Sept. 25, 2006 Issue
Periscope - Trends in Plastic Surgery
Joe, 55, suggested to his wife, Marsha, 51, that they get a little work done on vacation—and he wasn't talking about business, but brow lifts. "After he decided to have the surgery, I figured I might as well get some done, too," Marsha explains. So the couple, who asked not to use their last name because friends are unaware of the procedures, flew across the country for a nip here and a tuck there to Dr Andrew Jacono.
Joe and Marsha are among the growing number of couples scheduling surgery together, according to the latest study by the American Academy of Facial Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery. Thirty-seven percent of surgeons have performed more couples' cosmetic procedures (including Botox injections) than they did last year.
Recovering together, says Dr. Andrew Jacono, a cosmetic surgeon in Great Neck, N.Y., "provides psychological support—someone to share the experience and pain with." The trend reflects men's attitudes. "When I first started my practice, men were 3 to 5 percent of patients. Now they're 20 to 25 percent, many of them coming in with significant others," says Dr. Ira Papel, president of the AAFPRS. "No one wants their spouse to look 10 years younger than they do."
—Chrissy Balz
