Baby boomer men seeking facelifts, surgery

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WASHINGTON, March 21 (UPI) -- Men, especially baby boomers, are getting more plastic surgery, with a 2 percent rise to 1.1 million cosmetic procedures in 2010, U.S. doctors say.

"The growth in cosmetic surgical procedures for men may be a product of our aging baby boomers who are now ready to have plastic surgery," Dr. Phillip Haeck, president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, says in a statement.

"Minimally invasive procedures such as Botox and soft tissue fillers work to a point. However, as you age and gravity takes over, surgical procedures that lift the skin are necessary in order to show significant improvement."

Statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reveal the fastest-growing male cosmetic procedures from 2009 to 2010 were:

-- Facelifts, a 14 percent increase.

-- Ear surgery, up 11 percent.

-- Soft tissue fillers, up 10 percent.

-- Botulinum toxin type A, up 9 percent.

-- Liposuction, up 7 percent.

-- Breast reduction in men, up 6 percent.

-- Eyelid surgery, up 4 percent.

-- Dermabrasion, up 4 percent.

-- Laser hair removal, up 4 percent.

"Typically people think of celebrities and high profile men going under the knife," Dr. Stephen Baker, a plastic surgeon in Washington, D.C., says. "The typical male cosmetic surgery patient that I see is an average guy who wants to look as good as he feels."