More men are embracing cosmetic surgery and turning to facial injections to keep looking young.
Clinics that specialise in botulinum toxin — known as Botox — have said demand from men is now almost as high as from women.
The neurotoxic protein works by preventing the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from nerve endings, causing flaccid paralysis.
Some clinics in Dubai even advertise the service as 'brotox', a term coined by lifestyle magazines.
When I started out in 1990 men accounted for 5-10 per cent of my clients. Now men make up 30 per cent of our client base
Dr Maurizio Viel,
London Centre for Aesthetic Surgery Gulf
Dr Maurizio Viel, a cosmetic surgeon at the London Centre for Aesthetic Surgery Gulf in Dubai Healthcare City, said demand for Botox from men had more than trebled.
“When I first started in 1990 in London, men accounted for around 5-10 per cent of my clients,” Dr Viel said.
“I moved to Dubai in 2008 and the numbers were already rising and now men make up at 30 per cent of our client base."
He runs the centre with his twin, Dr Robert Viel.
“It is a trend. Men look at how great their wives or girlfriends look and know it is safe," Dr Viel said.
“Women generally take better care of themselves here, and have a different lifestyle that is less gruelling so they have time for themselves in many cases.
“Now, more men are admitting among their Botox brothers that they are doing it, and that encourages other men to give it a go.”
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the neurotoxins used in the procedure typically take effect after about five days, but in some cases final results may not be apparent for up to 10 days after an injection.
To prepare for the treatment surgeons cleanse the area to be injected, then mark it with an eyeliner.
A numbing cream or ice pack can be used on the face before the desired muscles are injected.
Small bumps often appear at the injection site but these, along with mild bruising, usually disappear quickly ― after about 24-48 hours.
The effects usually last for between three and four months and typically cost from Dh1,500 per injection site.
Dr Viel said attitudes towards male cosmetic surgery had changed, with more pressure on men to look good.
“Twenty years ago if your dad had said he was going to moisturise his face you would have laughed at him, now everyone does it," he said.
“Men dyeing their hair was also stigmatised until quite recently, now it is normal.
“Men don’t want to transform, they just don’t want to age — we all want to look young for as long as possible.”
Most popular procedures
It is not only the desire to look good that motivates some men to choose Botox injections.
Some are turning to the toxin to relieve stress related issues like migraines or bruxism, a condition in which a person grinds, gnashes or clenches their teeth.
If severe enough, bruxism can lead to jaw disorders, headaches, damaged teeth and other problems.
As a treatment for bruxism, Botox works by freezing the masseter muscle responsible for jaw tension.
It relieves tension in facial muscles responsible for the paid and damage caused by the condition.
Dr Sanjay Parashar, a plastic surgeon at the Cocoona Centre of Aesthetic Transformation in Dubai, said the treatment was in demand.
“Men are under a lot of stress in this age, trying to balance work and families so these factors can develop into these kind of health problems,” he said.
“The most interesting trend in Botox is for migraine and tension headaches, particularly in men.
“We inject into the neck and shoulder muscles. It is also effective for those with bruxism.
"There are various stress factors or psychological pressures that cause these issues, so botulism can relax the muscles — it is a different use of Botox that we are finding more common for use in men.”
Other popular treatments requested by men include stem cell hair treatments for baldness, liposuction to remove fat from around the waist and flanks and male breast reductions.
“Men are a lot more open to explore the possibility of cosmetic surgery and discuss it with their friends,” said Dr Parashar.
“It is a trend we have seen steadily increase with demand for these kind of procedures.”
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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