Reports issued by scientists have described examining mice when they tested a chemical substance on them. These particular mice had been changed genetically to increase their production of corticotrophin-releasing factor, a stress hormone, which caused the mice to drop their coat when they became older.

For this research the mice that were losing their hair were injected five times daily with a new stress reducing hormone called astressin-B. Once injections were completed the mice were placed back into their habitat.

After a three month time period the researchers followed up on their study, and were surprised to find that all of the mice had regrown their coats. The study found this to be the case 100 percent of the time. The scientists used the injections with mice that had not lost their coat yet, and found that the treatment prevented the loss of their fur.

The researchers also discovered that the anti-stress hormone was beneficial for the gastrointestinal system, the cardiovascular system and other areas of the mice’s bodies where receptors are found.

Scientists were excited by the fact that the hormone reactivated the hair follicles. They are hoping that these results can help those who suffer from baldness, hair loss when having chemotherapy and for individuals with alopecia.

Researchers involved with the study have stated that it will take time to discover if the hormone will help humans who suffer from hair loss. The next phase in the study will involve investigating how the stress reducing hormone is able to reactivate the hair follicles. They will also look into which cells in particular are benefiting from the treatment.

For those who aren’t yet ready to embrace a clean shaven head, this treatment may be able to regrow lost hair. It can help regain lost self-confidence that can happen when hair is lost and may be safer because it causes the follicles to reactivate. It may also help other parts of the body.

The average of male patients in Melbourne has risen from 10 percent ten years ago to about 20 percent currently. The men who received surgeries ten years ago were mostly in need due to medical reasons whereas the surgeries now are mostly cosmetic in nature. These procedures range from rhinoplasty and eyelifts to Botox and fillers.

Career advancement and preservation are sited as reasons for needing these facial enhancement surgeries and upkeep. Men are afraid of losing their jobs for looking “tired” or “worn down.”

A businessman who has reached the age of 61 had a neck lift to get rid of the dangling skin. He claimed the presence of the skin was disrupting his confidence which was hurting his ability to attend meetings and network properly.
Melbourne doctors believe divorce is also a factor in the rise in men who are seeking surgeries. The men have a need to make themselves feel attractive to the single community.

Many high profile men have claimed good genes rather than good surgeons when they suddenly appear to look a few years younger. Crocodile Dundee hero, Paul Hogan, claimed he had never had surgery or injections to make his wrinkles disappear.

Another handsome star who feared loss of career choices without finding a fountain of youth was Dancing With the Stars judge, Todd McKenney. He has talked candidly of his past ventures with the cosmetic surgeon. He states he has had Botox, pulsed light therapy and even Thermage treatments to tighten his skin and remove wrinkles.

The majority of men, famous or not, tend to be more private about their surgeries even if it is no longer a stigmatism to go under the knife.

Although, Australian figures for 2009 have not been reported, American figures for 2009 from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons has about 26 percent of all nose jobs, or rhinoplasty, as being performed on men. Cheek implants were reported at 27 percent and eye lifts were at 25 percent. Lifts on the other parts of the face, forehead, 11 percent, and facelifts, 9 percent were much lower but ever increasing.

Already, hair transplantation technology has seen remarkable advances. In the past, it took three to eight sessions to reach a rate of 10-200 grafts, and resulted in an unnatural look. Now surgeons are able to accomplish a more natural looking hairline and more transplantation in fewer sessions. While 200 grafts per session used to be common, it’s now standard to accomplish 2,500 grafts.

Even more advances are on the way. In 2009, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved marketing for a new device called the Neograft Automated Hair Transplant System (Neograft) . The device works by utilizing rotating punches to make scores in the skin, and then a pneumatic suction device extracts the hair follicle within. The device can also implant grafts.

In addition technology for hair transplantation, other new devices that use low level light therapies for hair growth have been approved by the US FDA as well; the HairMax LaserComb for men and the MPE-90 Hair Growth Stimulation System for women.

