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More men going under the knife

George Clooney and his new wife Amal Alamuddin. Photo: Getty

More and more Australian men are adopting a new mantra, if it's good enough for George Clooney, it's good enough for them.

They'd be the men now making up 20 percent of the patients walking into cosmetic surgery clinics to have work done.

A figure that's doubled in five years.

Charlie Napoletano may not seem like your typical cosmetic surgery candidate. But he is.

He told 7News: “You get a new lease on life and I mean all you need is a bit of a kickstart and that result gave me the kickstart I was looking for.”

The 63 year old had liposuction around his chest and stomach, and was awake for the entire three hour procedure.

He's not alone, with more men than ever before willing to go under the knife to achieve a younger new look.

Dr Mitchell King from Cosmos Clinic says: “There's a pressure among men of all ages to have a certain look, and people are finding it difficult to achieve that through exercise and diet alone, so they want that little help.”

Currently, the most common cosmetic procedures for men are liposuction, rhinoplasty or nose jobs, eyelid surgery, ear shaping or otoplasty, and the removal of excess breast tissue to treat gynescomastia, or man boobs.

Australian plastic surgeons are reporting a jump in the number of men getting work done.

While in the US, the number of cosmetic procedures performed for men has skyrocketed 107 percent in the last 17 years.

According to surgeons, men are asking for operations for two reasons - to look good, and stay competitive in the job market.

Charlie's so pleased with his results, he'd consider undergoing more.

“It's all about feeling good and healthy, if you can achieve that out of it, that's good,” he said.

Something all patients must consider - no surgery is without risk.

We live in a culture where youth and beauty are highly valued, even for men.

Given current trends in cosmetic surgery, the demand for these types of elective procedures will continue to grow.

In the coming decades, it's predicted the next growth market will be among seniors, who will make up 20 percent of the Australian population.

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