It was refreshing to see some “airtime” (page space) devoted to aesthetic procedures for men (“What Men Want,” PSP, February 2006, pages 20–26). Certainly, the huge boom in males seeking cosmetic procedures over the past 10 years or so cannot be ignored. However, I was disappointed upon reading the article to learn that Dr Bitar neglected to mention the most popular cosmetic procedure among men: hair transplantation.
Data recently released by the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery1 clearly show that hair transplantation was the most popular aesthetic surgical procedure among men, overshadowing liposuction by about 250% and blepharoplasty by more than 400%. I think that most men will agree that the biggest “bang” for their aesthetic “buck” will be the youthful vitality (visible from across the room, I might add) that a full head of hair provides.
Today’s ultrarefined follicular-unit hair-transplantation techniques, combined with medications (such as finasteride, which essentially halts or reverses hair loss in 90% of male patients2), can be used to safely, effectively, and comfortably restore a youthful, 100% natural hairline and scalp coverage in the vast majority of patients. I can’t help imagining what the 62-year-old patient on page 24 would look like with a more youthful hairline in addition to the excellent blepharoplasty results he has already obtained—if he were only given the opportunity to turn the clock back a “hair.”
1. American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery. Procedural census 2005. Available at: http://www.cosmeticsurgery.org/media/aacs%202005%20procedural%20stats.pdf Accessed April 10, 2006.
2. International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery. Five-year Propecia® (finasteride) study. Available at: http://www.ishrs.org/articles/ propecia-study.htm Accessed April 10, 2006.
The author replies:
I agree that hair transplantation is an important part of male rejuvenation. My article featured some of the more common procedures that I perform at the Bitar Cosmetic Surgery Institute. I do not perform hair transplantation, and I welcome articles on that topic by physicians who perform it.
It was refreshing to see some “airtime” (page space) devoted to aesthetic procedures for men (“What Men Want,” PSP, February 2006, pages 20–26). Certainly, the huge boom in males seeking cosmetic procedures over the past 10 years or so cannot be ignored. However, I was disappointed upon reading the article to learn that Dr Bitar neglected to mention the most popular cosmetic procedure among men: hair transplantation. 
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