When Ron Steenbrugen of Wakefield was a child, he fell and sustained fractures of the facial bones. As he grew, they failed to heal correctly. In addition, he always had deep circles and bags under his eyes resulting from his surgery.

"People would say to me, 'you look exhausted.' And this was after a full night's sleep," said Steenbrugen, a respiratory therapist.

Unhappy with his appearance, the 39-year-old Steenbrugen last year sought the services of a plastic surgeon.

Since then, he's had an upper eyelid lifted, chin implants and chemical peels to remove dark circles under his eyes.

Besides his work as a respiratory therapist, Steenbrugen today pursues a second career- modeling.

Steenbrugen is not alone among professional men increasingly seeking plastic surgery to boost their job prospects.

Dr. Sheldon Sevinor, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon with offices in Boston and Lynn, pointed out that, in this competitive society, a lot of men feel that looking their best will help them succeed.

Apparently it does, when it comes to the final cut.

"There was a famous study done in The Wall Street Journal that showed that with two people of equal talent, of equal capabilities, it was the one that looked more attractive that got the job," said Sevinor.

Dr.Sevinor made a similar observation.

"After being in practice about 20 years, about 25 percent of my cosmetic surgery practice are men, as opposed to 20 years ago when there was less than 5 percent."

Nationally, ASPRS figures indicate that it's 5,000 members performed more than 1.3 million plastic surgeries in 1994; about 393,000 for aesthetic reasons alone. Of those surgeries, 12 percent are done on men.

Sevinor associated the increase in male cosmetic surgery with the baby-boomer phenomenon.

"It started with the baby boomers when they turned 40, and there's 72 million baby boomers. Many of them associate looking good with success." he said.

Society's changing attitudes make it easier for men to undergo plastic surgery today, though most are still reticent to talk about it.

But as Sevinor said:"Men have difficulty talking about many sensitive subjects.".

The twenty-somethings elect rhinoplasty (nose jobs) with chin surgery. In their 30s and 40s men tend to get hair transplants, followed by face lifts and eyelid work in their 50s and 60s.

Life-long Gloucester resident Rick Madruga had his eyes done 12 years ago when he was 40. At 47, he underwent a facelift.

His sole reason for having the procedures was to improve his appearance.

"I feel better about myself," he said. "It gives you more confidence."

A 25-year veteran of the fire department, Madruga only missed two weeks of work when he had the surgery. Investment business owner Bharat Patel, a native of India living in Carlisle, had his chin repaired following a 1994 car accident.

At the same time, he decided to have liposuction to remove areas of localized fat around his chest and abdomen.

In the past, only the very rich could afford plastic surgery.

But before slipping into the nearest plastic surgeon's office for a tuck here, a tuck there, remember you won't find cut-rate prices - and insurance companies won't pick up the bill on most cosmetic procedures.

"It was expensive," said Madruga of his own procedures. "But well worth it."

Cosmetic surgery carries with it inherent risks, as does any surgical procedure.