Worry lines and creases between the eyes apparently are no longer a sign of virility among men in the US.

More and more men are using botox to get rid of the wrinkles. Demand for the nerve-deadening treatment has risen considerably. In 2001 about 100,000 US men got a shot of botox in their foreheads and their numbers had tripled by 2007.

Often the male customers seeking the cosmetic treatment are successful high-salaried men in their early 40s. But sometimes they are a bit older as in the case of 58-year-old Olympic swimming champion Mark Spitz. The seven-time gold medallist announced this year that he has had a botox treatment and secured an advertising contract in the process.