Why ARE so many men going under the knife?

There was a time when the only things that made Gordon Ramsay’s face puff out and his hair stand on end was the sight of a soggy soufflé.

But last week, as the celebrity chef went on a New Year’s walk with his friends the Beckhams, there was another reason for his unusual appearance.

Ramsay, the Rottweiler of the kitchen, has undergone a £30,000 hair transplant to thicken his thinning pate. Surprisingly, the supposed hard man, who peppers every sentence with at least four F words, actually seems to care what other people think about his appearance — and he’s not alone.

According to the latest statistics from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), demand for surgery among men grew by 21 per cent last year, despite the economic downturn. The number of gynaecomastia — operations to deal with the dreaded man boobs, or ‘moobs’ as they’ve become known — soared by 80 per cent alone.

The procedure ranks alongside rhinoplasty (nose job), liposuction, otoplasty (ear correction) and blepharoplasty (eye bag removal) as one of the five most popular surgeries for men.

Duncan Bannatyne of Dragons’ Den has been open about having his eye bags removed a few years ago, U.S. actor Mickey Rourke is unrecognisable thanks to his facelift, while actor Rupert Everett has clear signs of wind-tunnel effect.

Dr Daniel Sister, of BeautyWorksWest, a specialist in aesthetic medicine and non-surgical procedures, says: ‘Men now account for 30 per cent of my work. Because of the economic crisis, they are either seeking jobs or trying to keep them, so they want to look good — not too tired or worried.’

Giving themselves the edge at work seems to be the key for many men going under the knife.

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The hot-wax mask loved by celebrities 'that wipes years off your face'

It is billed as the quickest way to a 'non-surgical facelift'.

So it's no wonder beauty experts are waxing lyrical about it.

The paraffin wax facial, a thermal mask painted on to the skin and then kept warm under infra-red light, is the latest A-list craze in the quest for more youthful skin.

The treatment begins with an hour's intensive massage by Emma Hardie, the renowned celebrity facialist who came up with the idea.

During the massage, which is known as the Natural Sculpt and Lift facial, she uses moisturising oils and massage to stimulate the skin cells and a 'deep-tissue' kneading technique to give softer, plumper skin.

She then uses a specially formulated rose and geranium thermal paraffin wax mask which is painted on to the skin while warm and left on for half an hour.

This helps the skin to absorb the moisturising oils and soothes and relaxes the facial muscles to help release tension and leave the skin bright and glowing.

The wax is kept warm under an infra-red light so that it doesn't solidify before it is wiped off.

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