Today, aesthetic surgery practices have moved beyond being merely a medical or cosmetic field of intervention and have come to occupy a central place in the cultural and symbolic universe of modern society. Visual ideals promoted by popular culture, beauty standards imposed by the media, and desires shaped by consumer culture have profoundly transformed individuals’ perceptions of their bodies. This transformation has expanded beyond the pursuit of “bodily perfection,” which was historically attributed primarily to women, and has created a new aesthetic orientation that increasingly encompasses men as well. Men’s growing interest in aesthetic surgery has thus become a sociological phenomenon that can be interpreted through shifting gender roles, identity construction processes, and the meanings attributed to the body in modernity.

Images of masculinity circulating through media, advertising, and digital platforms are redefining concepts such as physical adequacy, attractiveness, and youth. Recurrent representations of the “ideal male body” in domains such as Hollywood films, social media influencers, the fashion industry, and fitness culture have turned muscular physiques, well-defined facial features, firm skin, and an energetic appearance into contemporary symbols of masculinity. In this context, aesthetic surgery is no longer merely a tool for “correction” or “rejuvenation,” but rather a strategy through which individuals reshape their bodies as a means of social acceptance, self-expression, and a marker of modernity.

The aesthetic reconstruction of the male body is directly related to the visual norms offered by popular culture. In contemporary societies, the body is not regarded solely as a biological entity but also as an indicator of identity and a form of social capital. Within this framework, men generate meaning at both personal and social levels through bodily appearance. A muscular body is perceived as representing a disciplined lifestyle, a youthful appearance as symbolizing dynamism and success, and well-proportioned facial features as signifying attractiveness and self-confidence. Consequently, aesthetic surgery becomes for men not only a form of physical transformation but also a means of seeking social approval, status, and belonging.

Consumer culture emerges as the most powerful structural force supporting this transformation. The body has become a project—marketed like a product, invested in, and constantly in need of “improvement.” A broad industry ranging from cosmetics designed for men to fitness programs, fashion trends, and aesthetic procedures actively redefines masculinity and encourages individuals to “invest in their own bodies.” In this process, aesthetic surgery functions as a tool serving consumer culture’s construction of the “ideal self,” positioning the body simultaneously as a personal project and a cultural object of consumption.

This study addresses men’s participation in aesthetic surgery within the context of popular culture and examines the sociocultural implications of this trend. Its main assumption is that aesthetic interventions directed at the male body cannot be explained solely by individual preferences or medical necessities, but are closely linked to the visuality-centered value system of modern society. Popular culture, through the power of the media, produces new ideals of masculinity, and these ideals reshape individuals’ self-perceptions and modes of social positioning. Accordingly, the aesthetic reconstruction of the male body constitutes a significant example for understanding the visual dynamics of modern life, the transformation of gender roles, and the impact of consumer culture on the bodily domain.

Aesthetic surgery has thus become a space in which contemporary masculinity is redefined and where individual desires intersect with social norms, transforming the body into a postmodern stage in which the boundaries between identity, aesthetics, and culture are increasingly blurred. From this perspective, the study reveals that the reconstruction of the male body through aesthetic interventions represents not merely a physical change, but also a cultural discourse and a symbolic expression of modernity.