I knew that I had wonky eyebrows. But now I also know that I can masculinise my jaw and smooth my acne scars and “freshen” the bags under my eyes. “It would give you better structure, better angulation, better contour,” Dr Tom Cryan told me.
Cryan, who works at Thérapie Clinic in Malahide, Co Dublin, used the word “angulation” several times during my consultation. He also used words such as “fresh”, “natural”, “subtle”.
Apparently this is what men are after: “They want to find a way to maintain a fresher, more youthful appearance, but in a really natural and subtle way.”
Up to 20 per cent of Thérapie Clinic’s clients are men — the figure has doubled in the past three years — and across Ireland, men make up a significant proportion of the top cosmetic spenders.
Cryan was quick to stress that he wouldn’t advise treatment at my age (23), though preventative “Baby Botox” was in vogue. If we pretended I was 30? Or 40? Cheeks. Eyebrows. Forehead. Jaw. Under the eyes. Even the crinkles on my nose.
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“Brotox” shows no sign of slowing down after “dramatic” growth, said Brian Cotter, co-founder of Sisu Clinic. “Ten years ago, it was maybe single digits for guys coming in. Now they are about 18 to 20 per cent of all our patients.”
Sean, 42, who works in media, likened his top-ups to “getting a haircut”. Every three months, he returns to tackle the holy trinity of ageing — frown lines, forehead, crow’s feet. “I started off in my early thirties and I know I’m never going to look 21 again,” he said. “It’s about looking good, less tired and jaded . . . fresh.” He spends anywhere from a few hundred to a thousand euros.
“One patient describes getting his Botox done as that feeling of wearing a new suit,” Cotter said. “You have guys from their late twenties right up to men in their mid-sixties. I’ve had fathers-of-brides who wanted to look their best walking their daughter down the aisle.”
The pandemic had driven growth, he said. Time spent on Zoom calls was the tipping point for many men. More recently, he pointed to a shift in the conversation. “I think the stigma with it is gone,” he said. “For the male patient in five years’ time, you’ll look at your friends and they’ll either have considered the treatment, had the treatment, or be having it.”
Sisu has three clinics in London, six in America, 17 in Ireland, and Cotter thinks there is still room for growth.
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The business model is compelling. Everyone has insecurities and cosmetic treatment provides a safe solution — and one that always needs topping-up. A typical Botox treatment for the forehead and under-eyes will cost about €300 and will wear off after three months.
Ronan Butler, clinical director of Amara Clinic in Dublin, said that even though men made up only 15 per cent of patients, they were among his biggest spenders. “Seven of our top 50 clients for this year are male,” he said.
Cryan said that as it was so lucrative a “wild west” of unregulated treatments had sprung up. Botox is licensed only to doctors and dentists, but dermal fillers are an “implantable device” and available to all. The risks of poor quality treatment were “significant”, Cryan warned. “There’s an art to it,” he said, comparing my eyebrows.