There is also a lot of research being conducted on auto cloning and hair multiplication technologies. The technology would begin with dermal papilla cells or fibroblasts, and attempt to cause the fibroblasts to create enough hair follicles in a culture to replace an entire scalp.

TricoCyte is another cell based hair regeneration technology that uses the proprietary dermal papilla cell process. However, developers of the product aren’t quite satisfied with the product yet. Though many are crossing their fingers for it, as more than half of participants in a study for proprietary cell treatment processes showed significant hair growth up to a year afterwards. The study was conducted at Aderans Research Institute.

Needless to say, with all of the current developments in hair transplantation technologies, hair cloning is not far away from being a realistic option.

“How far out are we?” asked Dr. Meija. “I say 5-10 years.”

When looking at specific surgeries, rhinoplasty (nose jobs), liposuction, otoplasty (ear correction), and blepharoplasty (removal of under eye bags), were noted as the most popular plastic surgeries undergone by men, in addition to gynaecomastia, a procedure that removes what many refer to as “man boobs,” which alone increased by 80 percent. Many physicians who specialize in aesthetic medicine are reporting a distinct increase in the percentage of their male patients.

One physician in particular associated this increase in male aesthetic procedures to the economic crisis. These male patients are most likely either looking for jobs, or trying to keep the job they have. As a result, they want to look their best, and turn to these procedures in order to assure that they do. For most men, the perceived edge that these procedures will give them in the workplace is the motivating factor in undertaking them.

Many men report a new self confidence following cosmetic surgery, which translates positively in the workplace. It removes any self consciousness that they may have, allowing them to perform at their best at all times. Scott Jowett, of Nottingham, had his ears pinned back at age 31, and reported feeling a self-assurance that he had never before experienced, following his surgery. He thought that his former self-consciousness had definitely held him back from progressing at work. Most of the men who are undergoing surgery for their careers positions in industries where their appearance is perceived to be extremely important. This includes industries such as sales, advertising, TV, and hospitality. In addition, older men feel that they are in a position where they need to compete with their younger peers, and believe a fresher appearance will help them achieve that. For both men and women, appearance has become increasingly important, and when it potentially affects their futures in their professions, they are prone to turning to surgical means to maintain them.

The Harley Medical Group also reported an impressive increase in procedures performed on men in 2009, seeing a 5 percent increase over 2008. Men actually accounted for 18 percent of all procedures performed by The Harley Medical Group. Most of the increase can be attributed to men opting for non surgical procedures such as ‘Boytox’ (male Botox and Sweatox).

Men’s busy lifestyles are indeed causing their skin to be at risk for premature wrinkles. Dr. Nick Milojevic is a Botox doctor, voted as the best for Botox in the Daily Express. Concerning men receiving Boytox he revealed, “Young men in the City have been spending a lot of time frowning over the last year and we’re seeing the fallout .. Men coming into the clinics are telling us that they want to stay looking wrinkle-free despite their demanding lifestyles.”

A report by the Dailey Mail reported that much of the increase in cosmetic procedures performed on men is attributed to City bankers spending their bonuses on Boytox. The City clinic saw huge growth once the banker bonuses returned to the agenda with a ’24 percent month by month sales increase in September alone’. Other non-surgical procedures that grew in 2009 were dermal fillers with a 26 percent increase and chemical peels with a 306 percent increase.

Jeremy Baker, Consumer Analyst at ESCP Europe Business School said, “There’s a huge emphasis on grooming in popular culture and the job market is tough – people need to be younger, fitter, and better and this is reflected in the maintenance of personal appearance. Men have now caught up with the times and don’t want to be left behind so I’m sure we’ll see big increases in this sector in particular.” Men have surely
become comfortable with beautifying themselves with cosmetic surgery.

