danya
March 11th, 2004, 04:18 PM
by Rome Jorge
Say penile enlargement. It is the stuff of bawdy jokes and spam emails. Male breast reductions, hair transplants and laser beard removals are all difficult for the common Juan to talk about with a straight face for long.
Clarity’s offices are well maintained and aesthetically pleasing
Yet there is a serious stigma to those bothered by weathered looks or inherited shortcomings. Receding hairlines, flabby stomachs, crooked teeth and short penises can be emasculating. And pampering one’s self with cosmetic surgery and dermatological treatments is certain to raise more than a few eyebrows in this macho and conservative country. But we live in the age of liposuctions, microdermabrasions and botox injections. We have the technology to make the man. You can now do something about it.
Cosmetic surgery and dermatology clinics have long been the domain of women. But in the age of the metrosexual, men have begun to learn a thing or two from their better half. We have the good fortune of living in a country blessed with medical professionals more competent than most and medical fees half as much as those in Europe or America. And yet there is still some reservation among the ranks of men to brave the puny cuts and pricks of a surgeon.
Walking in, checking out
According to Dr. Carolyn Banzon, Clinic Manager of Clarity Aesthetics and Laser Center, most men who come to their clinic do so in the company of a friend, a brother or a spouse - as opposed to women who often have the balls to go in alone. But while women first visit to simply inquire and browse, most men come armed with research, referrals, and premeditated intent. Trepidation results in much forethought. Despite themselves, men constitute, at times, up to 60 percent of the Clarity clinic’s business.
Dr. Banzon notes that their male patients can be as young as a 20-year-old Atenean who gets a skin-smoothening microdermabrasion every month, or a businessman in his 40’s who came all the way from Iloilo for a nose job. Cosmetic surgery clinics cater to the well-to-do and the upper middle class, as treatments can cost as little as P 2,800 for the microdermabrasion to as much as P60,000 for hair transplants. Curiously, celebrities, known to be difficult, stingy, and self-important clients, are a rarity at the Clarity clinic.
Most patients are single and want to be more attractive to the opposite sex. They often have treatments done that are part of a concerted effort in self-improvement that includes fitness gym programs, fashion makeovers and spas. Some are egged on by wives, girlfriends, and lovers. A clear majority are heterosexuals. Most popular cosmetic operations are those to improve the nose, the eyelids, and to reduce the fat. Men favor operations with little downtime and quick recovery periods. All patients thus far have been very satisfied and quite a number have brought friends and family for treatment. And yet, despite the presence of Beverly Hills trained Dr. Patrick de Leon, none so far have had any penile enlargements.
More or less
With penile enlargement, one of the ligaments that attach the penis to the pelvis is cut, causing the penis to protrude anywhere from half an inch to two inches further when erect. Releasing this suspensor ligament affects the angle of erection, making it more horizontal. The operation takes several hours and is done with local anesthesia. The point of incision is at the root of the penis and any scar will be hidden by pubic hair. Swelling and bruising are to be expected for two weeks after. Strenuous work is avoided for two weeks and sex for four. Weighted tractions are used on the penis during post operation to further stretch the shaft.
To widen the girth of the penis skin, grafts from the groin or fat transplants from the lower abdomen are used. Groin skin is used for grafts to match the color of that in the shaft. Fifty percent of any transplanted fat is reabsorbed into the body within one to two months. Therefore, doctors over-correct and pack more than enough gristle into the organ at the start.
Penis sensitivity is unchanged as neither penile lengthening or thickening affects the nerves. Risks include scaring and infection. Penile lengthening alone will cost P 65,000; and when coupled with girth increase, will cost P80,000.
By far the most popular cosmetic surgery for men is rhinoplasty, the nose job. Most Filipinos opt for a narrower, straighter, and less flared nose. It can also correct a birth defect or injury. The operation lasts no more than two hours and is a quick outpatient procedure. It costs P 30,000.
