George’s quest for maximum hirsuteness isn’t as unusual as it may sound. He’s part of a growing group of “retrosexuals”—men who shun metrosexuality, with its often feminine esthetic, in favor of old-school masculinity. Cosmetic and hair-transplant surgeons on both coasts report increases in patients seeking a more rugged look: hairier chests and beards, squarer chins, more angular jaw lines. Dr. Paul Nassif, a well-known Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, has noticed the change in the photos patients bring in to show him their ideal image. A few years ago “they were bringing in a pretty-boy look,” he says. Now, though, the requests are different: " ‘Give me a big, strong, manlier chin’," he says.
Among hair-transplant specialists, the vast majority of their patients continue to be men hoping to combat balding and receding hairlines. But in recent years, those seeking facial and chest implants have increased. According to the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, facial-hair transplants in the United States jumped from 765 procedures in 2004 to 1,189 in 2006. Epstein, the Miami doctor, has done 10 facial and chest procedures in the past 18 months—double the rate in previous periods. On the cosmetic front, some surgeons say that men are also asserting their manliness through rhinoplasty, or nose jobs, asking for a more pronounced proboscis. Among them is Mike Love, 20, of Arizona. Last year he underwent surgery to pare down what he considered an oversize snout and to achieve “facial harmony,” as he puts it. But what he ended up with, he says, was “too small, almost feminine.” So Love now has a second surgery scheduled for November. He’s much happier with the new version of his nose that he’s been promised. “It looks more masculine,” he says. “It’s much more suited for my face.” Unless, of course, the next fad to sweep in causes him to reconsider.
