As wonderful, beautiful Baby Boomer women, we work to present the world with lovely faces and beautiful bodies. Diet and exercise can only do so much, so often we think about the enhancements available through cosmetic surgery – a topic we've discussed at length on Boomerful.com. But what about the men in our lives? They're getting older, too, and gravity is not a friend to their jowls and tummy regions. Should we be suggesting plastic surgery to the men in our lives? To give us the male point of view, we asked Assistant Editor Mark McLaughlin – a Baby Boomer himself (age 46) – to share his thoughts.
A New Year, A New ... Him?
by Mark McLaughlin, Assistant Editor
Years ago, I worked for a major health-care corporation, and so I got to meet a lot of doctors and their wives at official functions.
In many cases, the wives were trim and well-dressed, usually 50-plus, with perfect teeth, flawless complexions, and fingernails that would qualify as museum-quality works of art. Their lovely, sculpted faces looked quite natural. But one must bear this in mind: at that time, my office was next to the medical library, so I often took medical journals to lunch with me, so I'd have something to read while I ate. I learned quite a lot about plastic surgery procedures from my reading, so I can spot the tell-tale signs of cosmetic surgery that others might not notice.
It was apparent, if only to me, that many of those doctors' wives had spent a bit of time under the knife. And that's okay: they could certainly afford the procedures, and the results looked great, so why not?
In the meantime, some of the doctor-husbands were not quite as aesthetically pleasing as their wives. These gentleman were well-groomed, of course, though they often tried to squeeze big bellies into three-button suit coats, giving them an overly constricted look. These gentlemen also had bald spots, sagging jowls, turkey-neck issues – in short, all the usual signs of male aging.
If so many 50-plus women are going to work on maintaining youthful appearances, doesn't it make sense that the men should do so, too? Especially if they can afford it! In today's youth-oriented culture, enhanced faces and physiques could probably boost their careers ... and their self-esteem, too.
But, how can a woman bring up that sort of thing with her husband in a way that won’t make him feel somewhat crestfallen? I'm the first to admit that men have more fragile egos than women when it comes to appearance. That's probably because men aren't usually praised for their looks, so when they receive negative criticism, they don't have a mental storehouse of past compliments to soothe them.
If you're a women thinking of suggesting a cosmetic procedure to your spouse, I would suggest you start by praising their current assets and taking it from there. "You know, Kevin, you're already so handsome, can you imagine how wonderful you'd look if you tried this new procedure I've been hearing about...?" For the record, that was a tactic a past girlfriend of mine would use to get me to buy new clothes – like most guys, I used to wear pants until there was nothing left of them but a zipper (if the zipper broke, then I'd throw them out).
Men are very visual in the way they think – images help them to process information. So I would also suggest you show the man in question two different websites.
First, bring them right here to Boomerful.com and show them the Video page – http://www.boomerful.com/vseries.html – which includes actual footage of Nancy Nehlsen, our Boomerful.com Editor-in-Chief, undergoing various cosmetic procedures. These videos also include informative discussions about the procedures.
There aren't any male subjects on the Video page – this is, after all, a website designed for Baby Boomer women – but most cosmetic procedures can apply to either a man or a woman. For example, Botox, Restylane or collagen in a needle doesn't care if it's being injected into a male or female face: it will still help wrinkles go away, regardless of the recipient's gender. Plus, the videos are very frank in their discussions of the pros and cons of various procedures, and that is extremely helpful. Both men and women want to know: Will it be painful? Will there be a long recovery time? How long will the results last?
Next, you and the man in your life can visit the Online Beauty Center for Personal Image Enhancement at www.NewImage.com. The goal of NewImage.com is to be the leading provider of information to help consumers make educated decisions about elective medical and dental procedures. They can give you information about various procedures and also give you suggestions on where to go to get those enhancements. Plus, last year NewImage.com formed a partnership with CosmeticMall.com and they now carry more than 3,500 anti-aging and skin care products.
Once you get some dialogue going and you offer some support and encouragement, you may find yourself with a new and improved man in your life.
The nice thing about Boomerful.com's blogs is that you can share your own thoughts and opinions. So let me know: would my suggestions work on the man in your life? If not, what would?
Oh my gosh ... I thought my man (my husband) needed something done. I would harass him that he needed to put forth a bit more effort, but recently he's been looking soooo good. I realized what it was the other day when I caught him sneaking my Hydropeptide from Azure Cosmeceuticals. It's this wonderful anti-aging cream that has six peptides and antioxidants. It's so amazing... Anyhow, he's been using it and well, it works!!! No need for cosmetic surgery.
Posted by: Marina P | January 01, 2008 at 03:19 PM
Marina - After reading your comment, I asked Mark if he ever uses anti-aging skin products. He said: Yes, he does now! Working in this office where health and beauty are discussed on a daily basis, he has come to realize that if women can benefit from these products, men should be able to do the same!
Posted by: Nancy Nehlsen | January 02, 2008 at 12:01 PM