Your Complete Guide to Liposuction for Men
As cosmetic surgeries become more popular, more men seek the help of liposuction to help achieve their ideal body. Liposuction is an excellent cosmetic procedure to achieve a defined muscular physique.
Interested in learning about male liposuction? We answer any questions you may have in this complete guide.
What Is Male Liposuction?
Did you know that more than 1.8 million cosmetic surgical procedures were performed in the last year?
14% of these cosmetic procedures consisted of liposuction treatments.
Liposuction is a type of cosmetic procedure that removes fat in stubborn areas. If you struggle to remove fat from your body from exercise and a healthy diet, many look to this type of procedure. This cosmetic procedure is an alternative to tummy tucks, facelifts, and breast reductions.
An Ideal Candidate for Liposuction?
Not everyone is the perfect candidate for this type of surgery. Men looking for liposuction should also know it won’t remove cellulite from your body. If removing cellulite is the main reason why you want to receive liposuction, you may want to consider another cosmetic procedure.
To qualify for this surgery, you must be within 30% of your body’s healthy weight zone. For best results, you must have firm skin that has a nice elasticity to it. If you smoke, it’s best to quit well before your procedure so you can allow your body to heal quickly and reduce the chance of any complications.
It’s strongly recommended that you don’t receive liposuction surgery if you have diabetes, a weak immune system, heart disease, or other major health problems.
What’s the Difference between Liposuction for Women and Liposuction for Men?
There is a difference between liposuction for men and liposuction for women. The main difference between the cosmetic procedure for each gender is the areas treated.
The most commonly treated areas in liposuction surgery for men are the love handles, the lower abdomen, and the upper arms. However, it’s not uncommon for men to target the neck, thighs, chest, and chin.
Liposuction surgery doesn’t change based upon your gender. The anatomy of the individual will be the only thing taken into consideration during the operation. Plus, the recovery times and process don’t different either.
Is Liposuction Surgery Permanent?
The process of liposuction surgery removes fat cells permanently from the body. After receiving liposuction surgery, fat cells won’t move to the area you had treatment. However, other areas of your body may gain weight and expand if your weight begins to fluctuate.
Once you’ve received liposuction surgery, the skin surrounding the area will shrink to fit the new volume of fat in the treated area. This may end up affecting the appearance of your skin. If you have skin that has great electricity, your skin will likely appear smooth and even.
On the other hand, if you have skin that doesn’t have great elasticity, the skin may appear loose.
What Happens during the Treatment?
As you prepare for liposuction treatment, the medical professional performing your surgery will mark the areas you wanted treating with lines and circles. Your medical professional may also take photographs for a before and after comparison, once you complete your surgery.
The exact way your liposuction treatment is being completed will depend on the technique. Your surgeon selects the technique depending on the unique goals of your operation, the area of your body needing treatment, and if any areas of your body have received liposuction treatment in the past.
Some of the most common techniques for liposuction treatment include:
Ultrasound-Assisted Liposuction
This type of liposuction is commonly used in addition to traditional liposuction. During this technique, the medical professional will insert a metal rod underneath your skin. This metal rod sends out ultrasonic energy, which will break down the fat cell walls.
After the fat cell walls break down, removing the fat in your body becomes a lot easier.
Tumescent Liposuction
Tumescent is the most commonly used technique. The medical professional will inject the area being treated with a solution of saltwater. Saltwater solutions make it a lot easier for the fat to be removed from your body.
You will also receive a pain reliever and another type of drug to cause your blood vessels to constrict. As a result, this will cause the affected area to stiffen and swell. After the surgeon notices the treated area has been properly prepped, they will make small cuts into your skin.
After cutting your skin open, the surgeon will place a thin tube underneath your skin. This tube connects to a vacuum that will suck the fluids and fat out from the targeted area. It’s very common for an IV line to be used to replace bodily fluids during this procedure.
