Inject it (Picture: Getty/Shutterstock)

Fantastic and plastic.

Growing numbers of men have been trying cosmetic treatments for the first time since the pandemic.

The UK grooming market is now estimated to be worth £500million, while the American Society of Plastic Surgeons notes that ‘Brotox’ (aka bro/boy Botox) has risen by 400% since 2000.

Now, a new wave are said to be coming in off the back of the Barbie movie.

Barbie has influenced beauty trends, with one salon saying blonde enquiries are up 83%, but at the more dramatic end of the spectrum, data from salon software platform Fresha found there has been a 508% year-on-year increase in the number of Barbie-inspired services offered by salons.

And who can forget the man who spent £800k on plastic surgery to look like a Ken Doll, having over 1,000 procedures.

Shelly Woods, advanced aesthetics practitioner and founder of Skin Techniques, warns not to trust salons promoting ‘Barbie inspired’ treatments and ‘steer clear’ of these practices.

‘Ken can be seen as an icon of the ideal male body,’ she says.

‘The knock-on effect of this is that many men look to have aesthetic treatments like Brotox to improve their image. 

‘A qualified practitioner will go through your medical history in great detail and discuss your desired results and will have no problem saying “no”.

‘Beauty Salons have been capitalising on the craze across the beauty industry.’

Beyond the mental health and safety concerns, Brotox is on the rise. Some are concerns, others say it’s really no big deal.

‘There has been a huge surge in Brotox treatment from Gen Z males having “glow up” injections,’ Shelly adds.

‘Previously, the male clientele for Botox were older and looking to turn back the hands of time by smoothing wrinkles of the face as a result of ageing.

‘Now it’s about sculpting and defining the face. For Gen Z, Botox has become another way to personalise the way they look – it’s now treated like a haircut or hair colour. I’m seeing this in clients more and more.

‘As the trends change, young people are the ones leading those trends on platforms like TikTok and influencing the new standard.’

Gen Z males are ‘more aware now than ever’ of how they present aesthetically, and Shelly went from having around 2% of her clients as men to now 10% – and it’s increasing.

‘There’s now a huge pressure on men to stay healthy and fresh, looking to convey a certain “ideal” that they see on celebrities, influencers, films and on their social media pages,’ she says.

Interestingly, a recent study in the UK, though mostly done on women with a smaller percentage of men (reflective of how fewer men get work done than women), found 79% of respondents experienced an adverse event after their procedure.

Bad experiences included anxiety, panic attacks, and depression.

Why this is, the study doesn’t explore – but it highlights that simply having work done isn’t a fix-all.

Shelly says of the findings: ‘It’s evident that some men can suffer with side effects such as anxiety and panic attacks after having Botox. Women can also struggle in the same way.  

‘To help prevent any complications like this, it is imperative Botox is administered correctly using the licensed dose.’

On the flip side, other research in the past has found Botox can dampen negative emotions in people with borderline personality disorder, who suffer from extreme mood swings, Shelly notes.

Brotox is on the rise, with the Barbie film perhaps being just one of the many reasons as to why – but we still have to ask:is it making people any happier, or will we never feel ‘Kenough’?

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MORE : ‘It’s never just about vanity’: How Botox, filler and cosmetic surgery became so normal

‘Ken can be seen as an icon of the ideal male body.’