Secrets Guy Cosmetic plastic surgery Tendency

The sad news of the suicide of dermatologist-to-the-stars Dr. Fredric Brandt has shed a spotlight on the hushed world of male cosmetic surgery, and the stigma men face when electing to undergo procedures. 

Brandt’s sculpted cheekbones and lineless skin defied his 65 years of age, but didn’t shield him from relentless ridicule; close friends told The New York Times that patients would pretend not to know him in public life, and that most recently, a parodic portrayal of him played by Martin Short on “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” may have added strain to the depression that ultimately took his life.

And yet there is an increasing amount of men seeking rejuvenation, according to online community and purveyor of cosmetic trends, RealSelf.com, which says 72 percent of doctors surveyed reported a sizable increase in male patients in the last year, with over half of the influx coming from the ages of 24 and 44. Still, the fear of harsh social judgment has kept the phenomenon quiet. “I’m seeing male patients who feel they have to hide cosmetic appointments from wives, secretly stash their money to pay for treatments, and book procedures while family is away,” says New York City dermatologist, Doris Day, MD