Laser-Assisted Liposuction
Laser-assisted liposuction uses a high-intensity laser to break down fat to later be removed from your body. With this technique, the surgeon inserts a laser fiber into your body through a small cut. The laser will break down any fat deposits in your skin.
Any broken down fat deposits would later be vacuumed out through a tube that’s inserted into your skin.
What to Expect during the Procedure?
As you go through treatment, expect to receive regional anesthesia or local anesthesia. Depending on the size of the area, you may be put under general anesthesia. It’s also common for patients to use a sedative through an IV injection, which helps patients to feel relaxed and calm during a procedure.
A team of medical professionals will monitor your blood oxygen level, heart rate, and blood pressure throughout the entire treatment.
Depending on the area that’s being treated during the liposuction procedure and how large the area is, the entire liposuction procedure may take up to several hours.
If you have received general anesthesia, you will be put into a recovery room until you wake up. Expect to spend a few hours at the medical clinic after surgery to properly recover after anesthesia.
Some clinics may require that you stay overnight. This is because the team of medical professionals wants to monitor you for any signs of shock or dehydration as a result of the fluid loss you received during surgery.
What to Expect after the Procedure?
You will likely experience bruising, pain, and swelling. Depending on your situation, you may be prescribed some pain medication. Your surgeon may prescribe antibiotics after the procedure to help reduce the risk of infection.
In the majority of liposuction treatments, your medical professional will leave your incisions open. This is so they can place temporary drains in your wounds to encourage excess fluid drainage. It will be recommended to wear compression garments over the next few weeks after your procedure, as it will help to reduce swelling.
Does Liposuction Hurt?
The pain most people feel is during the recovery process. Many patients report that the pain is the most intense two to four days after their treatment.
Why Do Men Get Liposuction?
Did you know that recent surveys have found up to 40% of men struggle with their body image?
One of the biggest reasons men get liposuction is to work on getting a healthier-looking and younger appearance. This helps men feel more confident in their bodies, which encourages success in both personal and business relationships.
Liposuction is one of the safest ways to remove excess body fat. While the best results show after a few weeks or months, you can see immediate results right after your treatment.
Some of the most common reasons that men receive liposuction include:
Removal of ‘Man Boobs’
If you feel uncomfortable with taking off your shirt because of your ‘man boobs’, liposuction is a great way to treat gynecomastia. Gynecomastia is a medical condition men experience when they have excessive fat levels in their breast tissue.
Liposuction is a great tool to help sculpt your chest.
Accentuates the Definition of Muscles
While liposuction isn’t a type of weight-loss procedure, you can use liposuction to help you achieve your health and fitness goals. If you recently worked on losing weight and you’re close to your target weight, liposuction can help to bring you closer to your fitness goals.
However, it isn’t a surgery you should receive if you are significantly overweight. Scheduling a consultation with your surgeon will provide you with insight if liposuction is right for you, or if you need to lose more weight before you the procedure.
If you’re just looking to put the finishing touches on your physical appearance, liposuction can help to highlight the muscles you’ve grown during your fitness journey.
While liposuction can enhance the definition of your muscles, prepare to continue working on your fitness journey. This will help you enjoy the benefits of your ideal body for a long time.
Trim Up
Another common reason why men receive liposuction is to remove the lingering fat in specific areas. The older that men get, the more likely they are to have fat accumulate in specific regions of the body. These areas include the neck, the chest, the chin, the abdomen, and love handles.
Liposuction will remove the stubborn fat in these areas. If you found that diet and exercise alone haven’t been enough to remove or reduce the fat in these areas, liposuction may be the ideal solution for your dream body!
Understanding How Liposuction for Men Works
By having an understanding of how liposuction for men works, you can begin to work on achieving your ideal body. You’ve taken the biggest step towards reaching your dream body by educating yourself. Next, find a dedicated and experienced doctor to work with.
Looking to work with certified liposuction doctors? Contact us today. We will help you receive the natural-looking results you’ve always desired.