Male Liposuction Surgery: The Basics

by Edie Pastis

Ever since 1985, when tumescent liposuction was first invented, liposuction has consistently been a leading plastic surgery procedure in the U.S. Since that time, liposuction's popularity status has fluctuated slightly among female patients in relation to other procedures like breast augmentation and eyelid surgery. However, where male patients are concerned, liposuction has been #1 for roughly a decade now!

So why is liposuction such a popular plastic surgery procedure for men? What are the most common liposuction treatment areas for men? What should prospective patients know about male liposuction before beginning treatment? Read on for the answers to these male liposuction questions and more!

Male Liposuction Trend

Often thought to be a cosmetic surgery procedure dominated by women, body contouring procedures like liposuction are becoming increasingly more of the norm for male plastic surgery patients. To be fair, female patients do undergo liposuction surgery exponentially more than men do. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), in 2009 women underwent liposuction surgery over 200,000 times more than men! Males underwent liposuction surgery 40,519 times in 2009, a 28.8% increase from 2008.

Among U.S. men, liposuction has been the top cosmetic surgery procedure since the late 90s, and possibly earlier. After liposuction, men most frequently undergo rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), gynecomastia surgery (male breast reduction), and hair transplant surgery.

The reasons men undergo liposuction are often the same as for women—to maintain an attractive, athletic physique, to remain competitive in the career world, and to offset the physical aging process. The increased pressure on the modern man to stay looking young and fit has caused a jump in male cosmetic procedures across the board.

Men are not just undergoing liposuction and nose jobs with more regularity, they are becoming more frequent users of Botox injections, laser hair removal, and facial fillers like Restylane as well.

Male Liposuction Treatment Areas

One big difference between female and male liposuction is in the treatment areas that are commonly chosen by each gender. Whereas females prefer to get liposuction mostly in lower body areas like the stomach, thighs, hips and buttocks, male liposuction patients tend to undergo liposuction more on the abdomen, neck and chest regions.

The abdomen is where men tend to put on weight most easily and form a "gut" or a "spare tire". Thus the abdomen is a common treatment area for male liposuction surgery. Close by to the abdomen, male liposuction for "love handles" can be performed at the same time or in consequential procedures.

Neck fat can become an issue for men and women alike as they get older. Since the facial and neck areas are often neglected in standard exercise routines, the skin and muscle tissue of the lower face and neck can be especially prone to drooping, sagging skin and excess fat as we age. Often referred to as a "double chin," neck fat is a popular target for male liposuction surgery. Neck liposuction for men may or may not be combined with a facelift depending on the patient's status.

Male chest liposuction is most often used to treat gynecomastia, a condition classified by enlarged male breast tissue. Since an endowed chest is most often associated with feminine curves, men with enlarged breasts can be particularly sensitive to and embarrassed by this condition. Male chest liposuction can be performed alone, or as part of a more extensive male breast reduction surgery, complete with excess skin excision and the tightening or adjusting of chest muscle ligaments.

Male Liposuction Risks and Candidacy

The potential risks of male liposuction surgery are generally the same as with female liposuction, and may include:

Swelling
Bleeding
Bruising
Infection
Nerve damage
Irregular contours

To eliminate the risks of male liposuction as much as possible, prospective patients should properly research male liposuction beforehand, meet with a board-certified plastic surgeon to evaluate their candidacy for male liposuction, and follow all pre-liposuction instructions and post-op directions given to them by the practicing surgeon.

Similarly to women, male patients' liposuction candidacy can be determined by body fat percentage and/or BMI, pre-existing medical conditions, current prescription medications, and other personal factors such as the presence of a hernia.

More About Male Liposuction

Many prospective patients are unaware that male liposuction can be both more difficult and more costly than female liposuction. This is primarily due to physiological differences between male skin tissue and fat cells versus those of women.

For one thing, women naturally have a higher percentage of adipose tissue or body fat than men do, which makes female fat cells easier to target and remove during liposuction. Additionally, men have a dermis layer that's richer in connective or fibrous tissues, such as collagen fibers. Connective tissues aren't meant to be removed through liposuction, and must be carefully worked around during surgery. Between their lower body fat percentage and their more densely fibrous skin tissue, male liposuction patients can pose a greater challenge during surgery.

Especially difficult treatment areas for male liposuction patients include the abdomen and the chest. When compared to the neck and love handles, these areas can have a particularly high concentration of fibrous tissues. This doesn't mean that male chest liposuction or male abdomen liposuction is impossible; it just means male liposuction surgery requires more time and precision when treating these areas. With longer procedure times and greater technical difficulty comes increased male liposuction surgery costs.

Male liposuction patients may find, through their own preference and their doctor's recommendations, that one type of liposuction surgery is more suitable for them than another. Many male liposuction patients opt for SmartLipo (laser-assisted) or the Vaser Lipo (ultrasound-assisted) technique. Both of these technologies may be better suited to removing excess fat for men, while causing less harm to the surrounding connective tissues. Other male liposuction options include traditional tumescent liposuction and power-assisted liposuction.

Is Male Liposuction Right for Me?

As briefly mentioned earlier, the best way to ascertain your personal options and candidacy for male liposuction is to consult with a board-certified liposuction surgeon in your area.

During an initial consultation appointment with a qualified liposuction provider, patients will have an opportunity to ask specific questions about male liposuction, learn more about possible male liposuction side effects, and get a precise cost estimate for their personal male liposuction surgery.

Schedule a consultation with a top rated surgeon like these liposuction surgeons in Portland.