Men Are Getting Plastic Surgery

June 28, 2012

Men are becoming more and more concerned with their appearance, multiple studies in the last 20 years have shown that the percentage of men dissatisfied with their bodies is comparable to the number of woman. Men and women’s satisfaction in their appearance are largely determined by the cultural norms and socially acceptable appearance. Most of the images of the “ideal man” are naturally unattainable, leading men to turn to plastic surgery to help them achieve a more attractive appearance. (ref.1)

The number of men getting plastic surgery has been on the rise for the last 20 years. The attitudes about surgical remedies to improve appearance have changed and now more and more men are turning to surgeons to fix their appearance. Men are generally most concerned with their muscularity, height and baldness.(ref.2) While a person’s height can’t be surgically changed, men can go to plastic surgeons to get a more fit, muscular look. 

Why Are More Men Getting Plastic Surgery?

The attitudes about men spending time and money on their appearance has changed.  Studies show that men are just as concerned with their looks as women and are influenced by societal pressures to look a certain way. Men of all ages are turing to plastic surgeons to help them achieve their desired look. Men turn to plastic surgery to get a flatter stomach, fix a bump in their nose or get rid of wrinkles. According to the ASPS in 2011 the top 5 cosmetic surgery procedures preformed on men where:

• Rhinoplasty
• Eyelid Surgery (Belpharoplasty)
• Liposuction 
• Breast Reduction (Gynecomastia)
• Facelift

Body contouring procedures, liposuction, abdominal etching and tummy tucks,  are very popular among men and woman. Men commonly want to change their upper body and torso.These are the areas that most men have trouble maintaining and feel self conscious about. Abdominal etching along with liposuction is an excellent option for men who want a more defined,muscular stomach. The lipo removes excess fat while the ab etching defines the muscle in the abdominal area, making them more defined. Male breast reduction,gynecomastia, helps men remove their excess breast tissue and create a more defined chest area. 

Enhancing Appearance with a Male Breast Reduction Surgery

Men who have excess fat or tissue in their breasts , referred to as gynecomastia, turn to plastic surgeons to preform a male breast reduction. Gynecomastia may be the result of a hormonal imbalance of estrogen and testosterone or as a side effect of some medications. It can affect one or both breasts and can happen anytime from birth to old age. 

Gynecomastia surgery is performed as an outpatient procedure using local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia. Depending on the amount of fatty tissue or glandular tissue needing to be removed, the procedure may use liposuction alone. In these cases, a small incision is made and a cannula is inserted to break up the fat tissue and vacuum it out. If there is an excessive amount of glandular tissue and skin that needs to be removed, then excision techniques are executed to provide best results. If the areola or nipple needs to be reduced or repositioned, then this technique is used to create a more natural contour to the pectoral area.  In some cases, both liposuction and excision need to be used. The incision lines may be visible as a result of gynecomastia surgery although most incision lines may be able to be hidden within the contours of the chest.

The results of the male breast reduction are in most cases long lasting or permanent and are visible within days of the procedure. Look through gynecomastia before and after photos, this 26 year old male under went gynecomastia with excellent results.

Liposuction and Abdominalplasty 

The abdomen is by far the most common area  men get liposuction to remove unwanted fat or “love handles”. There are two kinds of fat on the abdomen, subcutaneous and visceral fat. Visceral fat, also known as belly fat, is located in the abdominal cavity around the organs. Men are more likely than woman to store fat around their belly due to hormonal changes.  High levels of visceral fat  linked to diabetes and heart disease.

Subcutaneous fat is the fat between the skin and muscles. Liposuction and other body contouring procedures target fat cells in the subcutaneous layer.  With traditional liposuction, a fluid is infused in the subcutaneous layer. The fluid helps to break up fat cells, numbs the tissue and minimizes bleeding. Next, a cannula is inserted through a small incision and the excessive fat is sucked out. 

Abdominal liposuction is the best solution when a patient has one or two centimeters of belly fat to be removed. Abdominal liposuction is performed under local anesthesia and intravenous sedation and the recovery is relatively quick.

When you have large amounts of belly fat that needs to be removed, then an Abdominoplasty in conjunction with liposuction is recommended. This is often termed a “Tummy Tuck”. The goal is to not only remove excess fat, but also to create a flatter tummy by tightening the abdominal muscles, and then removing and smoothing out the excess skin. Tummy Tucks are treated using general anesthesia and patients are usually monitored overnight.  Recovery is generally around two weeks and light exercise can resume within six weeks. Male liposuction before and after photos

Abdominal Sculpting for a More Muscular Torso

Most people consider the ideal male as being tall, muscular and lean. (ref.3) Plastic surgeons developed a line of procedures to give people the muscular look without working out at the gym. Liposculpture is a form of liposuction that involves fine tuned sculpting of a patients body to achieve a more toned look. Abdominal etching is a form of liposculture that contours and shapes the abdominal fat pad resulting in a flatter, more contoured stomach giving the patient 6-pack abs. Abdominal etching is one of the best body contouring method to create the coveted washboard abs. 

The ideal candidate for abdominal etching is a man with good skin tone who exercises regularly and has less than 18 percent body fat. 

When abdominal etching is performed, a smaller amount of selectively chosen fat is removed and then the naturally present muscular contours of your abs are sculpted and shaped to create more muscular appearance. Prior to surgery, the surgeon will map out the treatment areas by having the patient flex their ab muscles and marking the areas where fat is to be removed and re-sculpted. The entire surgery lasts about one hour. The cost of abdominal etching ranges from $3,000-$10,000 and includes the following in the cost: surgeon fee, anesthesia and the facility fee.

Following ab etching there will be some pain, swelling and bruising. Most patients also need to wear compression garments after surgery for 3-6 weeks. Most patients begin to see results of abdominal etching within weeks of the surgery but allow about 6 months to see full results. Check with the surgeon preforming your surgery for complete aftercare instructions specific to your procedure. 

According to a 2007 study by The Nielsen Company, one out of three consumers globally say they are spending more money on their appearance because the pressure to to “look good” is greater than ever. Men are seeking methods beyond diet and exercise to fit societies ideal image of the male Adonis.

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