Popular Plastic Surgery Procedures for Men
Plastic surgery in the early 20th century focused primarily on men. That’s because it was often used for reconstructive purposes on soldiers injured in the battlefield.
As the century progressed, however, plastic surgery began to take on a sizable cosmetic component that became the domain of mostly women. And it remained that way for many decades.
That’s changing though. An increasing number of men are getting plastic surgery. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, nearly 1.7 million men opted for cosmetic procedures in 2023. So what’s happening?
Plastic Surgery Procedures for Men Are More Socially Acceptable
The development of the internet and social media has given rise to men being more concerned about their appearance. As such, they’ve begun to embrace the option of plastic surgery far more than in the past. Some procedures, however, are gaining ground in popularity faster than others:
- Liposuction
Liposuction is a large umbrella term that covers an array of liposuction types and techniques. This allows for men to pick and choose based on their aesthetic goals.
For example, the 360 liposuction procedure focuses on the entire body for a well-rounded approach to a more toned physique. Meanwhile, for the time-crunched man who’s looking for more minor changes, there are different laser options available that can be done during lunch and with no downtime. Men can return to work and results appear in five to seven days.
- Gynecomastia
The term gynecomastia is derived from the Greek meaning ‘woman-like breasts.’ It’s an embarrassing condition brought on by stubborn fatty tissue and breast tissue in the chest that affects over 50 percent of men. Factors that contribute to gynecomastia include age, weight gain, genetics, and use of marijuana and/or anabolic steroids. It can be entirely unresponsive to diet and exercise.
In cases where enlarged breasts are a result of obesity. This condition is known as pseudogynecomastia and it’s typically treated with liposuction.
The patient is given either local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia. The plastic surgeon then makes a small incision on each side of the chest. These may be located within the armpit or around the areola. Excess fat is removed through the incisions and the surgeon sculpts a new chest contour before closing the incisions.
In cases that are not the result of obesity, gynecomastia may require surgical tissue excision. This procedure enables the plastic surgeon to remove more glandular tissue and skin that can’t be removed through liposuction. Thus, it’s also recommended for men who have stretched and sagging skin around their breasts.
- Tummy Tuck
Though the tummy tuck has long been connected with women who want their pre-pregnancy bodies back, it’s a procedure that’s become popular among men too as age thickens the middle of the body.
A tummy tuck removes excess skin and fat to give patients a smoother and flatter abdomen. The procedure may also involve the reconstruction of the abdominal wall musculature to tighten weak muscles.
An additional bonus to removing excess fat and skin while tightening and toning abdominal muscles is an improvement in posture. This can alleviate chronic back pain.
- Hair Restoration
Hair loss is one of the biggest concerns for men.
For patients struggling with androgenic alopecia, or even those with early hair loss, a plastic surgeon who offers platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is a great option.
It’s believed that PRP injections not only trigger natural hair growth, but they maintain it by boosting blood supply to the hair follicle and increasing the thickness of the hair shaft.
With this procedure, blood is drawn from the patient’s arm and then placed into a centrifuge for around ten minutes. This will break it down into three different fluids – red blood cells, platelet-poor plasma, and platelet-rich plasma.
The platelet-rich plasma is then drawn into a syringe to be injected into parts of the scalp where increased hair growth is required. Because the patient uses his own blood with PRP therapy, there’s no risk of getting an infectious disease.
- Chin Augmentation
Many men lament the loss of the strong chin and jawline they possessed in their youth. Age has a way of diminishing this line. Chin surgery, also known as mentoplasty, can address this. This surgical procedure reshapes the chin either by enhancement with an implant or reduction surgery on the bone.
Often, plastic surgeons recommend chin surgery to men who are also having rhinoplasty so that they can maintain the facial proportion they desire.
Plastic Surgery Is for Everyone
Plastic surgery procedures for men are on the rise. And why not? There’s no good reason that men shouldn’t feel as confident in their appearance as women.
So if you’re a man considering plastic surgery to address some aspect of your appearance that troubles you, no need to hesitate!
Contact us today to get started on fixing that issue. You’ve waited long enough.
