At the time of writing, celebrity aesthetician and content creator Ian Michael Crumm has been quietly sparking online curiosity about his aesthetic journey on social media. No big reveal—just subtle hints, letting intrigue do the talking. Those close to him are in the know, and some of his followers are starting to connect the dots—especially with his coy mentions of “plastic surgery” in recent posts. Now, just over two months postprocedure and feeling “super confident,” Crumm is part of a broader trend quietly gaining momentum: more men are opting for plastic surgery and loving the results.
Featured Experts
- Ian Michael Crumm is a celebrity aesthetician and content creator
- Alan Durkin, MD is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Vero Beach, FL
- B. Aviva Preminger, MD is a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York
- David Shafer, MD is a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York
- Ira Savetsky, MD is a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York
Growing Trend
Crumm underwent Vaser Lipo 360, which is a more extensive form of liposuction that targets the entire midsection: the stomach, sides, back and chest, as he explains. After trying various noninvasive treatments to tackle stubborn midsection weight and feeling unsatisfied with the results, he spent six years contemplating his options. Eventually, he thought, “You’re not gonna stop thinking about this. Just do it; why wait?” And he’s far from alone. According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), liposuction was the most popular surgical procedure among men and women in 2023, with 24,728 men getting the procedure, making up 6.3 percent of all treatments.
The landscape is shifting, and liposuction isn’t the only in-office procedure catching men’s attention. According to ISAPS’s 2023 global report, eyelid surgery is the most popular surgical procedure among men. Plastic surgeons are noticing this trend, too. “For men, the face has always been the primary focus, with upper blepharoplasty being the number-one procedure,” says Vero Beach, FL plastic surgeon Alan Durkin, MD. Facelifts, he adds, are a “close second.”
However, these trends vary by age. New York plastic surgeon B. Aviva Preminger, MD describes the demographic split as “bimodal.” Younger men are coming in for preventive measures and specific aesthetic enhancements. “They take good care of themselves, but there are spot areas of fat that they can’t perfect on their own with diet and exercise, so they want liposuction,” she says. On the other hand, she explains that “older men are primarily addressing heavy brows or sagging necks.”
“What 50 used to look like is no longer what 50 looks like,” adds Dr. Preminger.
Competitive Edge
So what’s driving this surge in male cosmetic treatments across the board? No surprise here, but it all boils down to confidence. “Everyone wants to be photogenic, including men,” says New York plastic surgeon David Shafer, MD. “The pandemic and working from home gave people a lot of time to contemplate and look at themselves in the mirror and on Zoom. That, combined with not returning to the office full-time, men want to look their best.”
But, most men aren’t making these decisions on a whim. According to Dr. Durkin, they’re doing their research, often gathering information online. “They might be misinformed, but they’re well-informed,” he says. While women tend to be “more open and communicative about the procedures they want and have had,” Dr. Shafer notes that “for men, it’s often a more personal decision-making process” that stays within the privacy of the doctor’s office.
Here, Crumm’s Vaser liposuction results are shown before and 10 weeks after the procedure, which was performed by New York City plastic surgeon Ira Savetsky, MD.
Head to Toe
As quiet as the boom in men’s plastic surgery might be, the statistics tell a different story: More men are embracing procedures from head to toe. “In 2023, facelifts grew 17 percent, nose reshaping increased 10 percent and eyelid surgery rose 9 percent for men,” the 2023 American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) Procedural Statistics Release reports. While Crumm suggests men are becoming more open to plastic surgery, the trend largely remains under the radar. “I don’t have a single male facelift review on any website,” says Dr. Durkin, who has performed many of them.
There’s going to be a big surge coming down the pike in the next two or three years—a lot of male tummy tucks.
Dr. Shafer
The future of plastic surgery is poised for a major transformation. Dr. Durkin envisions men’s cosmetic procedures becoming “radically mainstream.” He explains that today’s 30-year-olds are starting with treatments like lasers, biostimulatory fillers and neurotoxin injections, which could significantly reduce the need for facelifts by the time they reach 60. “What 50 used to look like is no longer what 50 looks like,” adds Dr. Preminger.
A significant shift is also on the horizon due to the popularity of GLP-1 drugs. Dr. Shafer points out that the “unintended consequence of loose skin” from rapid weight loss is likely to drive an increase in breast and body surgery for men. Dr. Durkin agrees, comparing the impact of GLP-1 agonists to “throwing gasoline on a raging bonfire.” He predicts a major surge in demand for these procedures. Dr. Shafer’s clinics are already seeing a rise in noninvasive requests like NuEra radio-frequency skin tightening, along with surgical options such as Renuvion plasma skin tightening. He also expects an uptick in surgery: “There’s going to be a big surge coming down the pike in the next two or three years—a lot of male tummy tucks.”
Turning Tide
While men still make up a smaller portion of the cosmetic surgery world, the cultural shift is undeniable, especially on social media. A growing number of content creators like Crumm are embracing radical honesty. He’s not just joining a more accepting community; he’s building one where men can openly share their experiences without judgment. “There’s a difference between privacy and dishonesty,” Crumm says. “If someone is having a procedure done and being private about it? Amazing. But I think the idea of gatekeeping is starting to go away. I don’t feel comfortable with just emerging six months after my surgery and saying, ‘I’ve been working out a lot!’ It’s like, ‘No, I’ve been working out and I had surgery.’”
Plastic surgeons are catching up to this shift, too. Their mission? To make men more comfortable with cosmetic procedures. “We’ve started by dedicating rooms to male procedures and adding more male staff,” says Dr. Shafer. (Cue the visuals of man-cave-style spaces for men.) This change is just beginning. “Men entering the plastic surgery arena is quite new,” adds Dr. Shafer, but it’s on the rise. “The reality is that women have had a significant advantage in how they age and the tools they use to do so compared to men,” explains Dr. Durkin. “It was inevitable that men would catch up.”
As more men embrace these procedures, the playing field is leveling out, marking a new era in cosmetic surgery—one where confidence knows no gender. While cosmetic surgery has long been predominantly female, men are stepping up, rewriting the rules, and showing that aging gracefully is for everyone.