Why More Men in Mallorca Are Turning to Cosmetic Doctors

Men, Mirrors, and the New Self-Confidence

Last Friday at 8:30 in the morning, on the way to the bakery at Plaça Cort, I stood in front of a small clinic with a sign that would look modern enough for Passeig del Borne. Inside, men sat in the waiting room, whom you would have previously expected to find in a gym: regular training, a good perfume, but with that one dissatisfied look that sport alone can’t wipe away.

Since early 2024 several doctors in Palma have opened their own practices. They offer no miracles, but a range of procedures: upper eyelid corrections, abdominoplasties, liposuctions, facelifts, Botox and hair treatments with autologous blood. Many men don’t come because they’ve suddenly become vain, but because they see concrete things that bother them — droopy eyelids when looking in the mirror, a neck that has lost its tone, or stubborn fat pockets despite good training.

Routine instead of adventure

What is interesting is the way the men approach this. Not secretly and panicky, but planned. Appointments are kept on time, aftercare is taken seriously. “That’s almost like a training plan,” a patient in his mid-fifties told me, who regularly comes to the office of a female doctor in the old town. He doesn’t want to stand out, he says, but to look fit for client meetings again — fresh, not mask-like.

Conversations in the practice often begin with: “What would you recommend?” and not with a photo of a celebrity. Men trust the doctor’s assessment and seek advice. This leads to a curious observation: while many women like to experiment and wait longer between appointments, male patients are often more planned and disciplined in aftercare.

Aesthetics, Health, and Boundaries

The medical profession draws clear lines: medications or injections for rapid weight loss are not given lightly. “If someone is medically healthy and pursuing only a wish image, I refuse,” a surgeon I met reports. The boundary lies where procedures are risky or unrealistic.

For many men on Mallorca, the decision to go to the clinic hides more than vanity: a wish for presence at work, for self-confidence when going out, for the feeling of looking ten years younger again. Added are social signals — Instagram, work in client-facing professions, and the fact that physical grooming is no longer exclusively a women's affair.

In the end it remains a personal decision. Those who choose wisely, have realistic expectations and follow medical advice can gain, alongside a fresher appearance, a small piece of self-confidence. The island is changing not only architecturally — the mirror already tells different stories.

Note: This text is based on conversations with patients, doctors and observations in Palma. Names and exact locations were partly anonymized.