American men tired of ‘looking mediocre’ are now driving the anti-aging industry, set to reach $130B by 2030. But here’s what worries Scott Galloway

The global anti-aging market is projected to grow from roughly $91 billion in 2026 to nearly $130 billion by 2030, according to Mordor Intelligence (1). While aesthetics are a major driver, demographics are doing just as much of the heavy lifting. Adults 65 and older made up 10.3% of the population in 2024, a share expected to double by 2074, extending the timeline and cost of maintenance well into retirement years.

Among soon-to-retire consumers, the mindset is shifting from correction to prevention.

Even as economic headwinds persist, demand for cosmetic procedures has remained steady. If aesthetics are now a long-term investment, what does that mean for the financial picture of aging and the version of retirement Americans want to see in the mirror?

Growing demand

Men are increasingly fueling the anti-aging boom, as evolving masculinity and global beauty trends drive greater adoption of skincare and aesthetic treatments (2). That shift is showing up in how men talk about aesthetic spending, too. On an episode of The Prof G Pod, Scott Galloway responded to a Reddit user who asked whether spending a significant portion of savings on plastic surgery to correct a noticeable facial feature was foolish or a form of self-care (3).

Galloway didn’t dismiss the idea. If a change meaningfully improves someone’s physical presence and confidence, he argued, it can be worth considering. But he drew a clear financial line. Aesthetic procedures shouldn’t come at the cost of going into debt. He urged listeners to shop around, compare providers and approach cosmetic spending with the same consumer discipline they’d apply to any major purchase.

He’s not wrong to flag that risk. According to NerdWallet, about 15% of Americans who’ve made beauty-related purchases said they carried the cost on a credit card they didn’t pay off by the due date, while another 9% used buy now, pay later services (4).

He also acknowledged his own participation in the industry, sharing that he regularly gets Pico laser treatments and Botox when he’s in New York. Being on television, he joked, leaves little room for unchecked aging or what he described as looking like the “bride of Frankenstein.”

“It’s not easy being a four on a scale of one to ten,” Galloway said. “It’s not easy just looking mediocre.”

Not a one-time expense

As spending on anti-aging treatments climbs, financial planners say many consumers may be overlooking the long-term tradeoff, particularly at a time when only 35% of non-retired Americans say their retirement savings are on track, according to Federal Reserve data (5).

Andrew Latham, a certified financial planner, told Moneywise that treatments like Botox, facials and even high-end skincare routines are rarely one-off purchases.

“Let's say someone spends $400 a month on a mix of facials, injectables and skincare products,” he says. “That's $4,800 a year. If you invested that same amount in a diversified index fund earning roughly 7% annually, you'd have about $480,000 after 30 years. That's not pocket change, that's a meaningful chunk of a retirement nest egg.”

The challenge, Latham says, is that these costs rarely feel significant at first. A single appointment may seem manageable, but treatments repeated every few months and gradually upgraded over time can turn small, routine spending into a long-term financial commitment.

Keeping your spending in check

Beauty spending doesn’t have to derail your finances but it works best when it’s treated as a conscious choice rather than a habit. The conversation isn’t about discouraging people from investing in confidence or self-care. It’s about understanding the trade-offs that come with ongoing costs.