Over the last two years, there’s been a dramatic increase in the number of men seeking Botox and other cosmetic injectable treatments… And it seems male celebrities aren’t immune from this trend either.

DMARGE spoke with Jelena Vucica Shah, cosmetic injectable expert and founder of The Cosmetic Lounge, who’s shared that just as she’s seen a spike in men in her clinics seeking Brotox, she’s noticed a few high-profile male celebrities have decided to get up, close and personal with some needles lately too.

“I have noticed in some of his videos Justin Bieber doesn’t have much movement in some areas of the face, which suggests he’s had some fine-tuning with anti-wrinkle injections. It just goes to show that no matter how young you are, people including men still feel the need to tweak their face,” she relates.

“Another favourite man of mine is Brad Pitt. No doubt he’s been blessed with some good genes, but I do think he has had a tweak of filler and anti-wrinkle treatments to help the ageing process. It’s just been done so subtly you wouldn’t pick it.”

Australian celebrities have been getting on board with Brotox, too: “Keith Urban, Jack Vidgen and Anthony Callea are obvious fans of cosmetic procedures but I’ve always wondered if celebs like Chris Hemsworth or Hugh Jackman have it done on a regular basis or have ever tried it,” Jelena speculates.

“Most clients that work on TV have often asked for it to be natural looking so it’s not obvious. They just want that fresh glow but still want movement… To be honest, I think most male celebs have had it done.”

Jelena Vucica Shah

We asked Jelena why she thinks so many male celebs are pursuing cosmetic procedures these days, and for her, it’s a bit of a no-brainer:

“Having non-invasive procedures that work so well in such little time, take little effort and have no down time, gives male celebs more reason to have these treatments done.”

Jelena Vucica Shah

“It gives them the confidence to compete in such a highly glamorous industry. Looks (aside from talent) is everything when it comes to Hollywood. People idolise beautiful people and there is increasing competition among men to look good.”

It’s not just Hollywood where there’s increasing competition. We spoke with Dr Josh Wall, one of Australia’s best-known cosmetic doctors and Medical Director at Contour Clinics, who explained how the rise of video calls thanks to COVID has meant there’s more pressure on men than ever to look their best in the workplace.

“We have patients seeing us before a job interview – specifically for the interview – and they are driven by that reason, particularly if they are middle-aged and beyond… It seems as though ageism is on the rise in the workplace. People are more aware now than ever before of how they present physically, no matter how qualified they are to do the job.”

Dr Josh Wall

While some male celebrities are open about getting work done (take Jimmy Carr’s candour about his hair transplant, for example) and cosmetic procedures have never been more acceptable in society, most male celebs are still not very forthcoming when it comes to talking about cosmetic procedures.

At a time when so many men struggle with their body image and we’re being held to increasingly unrealistic body image standards, this is actually rather harmful.

“I think celebs often don’t tell the truth when it comes to cosmetic procedures. I’ve seen so many deny it, but it’s obvious they’ve had it done – especially when it comes to blokes,” Jelena says.

“I think if more men were honest about what they have done, it would encourage other men to have more and more treatments and not be so shy about it. Fortunately, social acceptance [for Brotox] is continually increasing.”

Jelena Vucica Shah

“Being honest about cosmetic procedures allows men to understand that it’s ok to get a little help as you age. It inspires men to look their best which makes them feel better about themselves. We not only want women to feel good in their own skin but men also.”

“It can be deceiving when celebs aren’t honest about having treatments done because we can compare ourselves to them without knowing they’ve actually had stuff done,” she concludes.