Ever since COVID 19, I have started seeing more male clients in my clinic. Maybe this could be ascribed to a higher awareness amongst men who have most likely fallen victim to the so called “zoom dysmorphia syndrome”. This disorder was borne from the pandemic era and refers to an individual’s preoccupation of their physical attributes due to looking at themselves for extended hours of the day as they are in constant online meetings, calls, and conferences. Most people start feeling self-conscious of what they perceive as flaws in their facial features, while others have significant partners who coerce them into doing something about their looks since they now have the time to really

notice their other half’s appearance. In all honesty, I have found the latter option most probable, as many of the male patients I consult for aesthetic treatments very often only come because their partners urge them to. And this is where the challenge lies: the typical male client nowadays does not have any specific complaints in mind, nor do they have a clear idea of what they need or want to do. This sequence has ultimately led to the development of what I term: “Masculifting”.

Masculifting explained

The term masculifting is designed to describe the changes made to the male facial features to make it more attractive and more masculine looking. It additionally acts as a guideline or framework to enhance the look, while projecting higher testosterone levels. My philosophy in aesthetics is to always start with a specific goal which I have in mind,

and then to analyse the steps I need to take to fill the gap from where we begin, to the end result.

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The term masculifting is designed to describe the changes made to the male facial features to make it more attractive and more masculine looking. It additionally acts as a guideline or framework to enhance the look, while projecting higher testosterone levels.

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Using the above as a baseline, let’s look at some of the factors that make up male attractiveness – starting off with the general shape of male faces.

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These features should ideally be:

• Wider over the width of the jaw than over the cheek

• Have straighter profile lines on side view

• Have broader, more sloping foreheads and deeper set eyes

• Are more faceted with flat planes and strong transitions

• Has harder edges – especially along the jawline

• Strong lower face focus due to longer chin ratio (1:3 vs 1:2 in females)

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Take home message

Male patients are becoming a significant part of most aesthetic practices, and as such, we as aesthetic doctors must develop new strategies to deal with them. Packaging your offering like this will not only generally appeal to most men but will also have them buy into aesthetics much more often and readily.

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The three-step algorithm protocol

The three-step algorithm protocol for the rejuvenation and general “beautification “of the average male face consists of:

• Creating a more masculine facial shape by first placing the filler strategically on the cheek (zygomatic arch) inside the “sweeping point” in a bolus to project this point. By utilising this method, it results in both the elevation of the eyelid cheek junction, and the squaring up of the cheek line

• Widening the jaw by placing a bolus of filler at the widest point (to broaden the bigonal measurement). The chin is then projected forward and widened to try and acquire the same width as the mouth. This has the added benefit of generally straightening the profile line. It is also advisable to square the chin up and/or even to create a cleft as this is generally deemed attractive

• The final step is to create edges on the jawline. I typically use a cannula, where I start off by defining the descending jawline in front of the ear, which is subsequently followed by the lowering and definition of the border line all the way to the chin. The purpose of this technique is to sculpt the edge and widen the lower jaw to reverse the ageing changes, as this will drape the skin of the face more tightly.