Bob's bitch tits were his claim to fame in Fight Club.
Turns out the general public isn't too keen on male chest chub, though. The removal of man boobs is just one of several surgeries performed frequently at CosmetiCare, a local plastic surgery joint that says its seen a roughly 200 percent increase in male patients in the last decade.
Devon Niccole, CEO of CosmetiCare, which has offices in Newport Beach and Long Beach, says the company see its fair share of gynecomastias. “That's the medical term for reducing the appearance of a man boob.” He says nose jobs and eyelid surgeries that get rid of “the tired look” are popular, too.
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Dudes also dig the non-surgical procedures, like
“The non-invasive industry is exploding. We call it the lunch-hour face lift.”
A lot of older guys turned to cosmetic procedures after losing their jobs during the recession and re-entering the work force, he says.
“They're going up against these younger, energized guys and they've been through the wringer a little while longer. It's a little boost.”
“They're going up against these younger, energized guys and they've been through the wringer a little while longer. It's a little boost.”
Niccole attributes CosmetiCare's success in the man market to its outreach tactics and an overall culture change.
The clinics dedicate a specific evening each month for male consultations, for example.
“It's kind of like a men's club night. It's super toned-down and there are not all the beautiful women around the office, so they won't have that intimidation factor.”
“It's kind of like a men's club night. It's super toned-down and there are not all the beautiful women around the office, so they won't have that intimidation factor.”
But, more than their own efforts, Niccole credits the uptick in male patients to the nation's growing comfort with plastic surgery. “It's less taboo. All the TV shows have made it a more accepted part of our society.”
According to statistics from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, men had more than 750,000 cosmetic procedures in 2010, up more than 88 percent since 1997.
Niccole says men make up about 30 percent of their clientèle. According to ASAPS stats, men accounted for only eight percent of the country's total surgeries nationwide in 2010. According to the same stats, here are the most popular dude surgeries, in their order of frequency: liposuction, nose jobs, eyelid surgeries, boob jobs (both the removal of chesty chub and the addition of perky pectorals) and cosmetic ear surgery.
The OC Register's Colin Stewart reported earlier this week that Botox, which is made by the Irvine-based company Allergan, is “American men's favorite cosmetic treatment.“
Kellie Lao, a spokeswoman for Allergan, said since the company sells Botox Cosmetic to doctors, who then prescribe it, there's no way for them to break down Botox usage by gender.
She did say, however, that the recession didn't hurt the product much. “Botox cosmetic was pretty resilient.”
She did say, however, that the recession didn't hurt the product much. “Botox cosmetic was pretty resilient.”
