Plastic Surgeons Reveal the 'Most Desirable' Shape for a Man's Buttock

Plastic surgeons have figured out the "ideal" shape for a man's butt, according to new research.

While female behinds are often considered desirable based on their size and shape, the public also considers a certain shape of male buttock to be the most appealing, a paper published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery reveals.

"Gluteal surgery numbers in men aren't tracked by our major organizations, so we don't know for sure if they are on the rise," Ashit Patel, a professor of surgery at Duke University and lead author of the study, told Newsweek.

"We do know, however, that cosmetic surgery and non-surgical cosmetic treatments are definitely increasing in men. What is considered the ideal aesthetic appearance has changed over the years. I like to use the comparison of the appearance of James Bond, and how Sean Connery in Dr. No looked very different from Daniel Craig in Casino Royale."

More and more men are interested in cosmetic surgery that enhances their buttocks, which may include gluteal augmentation—using fat grafting and/or implants—and buttock lifting procedures.

Using a survey performed using Amazon's Mechanical Turk crowdsourcing platform, the authors of the paper showed 2,095 participants three views of male buttocks: from behind, from the side, and a three-quarters view. These images were then digitally altered to show different sizes and shape of areas of the buttocks. Some 61 percent of the respondents were male, 52 percent were aged between 25 and 34, and 49 percent were white.

The survey found that the respondents rated buttocks that weren't too flat or too large as the most attractive.

"Our results demonstrate that there is a preferred male gluteal aesthetic," plastic surgeon," Patel said in a statement. "The findings suggest that a moderately enhanced, well-proportioned appearance is most desirable."

"In our survey, raters thought the ideal male buttocks shouldn't be flat, but also shouldn't stick out too far," said Patel. "The buttocks shouldn't be too wide, and should retain the characteristic dimple on the sides." The article includes illustrations showing the differing views, including the proportions rated most attractive.

This differs to the results of previous surveys that investigated female buttocks. They found that larger and rounder was preferred by the majority.

"There seems to be a trend for female patients seeking a less exaggerated look compared to the past several years," Patel said.

The study notes that while there were no noticeable differences between how male and female respondents rated the buttocks, there were some differences between races.

"African American male respondents preferred the largest lateral thigh–to-buttock ratio," the authors wrote in the paper. "This could be explained by the fact that, on average, African American individuals have more muscle mass and greater bone density compared with White, Asian, and Latinx individuals, which could influence their preference. In contrast, Asian male respondents preferred a smaller lateral thigh–to-buttock ratio."

There were also some differences in preference based on sexual orientation.

"Overall, the fuller lateral thigh–to-buttock ratio of 1.2 was preferred among bisexual, gay, and heterosexual respondents," the authors wrote.

The authors also commented on the limitations of their study regarding differences between groups.

"Future studies should include different races and skin tones to assess for specific preferences among the population," they wrote. "Moreover, these results were confined to respondents in the United States; future research should evaluate whether the ideal gluteal aesthetic differs from country to country."

These findings could help surgeons consider what a patient will find most fitting to their body when getting cosmetic surgeries, including gender-affirming surgery in transgender patients.

"Our study is one of the first to really focus on what makes the male buttocks most attractive," Patel said. "We believe the findings will be helpful in discussions with patients considering gluteal enhancement, and provide guidance in achieving optimal results and patient satisfaction."

Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about cosmetic surgery? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.

Update 12/5/2023 12:36 ET: This article was updated with additional comment from Patel.