Another often requested procedure is blepharoplasty or eyelid surgery. Aside from removing eye bags, the procedure can also lessen the fatty upper eyelids of Oriental eyes. It costs P 40,000.
Liposuction removes exercise-resistant fat deposits with a vacuum tube. From “love handles” to “male breasts,” liposuction does the trick. With a sensible diet and proper exercise, the results are permanent. Liposuction costs P40,000 for the initial area and succeeding areas cost P20,000.
Botox injections paralyze and relax targeted muscles to create a smoother, wrinkle-free skin. It is a neurotoxin and effects last from three to six months. Each vial costs P 350 with an average facial procedure totaling P 6,000.
Microdermabrasion is all the rage, especially with the harsh summer sunlight. It is a mechanical exfoliation of dead skin using a high-speed rotary wheel buff. The effects are immediate, dramatic and tangible. It can minor pimple scars as well. Most microdermabrasion customers come back monthly with each session costing P 2,800.
Laser hair removals can make ingrown beard stubbles below the chin a thing of the past. Such a procedure costs P 3,000.
As without, so within
But why would anyone pay to let scalpels, needles, grinding wheels, and laser beams touch the most intimate organs or the most public parts of their person? Most Filipino men who undergo cosmetic surgery do so to feel good about themselves. Knowing they have done all they can to improve themselves boosts their self-confidence. As with the body, so too with the mind and heart. Dr. Banzon advises, “Don’t be afraid to do things to help your self-esteem.”
To consider cosmetic surgery is to draw the line on what can be enhanced and what should be accepted as ourselves. It calls to question our motivations for looking good and the worth of our self-improvement. What and whom we measure ourselves against and which eyes we aim to please reveal much about ourselves. Our quest for re-invention begs the question: what leads and what follows, the body or the attitude?
A grown man has had all his life to accept his own body: peculiarities, deficiencies, et al. If at this age something still bothers him or feels ripe for improvement, then there is the technology and the expertise to better himself. The cost is for him to measure.
from the manilatimes.net
Say penile enlargement. It is the stuff of bawdy jokes and spam emails. Male breast reductions, hair transplants and laser beard removals are all difficult for the common Juan to talk about with a straight face for long.
Clarity’s offices are well maintained and aesthetically pleasing
Yet there is a serious stigma to those bothered by weathered looks or inherited shortcomings. Receding hairlines, flabby stomachs, crooked teeth and short penises can be emasculating. And pampering one’s self with cosmetic surgery and dermatological treatments is certain to raise more than a few eyebrows in this macho and conservative country. But we live in the age of liposuctions, microdermabrasions and botox injections. We have the technology to make the man. You can now do something about it.
Cosmetic surgery and dermatology clinics have long been the domain of women. But in the age of the metrosexual, men have begun to learn a thing or two from their better half. We have the good fortune of living in a country blessed with medical professionals more competent than most and medical fees half as much as those in Europe or America. And yet there is still some reservation among the ranks of men to brave the puny cuts and pricks of a surgeon.
Walking in, checking out
According to Dr. Carolyn Banzon, Clinic Manager of Clarity Aesthetics and Laser Center, most men who come to their clinic do so in the company of a friend, a brother or a spouse - as opposed to women who often have the balls to go in alone. But while women first visit to simply inquire and browse, most men come armed with research, referrals, and premeditated intent. Trepidation results in much forethought. Despite themselves, men constitute, at times, up to 60 percent of the Clarity clinic’s business.
Dr. Banzon notes that their male patients can be as young as a 20-year-old Atenean who gets a skin-smoothening microdermabrasion every month, or a businessman in his 40’s who came all the way from Iloilo for a nose job. Cosmetic surgery clinics cater to the well-to-do and the upper middle class, as treatments can cost as little as P 2,800 for the microdermabrasion to as much as P60,000 for hair transplants. Curiously, celebrities, known to be difficult, stingy, and self-important clients, are a rarity at the Clarity clinic.
