This might make the average person queasy, but on a recent day at the Park Avenue office of facial plastic surgeon Sean Alemi, a male patient was completely awake as a surgical blade met his jawline. He wasn’t just conscious; he was actively co-directing the procedure.
To help his patient achieve a stronger, more masculine look, Alemi had made a small incision on the underside of the chin under local anesthesia. He then proceeded to insert an assortment of chin implants, one after another. “I had ordered 20 different implants and sizers, which are dummy mock implants,” recalls Alemi. “And you basically just try them until you find one that has the features that you really like. You put one in, and then I put a stitch in the chin to close it, and I handed him a mirror.” The doc popped in various sizes. After a few swaps, the patient settled on the perfect fit, widening his jawline to his exact satisfaction.
“The patient was really actually able to participate in the surgery, which was fun and unique,” says Alemi.
It’s a striking example of the lengths American men are going to optimize their faces in the era of “looksmaxxing” — the hyper-fixated, internet-born subculture dedicated to maximizing one’s physical attractiveness. It exists alongside a more general current obsession with projecting masculinity, advocated by everyone from the tech-bro elite and Trump administration members to Joe Rogan-adjacent podcasters and social media influencers. The message to men is clear: Power begins at the jawline.