Despite the recession gay men in the US are choosing cosmetic surgery with increasing numbers. The gay lifestyle is much more accepted in today’s society and thus young gay men are more comfortable admitting their sexuality. Thus older gay men find it increasingly necessary to try to look young. They don’t want to be ‘charity cases.’ This fact pushes them toward plastic surgery, to fight back those ravages of time.

Dr. Paul Chasen of La Jolla says that his practice receives a lot of support from his San Diego based gay clients. He told GLT, “For men, they’re much more knowledgeable about plastic surgery. They’re into aesthetics, they want to look good.”

Young gay men also feel the allure of plastic surgery. Among gay men appearance is as important if not more so than for women. Lance, a gay man who spoke to the Gay & Lesbian Times (GLT) said, “I’ve thought about it, especially lipo[suction]. I’m always working out and I watch what I eat, but it’s almost impossible to get a six pack. It would be so much easier to just get it sucked out.” Nearly a quarter of a million Americans underwent liposuction in 2009, making it one of the top five most popular procedures.

Dakota Calloway, American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) spokesperson, told GLT that Botox injections are also popular among men and the popularity is increasing more rapidly than for women. Botox, being the number one non-surgical procedure in the US, is very popular among gay men who want to slow down the procession of wrinkles. She said that none of the consultation paperwork asks about sexual orientation, so specific numbers of gay men undergoing procedures is not possible. But she says, “…we’re an open minded profession, so patients usually don’t hesitate to share their personal stories with us.”

The trend observed in the UK of men receiving Botox injections has not been attributed to gay men. Many British men are having these injections for relaxing wrinkles, so that they can remain competitive at work. They are encouraged by celebrities having Botox such as Simon Cowell and Gordon Ramsay.

Many men, who have lost a substantial amount of weight, find that if they want to look good they will need to have a procedure done to remove the excess skin. A spokesperson for The Hospital Group, said: “Men often opt to have a tummy tuck if they have had substantial weight-loss and are left with sagging skin around the abdomen. We have seen an increase in men having obesity surgery which could have had a knock-on effect.” Tummy tucks, also know as abdominoplasty, can improve the look of the stomach drastically. The procedure is performed by tightening the abdominal muscles and removing excess skin. The remaining skin is then pulled tight and secured. This will create a tighter and firmer abdomen.

As reported in Surgery Lowdown-Cosmetic Surgery Advice, John Wright form Lincolnshire had a tummy tuck operation and breast reduction after loosing 22 stone. He said, :After the immense effort and hard work of losing so much weight it was utterly soul destroying to see vast folds of skin hanging from my body…….. I used almost ,10,000 of my savings but I think it was worth every penny.” Many testimonials from men who have had a tummy tuck are the same as Mr. Wright’s. The result of a tummy tuck make many men feel like they are a whole new person.

There has been a substantial increase in plastic surgeries performed on men in the last few years. According to Mr. Rajiv Grover, Secretary of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, “This year [2009] we have recorded a dramatic rise in a number of male surgical procedures, probably due to heightened media attention, which has allowed men to realise the positive outcomes that can be achieved.” Men have begun to put a greater emphasis on their own appearances and thus the increase in cosmetic procedures performed on men is merely a logical extension of this.

A recent survey showed that 54 percent of adults would undergo plastic surgery if money were not an issue. On behalf of RealSelf.com, Harris Interactive performed the survey and analyzed it to make a wish-list of cosmetic surgeries. Tom Seery, president of RealSelf.com, said, “We found it interesting that so many are open to a significant surgery procedure like tummy tuck, in contrast to minimally invasive Botox injection.”

The survey involved 2,227 adults who answered a variety of questions concerning what procedures they would have if they did not have to worry about the cost. Teeth whitening topped the list for both men and women, with a total of 52% saying that they would have it done. Most people do not realize that there is a whole field of cosmetic dentistry and teeth whitening is a very popular procedure.