Most patients are single and want to be more attractive to the opposite sex. They often have treatments done that are part of a concerted effort in self-improvement that includes fitness gym programs, fashion makeovers and spas. Some are egged on by wives, girlfriends, and lovers. A clear majority are heterosexuals. Most popular cosmetic operations are those to improve the nose, the eyelids, and to reduce the fat. Men favor operations with little downtime and quick recovery periods. All patients thus far have been very satisfied and quite a number have brought friends and family for treatment. And yet, despite the presence of Beverly Hills trained Dr. Patrick de Leon, none so far have had any penile enlargements.
More or less
With penile enlargement, one of the ligaments that attach the penis to the pelvis is cut, causing the penis to protrude anywhere from half an inch to two inches further when erect. Releasing this suspensor ligament affects the angle of erection, making it more horizontal. The operation takes several hours and is done with local anesthesia. The point of incision is at the root of the penis and any scar will be hidden by pubic hair. Swelling and bruising are to be expected for two weeks after. Strenuous work is avoided for two weeks and sex for four. Weighted tractions are used on the penis during post operation to further stretch the shaft.
To widen the girth of the penis skin, grafts from the groin or fat transplants from the lower abdomen are used. Groin skin is used for grafts to match the color of that in the shaft. Fifty percent of any transplanted fat is reabsorbed into the body within one to two months. Therefore, doctors over-correct and pack more than enough gristle into the organ at the start.
Penis sensitivity is unchanged as neither penile lengthening or thickening affects the nerves. Risks include scaring and infection. Penile lengthening alone will cost P 65,000; and when coupled with girth increase, will cost P80,000.
By far the most popular cosmetic surgery for men is rhinoplasty, the nose job. Most Filipinos opt for a narrower, straighter, and less flared nose. It can also correct a birth defect or injury. The operation lasts no more than two hours and is a quick outpatient procedure. It costs P 30,000.
Another often requested procedure is blepharoplasty or eyelid surgery. Aside from removing eye bags, the procedure can also lessen the fatty upper eyelids of Oriental eyes. It costs P 40,000.
Liposuction removes exercise-resistant fat deposits with a vacuum tube. From “love handles” to “male breasts,” liposuction does the trick. With a sensible diet and proper exercise, the results are permanent. Liposuction costs P40,000 for the initial area and succeeding areas cost P20,000.
Botox injections paralyze and relax targeted muscles to create a smoother, wrinkle-free skin. It is a neurotoxin and effects last from three to six months. Each vial costs P 350 with an average facial procedure totaling P 6,000.
Microdermabrasion is all the rage, especially with the harsh summer sunlight. It is a mechanical exfoliation of dead skin using a high-speed rotary wheel buff. The effects are immediate, dramatic and tangible. It can minor pimple scars as well. Most microdermabrasion customers come back monthly with each session costing P 2,800.
Laser hair removals can make ingrown beard stubbles below the chin a thing of the past. Such a procedure costs P 3,000.
As without, so within
But why would anyone pay to let scalpels, needles, grinding wheels, and laser beams touch the most intimate organs or the most public parts of their person? Most Filipino men who undergo cosmetic surgery do so to feel good about themselves. Knowing they have done all they can to improve themselves boosts their self-confidence. As with the body, so too with the mind and heart. Dr. Banzon advises, “Don’t be afraid to do things to help your self-esteem.”
To consider cosmetic surgery is to draw the line on what can be enhanced and what should be accepted as ourselves. It calls to question our motivations for looking good and the worth of our self-improvement. What and whom we measure ourselves against and which eyes we aim to please reveal much about ourselves. Our quest for re-invention begs the question: what leads and what follows, the body or the attitude?
A grown man has had all his life to accept his own body: peculiarities, deficiencies, et al. If at this age something still bothers him or feels ripe for improvement, then there is the technology and the expertise to better himself. The cost is for him to measure.
from the manilatimes.net