Why Men are Calling Cosmetic Procedures “Maintenance” Rather than Surgery

For years, cosmetic procedures have largely been discussed through the language of surgery. Men, however, are increasingly finding different ways to talk about changing their appearance.

“Maintenance”, “Brotox” and “facial harmonisation” have become increasingly familiar terms in conversations around male aesthetic treatments, reflecting a shift in how men approach cosmetic medicine. The focus is often less on having “work done” and more on looking rested, defined or refreshed without appearing as though anything has been done at all.

That distinction is becoming particularly visible as celebrities and public figures fuel conversations around male appearance. The reported facial changes of Real Madrid winger Vinícius Júnior, including claims of chin harmonisation following the 2026 FIFA Club World Cup, are one recent example of how quickly discussions around male aesthetics can enter the mainstream.

For Professor Chrysis Sofianos, Academic Head of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of the Witwatersrand, the terminology itself is revealing.

“‘Harmonisation’ has been part of aesthetic medicine for years,” he says. “What’s changed is where we hear it. Language that once stayed inside consulting rooms now appears in headlines, on social media and in everyday conversation. That tells us something about how male patients are becoming more comfortable talking about aesthetic medicine.”

Rather than walking into a consultation asking specifically for a facelift or rhinoplasty, men may describe the result they want instead.

They may want to look less tired, sharpen their jawline, restore facial definition or simply maintain their existing appearance as they age.

For Sofianos, that distinction is important because the language a patient uses does not necessarily determine the treatment they need.

His role is to understand the desired outcome, assess the patient's anatomy and explain which options, if any, are appropriate. Depending on the individual, that could include non-surgical treatments such as fillers or biostimulators, or surgical procedures including rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty and gynaecomastia correction.

The growing vocabulary around male aesthetics therefore does not necessarily mean men are all seeking the same treatments. Instead, it may indicate that they are becoming more comfortable discussing appearance on their own terms.

International data suggests that this interest is growing.

According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery's Global Survey, men accounted for 16.1% of surgical cosmetic procedures performed worldwide in 2024, up from 14.3% in the previous year. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons has also documented the continued popularity of botulinum toxin treatments among men, with the informal term “Brotox” becoming part of the wider cultural conversation.

Among male patients, the lower face is often a particular focus.

The chin and jawline can significantly influence the overall balance and perceived structure of the face, which helps explain why terms such as “jawline definition” and “chin harmonisation” have become increasingly common.

Research into facial perception has found that people form impressions of characteristics such as confidence, leadership and social dominance extremely quickly, with facial structure contributing to those first impressions.

“For many male patients, the lower face plays a significant role in overall facial balance,” Sofianos explains. “Improving projection or definition can subtly improve overall facial balance without making someone look like a different person. That’s one of the reasons this area comes up so frequently during consultations.”

The desire for a stronger jawline is therefore not necessarily about wanting to transform one's appearance completely. For some patients, it is about making a relatively subtle adjustment that changes the way the face is perceived as a whole.

This is also where the language of “harmonisation” becomes useful.

The term describes an intended aesthetic outcome rather than a specific procedure. It could refer to changes made through fillers, fat grafting or an implant, among other approaches, depending on the patient's anatomy and objectives.

“When a patient asks me about facial harmonisation, that’s simply the starting point for the consultation,” says Sofianos. “My responsibility is to assess the anatomy behind the appearance they’re hoping to change.”

That assessment can include skeletal projection, occlusion, chin position, soft tissue volume and skin quality before determining whether a patient could benefit from treatment.

In some cases, the appropriate recommendation may be a procedure. In others, it may be a different treatment altogether, or no treatment at all.

The growing visibility of male aesthetic medicine also raises a more complicated question: where does personal choice end and appearance pressure begin?

Social media has made it easier than ever to compare faces, bodies and lifestyles, while celebrity appearances can create new expectations around what men are supposed to look like.

The danger is that subtle language can make cosmetic procedures sound almost entirely consequence-free. Calling a treatment “maintenance” may make it feel more like a routine grooming appointment than a medical decision, even though the underlying procedure may still involve medical risks, costs and recovery.

That makes the consultation particularly important.

A patient may arrive with a specific aesthetic goal inspired by a photograph, celebrity or social media trend, but the treatment that produces the desired result may not be immediately obvious.

The growing popularity of terms such as “maintenance” and “harmonisation” may therefore tell us as much about changing attitudes towards masculinity as it does about aesthetic medicine itself.

Men are increasingly able to discuss appearance without necessarily framing the conversation around vanity. Looking younger, more rested or more defined can instead be presented as part of grooming, confidence or professional presentation.

The vocabulary is changing because the conversation is changing.

“Five years from now there will almost certainly be new terms describing procedures we’ve been performing for decades,” Sofianos says. “The vocabulary will evolve. Human anatomy won’t. That’s why every treatment still begins with the same careful assessment it always has.”