Growing Number Of Men Going Under The Knife For Plastic Surgery

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – In a surprising new trend in plastic surgery, more and more men are opting for a little nip-tuck.

Numbers are up in all age groups however, the trend is especially increasing among older men who are using it for looks and to stay competitive in the workplace.

"Particularly in upper management to stay youthful looking, stay fit, and to remain competitive," plastic surgery patient Barry Matthews told CBS2'S Dr. Max Gomez.

Plastic surgery and other cosmetic procedures continue to grow in popularity with nearly 16 million procedures done last year alone. Cosmetic surgery used to be a stereotype just attached to females; men weren't supposed to be so vain.

"They're not allowed to have vanity, in a way where they're not really supposed to admit to wanting to improve their looks in the same way," Matthews added.

"Men are starting to realize they can really do things to make their appearance better for the job market and to also just make them feel better about all the exercise and dieting that they may be doing," Dr. Steven Davis said.

New statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reveal that over 1.3 million cosmetic procedures were performed on men last year. Older men are more often having minimally-invasive procedures like botox injections done. Those procedures are up 99 percent since 2000.

"Some people call it the 'executive edge,' but I think people are just wanting to look how they feel," ASPS president Dr. Jeffrey Janis explains.

Younger men are opting for body contouring procedures like liposuction and tummy tucks which have seen a boost in popularity over the past five years.

Doctors say part of what's driving the trend is that as more men are having work done, they're talking to each other about their results and erasing the stigma surrounding cosmetic surgery.