Tummy tucks and liposuction were the next two procedures on the list for women. Thirty-nine percent of the women surveyed said that they would have a tummy-tuck. The tummy is a very important area for a woman who wants a sexy body. Liposuction, with 34 percent of women, has a variety of applications that can help to contour and reshape the body. Women also said that hair replacement would be a desirable
procedure. Many women begin to lose their hair either because of aging, sickness, or changes in hormones due to menopause. The hair loss typically manifests itself in a thinning of the hair. Hair replacement can restore the fullness and luster that their hair once had.

The wish list for men was similar to that of women, with men’s top three dream procedures being teeth whitening, hair replacement, and liposuction. Though most women say that they do not put much emphasis on the way a man looks, men obviously want to look good too. Society has put a lot of stress on men to look good to be successful and this survey shows that men do indeed care about their appearance.

The survey showed that many people would have plastic surgery if they did not have to be concerned with cost. Big News reported that loan companies are giving money for people to use on cosmetic procedures. This could remove the concern about cost and allow many more people to have the procedures that they put on their wish list. They may finally be able to attain their dream body.

Harris Interactive recently performed a survey on behalf of RealSelf.com to put together a plastic surgery wish list for 2010. The survey included 2,227 adults of which 54 percent said that, if money was not considered, they would have plastic surgery. Of those who said they would have a procedure done, many would have hair replacement surgery (25 percent of women and 20 percent of men). People have often
looked for a way to arrest a receding hair line, thinning hair, or a bald spot. Many have tried those hair re-growth sprays, with no luck. Hair replacement procedures would be a great choice for someone who wants to get rid of that embarrassing feature.

There are many different surgical procedures available for hair replacement. Flap surgery has been successfully performed for over 20 years and is able to cover large areas of baldness. Tissue expansion is commonly used for reconstructive surgery to repair areas of substantial skin loss, but it is also now being used as a hair replacement technique with great success. One of the most common forms of hair replacement surgery is grafting. Where hair bearing skin is removed from a donor area and placed in the balding spots. There are also many promising procedures undergoing clinical trials. There are many things to consider when choosing what technique will be best for each person and a good surgeon will be able to help with that decision.

Some estimate that 20 percent of all women will suffer some sort of hair loss due to ageing, menopause, or illness. The hair loss is usually a gradual thinning all over the scalp as compared to men who are more likely to loose hair in localized areas. Alan Bauman is a board certified hair restoration surgeon and founder of Bauman Medical Group in Boca Raton Florida. He is a leader in hair replacement surgeries and said, “I’m not surprised that RealSelf.com’s new survey on cosmetic treatment preferences clearly showed there is a strong desire among both men and women for better hair through hair transplants.”

The study showed a great amount of interest in plastic surgical procedures by the people surveyed. People want to make themselves look good and feel confident. Hair replacement procedures can allow them to do just that.

Men with gynecomastia, the development of abnormally large mammary glands, walk through life with enlarged breasts. This condition is commonly found in adolescent boys and it usually goes away within a couple of years. Some, however, do not disappear and it is these unfortunate men that will greatly benefit form this new procedure. Some men merely have excess fatty tissue in their chest that they would like to get rid of and the work out scene just isn’t making the cut.

Body Tite surgery has been shown to remove the unwanted fat while tightening the skin. It utilizes radiofrequency assisted technology which applies heat energy uniformly over the chest. This energy liquefies the fat which is then liposuction out. The heating also allows for collagen contraction which tightens the tissue and skin in the area. This procedure has been reported relatively fast in comparison to
the previous moob solution of liposuction.

Dr Milles Berry is a consultant plastic surgeon at the Royal Marsden Hospital and says that this procedure is also much less painful than liposuction. In liposuction there is quite a bit a pulling and pushing of the cannula to remove the fat cells. The Body Tite surgery eliminates the need for all of this force. The liquefying of the fat allows for a smooth removal that is relatively pain free.

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons disclosed that there has been a large escalation in the number of men undergoing breast reduction procedures. In fact the number of these surgeries has shown an eighty percent increase in the last year, with 581 surgeries performed in 2009.