To anyone who has met him IRL, it will come as no surprise that young New York cosmetic dermatologist Paul Jarrod Frank has tried his hand at a thing or two of non-surgical beauty services.
“What treatments haven’t I done is really the question,” he says, ticking off a list that includes wrinkle-zapping injectables, several generations of sun damage-eradicating Fraxel lasers and skin-tightening Ultherapy. Yes, the 54-year-old dermatologist is also slaying for eyes, but mostly she’s all about maintaining a balanced and healthy lifestyle, according to the offerings she offers in her two Manhattan offices.
And in this tinkering with “tweakments”, Frank has been joined by many other Tristate people. “Since men are often looking for quick solutions with short recovery times, they comprise an ever-growing patient population,” he said, adding that this growth coincides with continued advances in minimally invasive technology and procedures. “They don’t have complicated diets, maintenance or downtime for recovery.”
Howard Sobel, a clinical dermatologic surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, has also seen a number of people blackening the doors of his private practice recently. “There has been an increase in men changing,” he says. “I believe social media has contributed to this. ‘Everyone is concerned about how they look – and social media doesn’t let you hide.’
In his New York office, Sobel fields a steady stream of requests for help with baldness. “Men are always in fear of losing their hair,” he says. “One of the most popular treatments I perform is the Alma Ted (transepidermal delivery) device. It is a non-invasive hair restoration option that is painless, and results can be seen after a few treatments. They stimulate hair growth, reduce shedding and increase thickness, and it’s a simple treatment without needles that takes about 20 minutes.
It’s not that Sobel’s male patients are afraid of needles. “They’re totally on the Botox bandwagon,” he says. “I treat almost as many men as I do women at the moment.”
Frank says that when it comes to injectable neuromodulators for his male patients, less is more. “I think the most important thing for men, which is different from women, is that they’re not so concerned about every little wrinkle,” she said. “Men want to keep pace.”
To that end, Frank favors Xeomin over Botox for his male clients. “There are neuromodulators like Xeomin that are less potent than name-brand Botox, so they won’t give men a frozen flat forehead,” he says. “In fact, I often recommend a 50% reduction in wrinkles to maintain mobility in men so they can still express themselves but look less tired and stressed.”
Plastic surgeon Jason Diamond, who splits his time between Beverly Hills and NYC, offers male patients proprietary minimally invasive techniques to stop the clock. One, called Diamond Facial Sculpting, is a big hit with the testosterone packs.
“Men want to look their best and are more aware of how bone structure and anatomical contours enhance their aesthetics,” says Diamond. “With my Diamond Facial Sculpting technique, I am able to improve facial balance and bone-to-soft tissue ratio without surgery and making it look natural, which is important to me and my male patients.”
As far as changes go, isn’t this trio of high-profile NYC docs recommended? The list includes the injectable “double chin” treatment Kybella, flying to Turkey for a budget hair transplant, and generally going overboard with any treatment.
“I think the general aesthetic for men in the tristate area is about enhancing vitality,” says Frank. “Men want to look fresh, vibrant, manly – and not overdone.”
