Brotox: Why More Men Are Seeking Non-surgical Aesthetic Treatments.
June 02, 2025“Our practices are used to advertising and drawing female patients, but as an industry, we need to make sure we’re catering to this growing market of men.”
~ Sean McNally, MD, PhD, in an interview with Healio.
Is there a growing market of men interested in non-surgical aesthetic treatments?
Let’s answer that with statistics. According to 2023 statistics released by the American Society of Plastic Surgery, males receiving Botox grew by 5.6% from 2022. But that’s just a sliver of a larger trend.
In fact, male participation in aesthetic treatments has grown substantially since 2000 (by 65%)! Women still dominate the market, representing around 85% of all aesthetic patients. Males now account for 15%, but that is most likely to grow.
Why is the “Brotox” trend likely to continue?
There are several diverse factors for the Brotox trend. Changing attitudes, a decrease in social stigmas, an increase in the affordability of minimally invasive procedures, etc.
However, Dr. Sean McNally highlights two specific factors.
The Zoom Effect. Remember in 2020, when the COVID pandemic hit and we all had to work over Zoom? It turns out that looking at ourselves for several hours each day can diminish our self-image.
There have been multiple studies on this strange phenomenon. However, one of the early studies surveyed over 300 adults. They measured their video call usage and whether or not they engaged in video manipulation techniques. Over one-third of participants identified new concerns regarding their appearance. These participants correlated with having to spend more time on video calls.
Some of you may still be using Zoom, while others discarded it as soon as possible. But the Zoom Effect is here to stay.
The age of selfies and social media. In one of our previous blogs, “Tweakments: minimally invasive procedures for maximum client satisfaction,” we explored how social media is changing the aesthetic medicine industry.
To summarize, Gen Z (people born between 1996 and 2012) has entered the market younger than other generations.
Dr. McNally notes that the majority of women patients range from their 40s to their 50s. However, men are seeking Botox and fillers in their 20s and 30s.
What are the Major Differences Between Male Botox and Female Botox?
For starters, the injection areas. Men are more likely to seek Botox for the nasolabial folds and midface. The nasolabial folds are those wrinkles running from the nose to the edges of the lips. They are commonly called smile lines or laugh lines. The midface deals with crow’s feet and wrinkles under the eyes.
Secondly, their end goals are different. Women’s eyebrows tend to be higher and more arched. And when we treat them, we want to accentuate that shape. But men have thicker, flatter eyebrows, and they would look like Spock if we did that to them. So it is best to use a balanced approach.
Finally, the musculature is different, meaning men will need a slightly higher dose. Dr. McNally recommends starting with a dose that is 20% higher than your standard dosing for women. Be sure to adjust the dosage according to the patient.
Of course, everyone is different, and we want to satisfy their unique goals!
Learn how to satisfy your clients with our training courses!