SAVING FACE
More guys go for nip, tuck
BY TAMMY JOYNER Cox News Service
Making eye contact and looking fit and rested is important when you're selling cars and trucks, said industry veteran Gary Griffin.

ANDY SHARP / COX NEWS SERVICE "When you go in front of people, you don't want to look worn out," says Gary Griffin, fleet manager at Steve Rayman Chevrolet in Smyrna, Ga. He's had eyelid surgery and liposuction. And good-looking people really do earn more, studies have shown.

"When you go in front of people, you don't want to look worn out," said Griffin, fleet manager at Steve Rayman Chevrolet in Smyrna, Ga.

That's why he decided he had to do something about his "droopy" eyelids. Three days after Christmas last year, Griffin, 57, underwent cosmetic eyelid surgery. Eight months earlier, he had liposuction around his waist to get a firmer look.

Cosmetic surgery was once the domain of Hollywood starlets and Park Avenue socialites, but now, American businessmen are going under the knife to fend off advancing age and competition from younger peers.

Women still account for most of the patients getting cosmetic tune-ups, but more men are embracing the idea. Changing attitudes, an aging work force and television shows such as "Dr. 90210" and "Nip/Tuck" have demystified plastic surgery for many men.

CHARLES W. JONES / COX NEWS SERVICE

Since 2002, cosmetic procedures among men have increased at a faster pace than among women. Surgical and nonsurgical work for men jumped 57 percent between 2002 and 2006, compared to 9 percent for women, according to the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Many men are having cosmetic work done for "business purposes," the academy said.

Pretty pays off

Baby boomers, the original architects of the youth culture, are a key driver of the trend. They launched sit-ins and love-ins, as well as the careers of Elvis, The Rolling Stones and other symbols of rebellion.

Now, instead of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, it's nip, tuck and Botox.

"Today, people are not ashamed of it," said Dr. Miles Graivier of North Atlanta Plastic Surgery & Day Spa in Roswell, Ga.

"Our society being youth- and beautyoriented wants 20 years' experience with a 30-year-old face," said Dr. Zachary Gerut, a plastic surgeon in Hewlett, N.Y.

Unfair as it seems, "looks improve your standing at your job," said Daniel Hamermesh, a University of Texas profes- sor who has studied the economics of beauty for 15 years.

His research shows that good-looking people earn more money and are more successful than average or ugly people. The pay differential can be as much as 15 percent more, said Hamermesh, who studied more than 4,000 Americans and Canadians. The study adjusted for other factors that may affect pay.

Superficiality aside, there's a deeper reason for the trend.

Older Americans are working full time longer, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute. Workers 55 and older in the U.S. labor force have grown from 38 percent in 1993 to 45 percent in 2006.

More older workers coupled with fewer younger ones means companies are relying on more baby boomers.

"They want to look their best to change jobs or to continue in the same line of work," said Dr. Patrick Abergel, a Santa Monica, Calif., plastic surgeon who admits to having hair plugs. Most of his patients are baby boomers.

"The younger generation is a tough generation to compete with because they're very proficient with technology," Abergel said. "Sometimes, the older generation doesn't feel as comfortable, so they feel a little threatened."

Recovery faster now Abergel's patients have included a Coca- Cola executive from Smyrna, Ga., and a 50- year-old Atlantan looking to start a fitness company.

So can the less-comely boost their chances with a little cosmetic work? The jury's out on that.

In the meantime, doctors and surgeons around the country are seeing more men wanting to have their noses streamlined, tummies tucked, face and eyelids lifted and cheeks plumped.

Their patient roster includes lawyers, real estate agents, hairdressers, airline pilots, business executives and others who believe a tweak can lengthen their careers.

"You want to look good," said Stephen Herzog, a 42-year-old hair salon owner in Minneapolis who had a nose job about seven years ago and keeps his look fresh with Botox treatments. "You're somewhat of a walking advertisement in my business."

The surge has prompted doctors to develop less invasive procedures and more innovative techniques that reduce a patient's recuperative time. In the past, the thought of taking weeks or months off to heal often was a deal-breaker.

"We can plump out the face with fillers and [the patient can] go back to work within a day or two," said Roswell surgeon Graivier, whose clients are professionals, mostly between ages 40 and 60.

About 30 percent of the plastic surgery clients of Atlanta consultant Carol Martin are business execs, the highest percentage she's had in her 12 years in the field. The former actress and model has had plastic surgery herself and sits in on surgical procedures before recommending a surgeon to clients.

"The men who come to me are usually between the ages of 52 to 61," Martin said. "They're in great shape, usually divorced and have a job that requires them being in front of younger people or around other executives."

Costs still high

Looking good doesn't come easy or cheap. Having eyelid surgery sounds more like what the Roto-Rooter guy does.

"You have to run fishing line with a little barbed wire up through the skin above your brows and then they pull it up to lift your eyebrow so it won't droop," said Griffin, the auto executive. "That was the most painful part. There's a lot of nerve endings in your face and head. Other than that, it was a piece of cake."

But a not-so-inexpensive piece of cake.

Eyelid surgery, a top procedure for men, can cost about $3,000. A lower body lift can take up to eight hours and cost more than $7,700. Often fees for cosmetic surgery must be paid in advance. A lot of cosmetic surgery is considered elective and, therefore, not usually covered by insurance.

I've got a secret

While cosmetic work appears to be raising fewer eyebrows, many are still reluctant to talk about it. One Atlanta businessman who's had cosmetic surgery said men don't want to seem vain.

It may be one reason why the Atlanta region is gaining a reputation among executives as a place to get work done discreetly.

Graivier recently did work on an executive from Mississippi. He's also had patients from Alaska, New York, London and as far away as Malaysia. Many are chief executive officers and other high-level executives.

Atlanta trial attorney Newton Moore can't understand the secrecy that some men cling to.

"I had a little bit of lipo on my love handles, and I had some work done around my eyes and chin and neck," he said.

Moore initially had cosmetic work done to address some scarring that resulted from his days as a Marine.

"I didn't go into it to make a significant change," Moore said. "This is an important issue for men to address. Guys ought to come to grips with this." ¦