The contour of the body changes with time. Both the skin and tissues stretch and, unfortunately, some men may tend to develop a gut. This can affect the body’s contours. A consistent exercise regime and healthful diet will certainly help you look your best, but even athletic men develop disproportionate and unwanted pockets of fat in certain areas with each passing birthday. These areas typically include the lower abdomen, waist, chest and chin/neck juncture. Like women, men today care about looking and feeling good. They want to remain vital not only at the office, but also in their day-to-day lives. And nothing saps vitality like staring at a reflection in the mirror that you don’t like. Luckily, there are a number of surgical and non-surgical procedures for men that are extremely effective at improving your body contour. The end result is a younger, stronger, more capable looking you.
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Sean Doherty, is an expert in body contouring procedures both surgical and non-surgical. Furthermore, as a man himself, he understands not only the inherent differences in treating men versus women, but also what men want. Most of the male patients who come in to see him in his Boston area offices would prefer to handle their body contouring issues non-surgically. This is because they usually have less patience dealing with the downtime associated with surgery. While Dr. Doherty is respectful of the fact that his patients lead busy lives, he is also always honest about what a procedure can and cannot achieve. If a surgical procedure is going to be the best option for attaining your ideal body contour then that’s what he’ll recommend.
The Body Contouring Consultation for Men
It is important when considering any kind of body contouring procedure that you be assessed in person. During your private consultation in one of his Boston area offices, Dr. Doherty will listen to what exactly is bothering you about your body and what you hope to achieve. He will ask about your medical and surgical history, lifestyle choices such as smoking, and tolerance for pain and downtime. He will then perform a thorough physical examination to assess your:
- Degree of loose skin
- Areas of excess fat
- Skin tone & texture
- Elasticity or “bounce back” to your skin
- Previous surgical scars
Then, together, you will discuss the best procedure or procedures for your individual anatomy and goals.
Non-Surgical Body Contouring Procedures for Men
Perhaps the biggest body contouring issue for most men is the shape of their abdomen. With age, many men develop a rubber tire around their middle. This thickening of the waist and abdomen can make you feel heavy in spirit as well as body. Your clothes don’t fit right and the really frustrating thing is that, oftentimes, hundreds of crunches and pounds of broccoli don’t make much of a difference. The fat needs to be removed. Dr. Doherty offers two effective non-surgical fat reduction techniques: SculpSure® and Coolsculpting®.
And though men have thicker skin than women, it can still become loose, lax and wrinkled with time on the:
- Abdomen
- Arms
- Lower back
- Chest
- Buttocks
Unfortunately, non-surgical fat reduction techniques do not tighten skin. This is why Dr. Doherty will often combine them with ThermiRF for skin tightening. This non-surgical procedure uses radiofrequency (RF) energy to gently heat the skin and tissues in the treatment area. The body naturally responds to this “trauma” by producing more collagen and elastin. Since these are two of the foundations of youthful looking skin, the end result is smoother, tighter, more lifted looking tissue.
SculpSure® & Coolsculpting® for Men
SculpSure® and Coolsculpting® are two of the most popular non-surgical procedures for reducing fat and improving body contour in men. While both are effective, they work in different ways. SculpSure® is a laser that uses heat to safely destroy only the targeted fat cells in the treatment area. Your body’s lymphatic system then eliminates these destroyed fat cells. Ideally, patients can expect up to a 24% reduction in the number of fat cells in the treatment area although it will typically take more than one session, spaced 8 weeks apart, in order to achieve your ideal body proportion.
Coolsculpting®, on the other hand, brings the temperature of the fat down and this freezes the fat cells which is destructive. With both Coolsculpting® ad SculpSure®, the removal of fat improves a patient’s contour, and the results are permanent assuming that your weight remains stable. Once a fat cell is targeted, it is gone for good. However, if you gain more than 10 lbs., your remaining fat cells will expand. And this can once again throw off your body contour.
Surgical Body Contouring Procedures for Men: Liposuction
Unfortunately, no non-surgical body contouring technique will deliver the same kind of result as liposuction. It is the gold standard as it gives Dr. Doherty the ability to literally sculpt your body into its ideal contour. With liposuction, he can precisely and subtly carve not just the appropriate valleys, but also the peaks. If you look at Michelangelo’s “David”, the beauty is as much about the shadows as it is about the light.
Besides being seriously effective, the other big benefit of liposuction is its versatility. With liposuction, Dr. Doherty can treat almost any area of the body with excess fat including the:
- Neck
- Beneath the chin
- Chest
- Abdomen
- Back
- Flanks
- Thighs
Furthermore, liposuction is a one-and-done procedure unlike both SculpSure® and Coolsculpting® which require multiple treatments. However, there is downtime associated with liposuction. It is surgery. Though it can often be performed safely under local anesthesia which cuts down on your recovery time, all liposuction patients must wear a compression garment for several weeks after surgery. This helps reduce swelling, promote healing and encourage the skin to lay down as smoothly as possible.
Gynecomastia
It is estimated that 50% of men in Boston suffer from some degree of gynecomastia. This is defined as an excess of chest tissue and/or fat. It can be extremely troubling for affected men both physically and emotionally. No man wants “man-boobs” as a masculine looking chest is smooth and flat. While liposuction alone can address undesired chest fullness that is solely the result of excess fat, this is the exception rather than the rule. Most sufferers are going to need to surgically excise the excess chest tissue that is gland. Dr. Doherty excels at gynecomastia surgery. As one of his specialties, he takes pride in sculpting the ideal chest for your body with the least invasive incisions as possible.
So, if your body contour is making you look less toned than you’d like, schedule an appointment to come in and talk to us about body contouring for men. With a little help, you’ll be feeling like a god in no time.
To find out more about body contouring for men procedures with Dr. Sean Doherty at his Boston or Brookline office, contact us today or call (617) 450-0070 to schedule a consultation.
FAQs
Can a laser really get rid of my beer belly?
SculpSure® is truly effective, but only on subcutaneous fat. This is the kind of fat that you can actually pinch or pull away from the body. Laser Assisted Liposuction also treats this layer of fat. Many men with a “beer belly” suffer from visceral or intra-abdominal fat. This is the dangerous kind of fat that can’t be pinched because it resides deep in your belly, wrapped around your organs. It is dangerous in that it is associated with obesity, diabetes and hypertension. The good news is that visceral fat responds really well to changes in diet and exercise.
I need surgery for my gynecomastia. Will I have bad scars?
Unfortunately, any kind of surgery is going to leave a scar. But assuming that you see a highly qualified plastic surgeon with a lot of gynecomastia experience, the scars should not be overwhelming. Depending on where the incisions are placed, they are often concealed, for example, by the transition between your areola and chest skin.
Do I have to wear a support garment after liposuction?
Yes. It makes no sense to go through the trouble and expense of surgery, and then not do everything possible to insure a great looking result. A compression garment is a fundamental component of your healing process. And frankly, most of my patients wind up liking their garment as it greatly reduces any post procedure discomfort. The garment also helps to hasten recovery from swelling and encourages your skin to lay down tightly.
I have a lot of fat under my chin, but I also have loose skin. Can this be treated non-surgically?
Without seeing you in person, I can’t say what would be best for you. But I often combine Kybella®, SculpSure® and liposuction with ThermiRF to address exactly this issue.
I am in good shape, but have some loose skin in my lower belly that drives me nuts. What would be best?
You sound like the perfect candidate for ThermiRF. It’s a non-surgical modality that uses RF or radiofrequency energy to heat the skin on your abdomen. This causes your body to produce more skin tightening collagen and elastin.