Men are forking out more on clothes and accessories more than ever before. And the male grooming market is growing at an astonishing rate – twice the rate of women’s – so what do you do when you if hit your fabulous forties and need that little bit of extra help?
Yes, I am vain. Not in an obvious spray-tanned, shaved-chest, plucked-eyebrow kind of way. But I’m (shock, horror!) 45 next year; the same age as Christian Slater, Edward Norton, Gerard Butler and Matthew McConaughey.
As any one of that roll call of Hollywood hunks will concur, when we were kids, 45 seemed positively ancient. Not any more. We’re living longer and ageing slower; and as our standard of living improves and our pulling power is naturally extended, there’s more emphasis based on making a bit of an effort not to undo the top button on life’s trousers and give up. 45 is the new 25 and don’t I know it.
Man has long tried to disguise the signs of ageing, whether with a girdle, a toupee, or a little blue pill, but until recently no one spoke openly of it. So here goes…
I’ve had microdermabrasion from Dr Toni Burke at the Garden Square Clinic, and Botox via Dr Tom Walker at Visage Aesthetics (though for underarm sweating rather than filling my face).
As a result of unexpected items in the sagging area, tomorrow I’m undergoing Assisted High Definition LipoSculpture treatment more commonly known as VASER® – an advanced body sculpting procedure that creates a sculpted, athletic appearance in males (and females) by precisely removing both superficial and deep fat around muscle groups in order to enhance the visibility of the underlying musculature.
Similar to three-dimensional sculpting, VASER Hi Def takes into account the shape and form of structures underneath the skin that create body contours.
After extensive research, I’ve settled on undergoing the treatment with Dr Mike Comins at Hans Place Practice in London’s Knightsbridge. Mike has an impeccable, innovative reputation in the industry (pop princess Toyah was singing his praises on the BBC not so long ago), leading the way in many state-of-the-art contemporary cosmetic treatments.
On the first phone call the clinic took all of my details, height, weight etc before I even booked the consultation. They’re that thorough. I drove across to SW1 and completed a medical questionnaire etc and then went in to see Dr Comins, who was very friendly, informative and knowledgable, completely putting me at my ease.
And I felt reassured when he told me that an increasing number of clients he has treated are just like me – body conscious guys with a gym-going history that want to defy nature and get back that muscle tone and definition they had in their 20s or 30s.
He discussed specific target areas with me, took photographs and then whizzed around on his computer to show me what he could do. He told me everything I wanted to know and more, and never made me feel rushed once.
I’ll report back after the treatment so wish me luck. Though I don’t really need it as I know I’m in extremely capable hands. See the pictorial evidence of some of Dr Comin’s handiwork for the cast-iron proof.
Steve Pafford
First published: GuySpy
