On 13
Nov
2020
The myth that plastic surgery is only for women is just that: a myth. Men are just as likely to want their bodies to look healthy, and share similar motivations for pursuing body contouring, such as weight loss, lack of time working out, or wanting to accelerate workout results faster.
Fortunately, there are a number of surgical and nonsurgical male body contouring treatments available, and they can achieve amazing results that restore a tighter, more youthful appearance—or maybe even give you the dream body you’ve always wanted!
1. Liposuction/Liponique
Eliminating love handles is a popular goal for many of the men we see at our plastic surgery practice. Liposuction is a technique for getting rid of love handles and contouring areas of the body that are unresponsive to diet and exercise, such as the abdomen, hips, waist, back, thighs, buttocks, and arms.
Board-certified plastic surgeons can combine different lipo and body-sculpting techniques, including the latest laser technologies, to achieve ideal aesthetic results. Liponique, our unique approach to liposuction, customizes the body contouring to achieve the best results for your body. Our specialists in cosmetic breast and body procedures also perform abdominal etching for male patients to give them the look of having a six-pack using liposuction.
Before and After Abdominal Etching
Patients should ideally be at or close to their goal weight before liposuction and committed to maintaining their results after surgery. Recovery time varies among patients, with some men returning to work and daily activities the next day and others waiting up to a week before resuming their regular routine. It’s best to avoid strenuous activities for six weeks after surgery to support a smooth recovery and lasting results.
2. Male Breast Reduction
Gynecomastia is a condition that causes men to develop excess skin, fat, and breast tissue on their chests. The condition is typically caused by hormonal imbalances, weight changes, illness, medication use, or genetics.
Gynecomastia surgery, also known as male breast reduction, is a safe and effective surgical procedure for removing excess fatty or glandular breast tissue. Patients who have fatty breast tissue due to being overweight may find they can reduce breast size via routine diet and exercise. If the skin is stretched beyond capacity, male breast reduction is the best way to restore a masculine chest—and your confidence in the process.
During gynecomastia surgery, fat and glandular tissue is completely removed to eliminate the appearance of breasts, either using liposuction or excision. Liposuction can be used if there are minor amounts of fatty tissue, but little to no excess skin. On the other hand, excision may be necessary for male body contouring patients with extra glandular tissue.
Results from male breast reduction surgery usually reveal themselves almost instantly, and are typically obvious after any fullness subsides. Most patients are back to their normal routine within a week after the procedure; however, both approaches require patients to wait six weeks before returning to physically demanding jobs or activities.
3. Fat Reduction Treatments
Fat reduction doesn’t always require surgery. CoolSculpting and CoolSculpting ELITE are two fat reduction treatments that are highly effective at male body contouring without requiring surgery, anesthesia, and downtime.
CoolSculpting
CoolSculpting is the leading non-surgical fat reduction treatment, with the ability to eliminate up to 25 percent of fat in treated areas. Men and women alike love CoolSculpting because it’s a highly effective procedure for minimizing stubborn, isolated pockets of unwanted fat that are resistant to diet and exercise.
Using the science behind cryolipolysis, CoolSculpting targets and freezes away fat cells by triggering a natural breakdown in their structure. CoolSculpting is an ideal option for patients looking to reduce fat in localized areas, such as to eliminate a double chin or contour of the jawline. Many patients opt to combine CoolSculpting and CoolTone for optimal results because one reduces fat while the other tones the muscles.
One of the biggest benefits of CoolSculpting is that the procedure has no recovery or downtime and can be accomplished as quickly as over your lunch break. Results typically begin to show up within a few weeks, with the full results appearing 1-3 months following treatment as your body gets rid of damaged fat cells.
CoolSculpting® Elite
CoolSculpting® Elite is a cutting-edge, non-surgical body contouring treatment that uses controlled cooling to target and eliminate stubborn fat cells. This innovative procedure can reduce up to 20–25% of treated fat layers in just one session—without the need for anesthesia, incisions, or downtime.
CoolSculpting® Elite is FDA-cleared to treat multiple areas of the body where fat tends to linger, including the abdomen, flanks (love handles), thighs, back, upper arms, and under the chin. Using dual applicators for increased efficiency, the treatment delivers precisely controlled cooling to fat cells beneath the skin, safely freezing them without damaging surrounding tissue. Once frozen, the fat cells crystallize and are naturally eliminated by the body over time.
This procedure is ideal for healthy individuals who maintain an active lifestyle but still struggle with localized fat pockets that resist diet and exercise. CoolSculpting® Elite is typically recommended for candidates with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or below.
There is no downtime required—patients can return to normal activities immediately after treatment. Some may experience mild redness, swelling, or numbness in the treated area, but these side effects are temporary and typically subside within a few days. Results appear gradually as the body processes and expels the dead fat cells, with most patients seeing full results within 1 to 3 months after treatment.
4. CoolTone Muscle Stimulation
Imagine having a six-pack and washboard abs, minus all the hard work that comes with it. CoolTone, a non-surgical body contouring procedure, uses magnetic muscle stimulation to induce involuntary muscle contractions and invoke the body’s natural response to strengthen and tone muscle fibers.
The results are exceptional: a firmer, sculpted look that doesn’t require you to spend hours working out. Or, CoolTone can even be used to accelerate the results you already see from the gym! Because CoolTone also builds strength while building muscle, many of our patients opt to have the treatment to improve their athletic performance while also adding definition to the abdomen, thighs, and/or buttocks.
Most CoolTone patients have four treatments over a two-week period, with sessions lasting just 30 minutes, followed by quarterly maintenance sessions to sustain results long-term. CoolTone has no recovery or downtime and achieves amazing results without the need for surgery or anesthesia.
5. Contouring After Massive Weight Loss
Say hello to the new you! Body contouring treatments are common among men who have lost a significant amount of weight and wish to remove the resulting excess, sagging skin around the legs, arms, and abdomen.
If this sounds like you, our body contouring specialists can recommend a custom treatment plan tailored to help you meet your goals and restore your confidence. These treatment plans often involve a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) and/or body lift (belt lipectomy), and can also include an arm lift, thigh lift, and/or facelift. The results are incredible and often life-changing for men (and women alike) who have achieved substantial weight loss and want to see their full results.
Depending on your body contouring goals, these procedures can be combined to tailor the results to meet your needs. A specialist in breast and body procedures can perform an assessment to make a recommendation for which treatment options will achieve the best results for your body and unique goals—sculpted abs and a leaner, more athletic physique, here you come!
