Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck), Liposuction, and Body Contouring
Located in Raleigh, North Carolina and serving patients nationwide
Each year, aesthetic plastic surgery and medical spa procedures become more popular among men. It is quite clear that in the United States, and around the world, the percentage of aesthetic surgery patients which are male is rising. As Americans live longer and healthier lives, more and more people have the expectation of appearing young and vital into their sixties and even their seventies. When performed artistically and conservatively, aesthetic surgery of the male face and body can have a dramatic rejuvenating effect. Non-surgical aesthetic technologies are also available to enhance the male face and body, without the ‘downtime’ required for surgical procedures.
Liposuction
One of the most popular surgical procedures among men is liposuction. As with women, men are genetically designed to accumulate fat in certain areas. While women tend to accumulate fat in the hips and thighs, in men fat generally goes straight to the waistline. And for some patients, once this excess fat has accumulated, no amount of diet or exercise may be able to make it disappear. Such individuals are often excellent candidates for liposuction. I typically perform circumferential liposuction of the trunk for male patients, to improve the aesthetics of the torso not only anteriorly but also in profile and when viewed from behind.
Another area where liposuction is commonly performed in men is the area below the jaw, where removal of fat can significantly improve the male facial profile. Liposuction of the anterior neck and the area below the jawline is frequently performed at the same time as other body contouring and facial rejuvenation surgery.
Many of my liposuction patients are very active individuals who have essentially ‘hit a wall’ in terms of improving their body contours through dietary modification and exercise. The boost they get from liposuction in recontouring their ‘stubborn fat’ areas quite often motivates them to be even more intensive in their exercise and nutrition regimens. I have many patients who at one year post-op have a result that is perhaps 75-80% the direct result of body contouring surgery, and 20-25% is the result of their own efforts at maximizing the result of surgery through diet and exercise.
Abdominoplasty
In men that lose a significant amount of weight, the abdominal skin may be left loose and sagging. In such patients a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) or mini-tummy tuck can instantly restore a more appealing abdominal contour. While women undergoing abdominoplasty usually require abdominal wall repair (from prior pregnancy), in some male patients the tummy tuck consists of only skin and fat removal, which has a much faster recovery time.
Male abdominoplasty is usually combined with liposuction of the abdomen, waist and chest. Depending on the degree of abdominal skin laxity, a male abdominoplasty may be performed with or without umbilicoplasty (the surgical creation of a new umbilicus or belly button. The surgical approach is always individualized to the particular needs (and goals) of each abdominoplasty patient.
Reduction Surgery for Gynecomastia (Male Breast Enlargement)
Enlargement of the male breast is referred to as gynecomastia, which may occur in response to certain medications or hormonal conditions but most often has no clearly identifiable cause. Gynecomastia may develop at any age, and may occur on one or both sides. In most patients it can be corrected with liposuction or with a combination of liposuction and direct excision (removal) of breast tissue and/or skin.
Surgical correction of gynecomastia produces a dramatic, positive change for patients with this troublesome problem, as it is usually a source of significant self-consciousness and embarrassment. For most patients the results are quite liberating, especially in terms of participating in athletic endeavors and relaxing at the beach or pool.
Whenever possible, my strong preference is to avoid skin excision and thereby limit the surgical scar to the inferior border of the areola. When a patient with gynecomastia has breast enlargement to an extent where too much liposuction is likely to produce a ‘deflated’ appearance, I often will stage the procedure, which allows time for the skin to retract to some extent between the two liposuction surgeries. In many cases this completely eliminates the need for skin excision, and in some it reduces the need for skin excision to that which can be accomplished with a peri-areolar scar only (instead of standard ‘inverted-T’ breast reduction scars).
Facial Rejuvenation Surgery
While men today are more and more interested in surgical aesthetic enhancements, most male patients are adamant about ‘looking natural’ and NOT looking ‘done’. The aging male face must be approached carefully and conservatively, as overly aggressive surgery can, in some cases, feminize the facial appearance.
The procedures which generally produce the most positive effect in men are correction of heavy or baggy eyelids (blepharoplasty), the correction of jowls (short scar or ‘mini’ facelift for some, full face lift for others) and the improvement of sagging neck skin or prominent neck bands (necklift). I also frequently perform structural fat grafting to restore youthful fullness in areas which have ‘deflated’ with age. In my experience, surgical facial changes which are subtle and produce a ‘more rested’ appearance are the ideal aesthetic improvements for men.
An exciting new alternative to facial rejuvenation surgery for some patients is laser skin tightening, which is briefly discussed in the next section and in greater detail under the ‘non-surgical procedures’ menu. This non-ablative, no-downtime treatment can improve facial skin tone and contours, and in many cases improve pigmentation problems. It can be performed for patients with mild to moderate signs of facial skin aging, and is also used to enhance the results of facial rejuvenation surgery in patients with more advanced facial aging changes.
Laser Skin Tightening, Laser Hair Removal and Laser Treatment of Facial Spider Veins
Less invasive, non-surgical treatments are also available, using any of three aesthetic lasers on site. We provide state-of-art laser hair removal services, offering treatments with two different lasers that allow us to treat all skin types. Both of our hair removal lasers are equipped with the largest spot size available, speeding treatments and increasing efficacy of hair removal. Both lasers also feature a proprietary skin cooling technology that sprays a cooling agent prior to every laser pulse, which also speeds treatment and increases patient comfort.
We are now offering a revolutionary, FDA-approved Laser Skin Tightening procedure. This no-downtime laser treatment can be performed on the face and body, and is designed to stimulate new collagen production in the dermis without injuring the epidermis (as with older ‘laser peels’ and ‘chemical peels’). A series of four to six treatments can visibly improve skin tone, reduce superficial wrinkles and even out pigmentation problems, without the downtime associated with older technologies.
We treat large number of male patients with dilated, superficial facial veins (telangiectasias) and rosacea with our state-of-the-art pulsed dye laser. In two to four treatments, many facial vascular disorders can be completely eliminated. This laser also incorporates skin cooling technology, which allows treatments to be easily tolerated without topical anesthetics.
BOTOX® and Restylane® Injections
The elimination of frown lines and the softening of deep facial creases are not just for women. Each week we see more and more male patients who are looking to get rid of the furrows and creases of the forehead, brows, and around the eyes that make them look angry, tired or worried. Likewise, an increasing number of men are electing to lessen deep facial furrows and creases, such as nasolabial folds.
BOTOX® and Restylane® treatments are a quick and effective means of reducing typical facial aging changes. Both treatments are performed personally by North Carolina Cosmetic Surgeon Dr. Law. BOTOX® and Restylane® injections take just a few minutes, produce minimal discomfort, and do not require an ‘afternoon off’ from work. Although you can go right back to work, an increasing number of our male patients are sticking around for spa services designed for male clients, such as the Gentleman’s Facial and Medical Microdermabrasion.
For more information about abdominoplasty, gynecomastia surgery, or body contouring
or if you would like to schedule a cosmetic surgery consultation to discuss your goals and tour our Raleigh, North Carolina Plastic Surgery Office, please contact our Plastic Surgeon today!
