they struggle to maintain that physique but they are not prepared to give up the body that they desire. I’m also increasingly aware that captains of industry are taking a much greater interest in their general health, fitness and physical appearance. The image of a senior male figure in business today is very different to what it was some 10-15 years ago.”
Like the UK, there is an increase in men undergoing cosmetic surgery here in the United States. According to an article by ABC News, “people ages 35 to 64 account for 71 percent of all cosmetic in the U.S. and 9 percent of cosmetic procedures in the U.S. were performed in men, representing a 121 percent increase since 1997.”
Some experts attribute the increase to competitiveness in the job market, with older men hoping that a more “youthful look” will better their chances during the hiring process.
