Men are increasingly receptive to the benefits of plastic surgery. In 2016 there was a 30% increase in men’s cosmetic procedures over the previous year. What explains this trend? An increasing number of men see plastic surgery as a business and personal investment to improve their professional lives and personal attractiveness. –Research shows that men and women who get cosmetic surgery experience impressive long-term satisfaction with their results, seldom regretting having made the investment.
Liposuction for Men
The number of fat cells located between our skin and underlying muscles usually stabilize during the first five or six years of life. The exact distribution of fat moving forward in life depends on a person’s age, sex and genotype. Women tend to have a greater percentage of fat than men do, located mainly in the hips, buttocks and upper thighs. Men, by contrast, have more fat in the abdomen. As men grow older, their fat usually migrates from other areas to inside the abdomen (often under the muscles) and the exterior loins (love handle areas).
Liposuction results in a more youthful body contour. It also permanently removes unwanted fat cells from any area of the body, something diet and exercise can never do. While liposuction is not a method of weight control or treatment for obesity, it is an excellent complement to diet and exercise.
Benefits of Liposuction
- Liposuction is safe, quick and surprisingly affordable.
- Downtime is minimal.
- The fat is permanently removed and cannot come back (though weight gain is always possible because remaining fat cells easily expand when caloric intake exceeds needs).
- Purged fat can be purified and then ‘fat grafted’ to fill out areas that may have diminished with age like a patient’s tear trough, nasolabial folds, or lips.
- If you gain weight after liposuction, the fat will be deposited more evenly throughout the body and does not relocate to the areas that underwent liposuction.
- Finally, men can opt to combine liposuction with other cosmetic procedures at the same time to achieve a more transformational result.
Standard Liposuction Treatment Areas for Men
Though almost any area of the body can be suctioned, the three most popular areas for men are the abdomen, loin (love handle area), and neck. Other target areas include the back, chest (the treatment of choice for excess breast tissue, i.e., gynecomastia), buttocks, arms, thighs, calves, knees, and under the chin. Fat under muscles cannot be removed.
Ideal Candidates
The best candidates for liposuction are men close to their ideal body weight with good skin tone and visible areas of stubborn, localized fat.
Other requisites
- Despite dieting and exercising, you still have stubborn areas of fat that will not go away.
- You’re in good health.
- You understand that liposuction is not a substitute for weight loss. Only 5-10 pounds of fat is removed during this procedure. (However, in some cases, liposuction may be used to jumpstart a weight loss program).
Loose/sagging skin often results from major weight loss or aging. In such cases, removal of the excess skin with or without liposuction is much better than liposuction alone. Options usually include either abdominoplasty (a tummy tuck) or, in some cases, a body lift.
Benefits
Liposuction can change your life for the better in many ways. Patients often report that after this surgery that they feel more athletic and younger. They really do look better, feel more confident and experience significant enhancement in their interpersonal relationships and sex lives.
The Consultation
During your consultation, Dr. Roth will review with you the best liposuction technique for your needs. To ensure you are a good candidate for liposuction, he will review your health history and assess your skin tone, fat deposits, and body contours. Preoperative photos are taken to help evaluate your results.
Dr. Roth is extensively trained and experienced in providing all methods of liposuction and talented at sculpting body contours with artistic precision.
Pre-Op Preparation
Patients should maintain a healthy diet and avoid smoking before surgery. Dr. Roth will provide detailed pre-op instructions once your surgery is scheduled.
Liposuction Surgery
“Traditional liposuction–often referred to as suction-assisted liposuction (SAL), involves removing fat with a cannula attached to a suction apparatus. Power-assisted liposuction (PAL), is similar except that the cannula vibrates to increase efficiency. Ultrasound-assisted liposuction (UAL), incorporates sound wave technology to disrupt fat and in dense, fibrous tissue,” such as the loin and back. The last option is considered the best treatment for gynecomastia (excess breasts tissue in men). –Finally, laser-assisted liposuction (LAP) uses a laser to dislodge fat which is then sucked out with the cannula.
Liposuction is usually an outpatient procedure requiring only local anesthesia. All liposuction surgeries require the injection of fluid to minimize bruising, blood loss and to alleviate postoperative pain. Each region is also infused with an adrenaline solution to prevent bleeding. Antibiotics are administered before, during, and after surgery to prevent infection. When surgery is completed, tiny access incisions are closed with dissolvable sutures.
Patients are fitted with a snug-fitting garment that provides support, helps skin contraction, and enhances final contour. The compression garment is typically worn for six weeks but can be removed beginning the day following surgery to shower.
Patients are usually released within one to two hours after surgery. However, an overnight stay in our surgical facility is advisable after a large volume of fat is removed. Regardless, you’ll need to arrange for a friend to drive you home upon release. They or someone else should stay with you at least that first night.
Recovery
When the anesthesia wears off, you will experience soreness and perhaps some pain for a few days. This is easily controlled with prescription medication. Post-surgery redness and swelling are normal. Your incision sites are secured with dissolvable sutures, healing within two weeks. Because only small incisions are used, the resulting scars are virtually unnoticeable.
Patients may drive and return to work once they discontinue narcotic pain medicine. If surgery is performed on one site, you may only require 3 days of post-surgery recovery. However, if multiple areas are liposuctioned, and other procedures are performed at the same time, it may be two weeks before you can safely and comfortably return to work. Light exercise is encouraged soon after surgery, but strenuous activity isn’t allowed for at least 4 weeks. Follow-up visits will with your surgeon will continue for several weeks.
Patients should engage in regular exercise and a healthy, balanced diet to maintain their liposuction results.
Call our office today to schedule your initial consultation! (713) 559-9300
