10 Facts About Liposuction for Men

Liposuction is a fantastic tool for sculpting the body and bringing out the best in your physique - whether you’re a woman or a man. 

At Ocean Clinic, we typically see more female patients for this procedure than male but, in this article, we wanted to highlight the incredible results we can achieve with plastic surgery for men. We’ll also explain the benefits of liposuction, look at how it’s done and bust a few myths!

Fact #1. Liposuction can reach the parts diet and exercise cannot

Men often think that the answer to their stubborn fat is to work harder at the gym… this is not always the case. There are places on a man’s body where fat accumulates - like the stomach and flanks - which are very hard (sometimes impossible) to target with exercise. And even with a healthy diet, they don’t go away. 

It’s incredibly frustrating when you don’t see the results you’d hoped for from your hard work. But, if this describes your situation, you’re an ideal candidate for liposuction. We can remove your love handles and take away excess abdominal and belly fat to show the muscles beneath, finally giving you the body you deserve.

Fact #2. Larger areas of fat can be tackled with liposuction 

While lipo is ideal for getting rid of hard-to-shift pockets of fat, it can also handle larger amounts of fat. Up to 5,000 cc of fat (11 lbs) can be removed in one session, meaning we can treat larger bellies. With that said, liposuction isn’t a treatment for obesity, so you’ll need to have a healthy starting bodyweight to be a good candidate.

It’s important to note that if you don’t maintain a healthy lifestyle following liposuction, you can regain weight, so it’s not an alternative to a good diet and exercise. However, if you want to banish your belly and get started with a new positive self-care regime, liposuction could be right for you. 

Fact #3. Male breasts can be treated with liposuction

Excess chest fat, which gives the appearance of breasts, affects thousands of men and can be very embarrassing. It can occur through being overweight, with age or because of a condition called gynecomastia. Liposuction can be used to treat all types. 

With gynecomastia, we cut out excess glandular tissue and then use liposuction to improve the contour of the chest. Where the issue is simply an accumulation of fatty tissue, it can be easily removed through liposuction, restoring a masculine physique. This type of liposuction can have a huge positive impact on a man’s psychological wellbeing.

Fact #4. Liposuction is not just for the body

People tend to think of liposuction as a treatment for excess body fat, but it can be used to treat smaller, more delicate areas too. It can effectively treat double chins, fatty cheek pouches and remove unwanted neck fat.

Liposuction can also be used to sculpt and contour the lower face. If you want to strengthen your jawline, fat can be removed to make the bone more prominent, exposing clean, angular lines. Restoring good definition to the chin and jaw can take years off a man’s appearance and make them appear more masculine.  

Fact #5. Liposuction does not leave visible scars

Men are sometimes deterred from having liposuction because they think they will be left with obvious scarring. Actually, liposuction leaves next to no visible marking. Incisions sites are typically very small, and they are hidden as much as possible. 

Scars can be concealed in the belly button when treating the abdomen and flanks, in the pubic hairline when treating the lower tummy and pubis area, and in the creases of the armpit or neck for treating other areas. The incision site does not always have to be right next to the area being treated.

Fact #6. You don’t have to stay overnight to have liposuction

Liposuction can usually be performed on an outpatient basis - this means you won’t stay overnight in the clinic. These days, you don’t have to be fully anaesthetized to have lipo… but don’t worry, you won’t feel any pain! Local anaesthetic is delivered by the tumescent solution that is injected into the treatment area prior to fat aspiration.

You might feel a prodding or tickling sensation while the liposuction is being carried out, but you’ll receive sedation so that you’re extremely relaxed. Being awake during treatment is the safest way for it to be performed, and it means that patients can normally go home within half an hour of surgery completion.

Fact #7. There are many different types of liposuction 

Liposuction can be a little bit confusing because there’s a variety of different types and lots of different brand names such as CoolLipo, SmartLipo, AquaLipo and Vaser. There are also non-surgical treatments used for getting rid of excess fat, like Coolsculpting.

At Ocean Clinic, we use water jet-assisted liposuction. This system uses a slightly pressurised stream of saline to dislodge fat. Because of the way it gently separates the tissue structures, there is considerably less bruising and postoperative swelling than with other lipo methods. This means recovery is quicker. 

Fact #8. Liposuction can be more effective in men than in women

You’d be forgiven for thinking liposuction is more of a “woman thing” but that’s only because women are more likely to seek out cosmetic surgery - not because it’s any less effective on men. In fact, liposuction can get even better results in men.

That’s because men retain their skin elasticity longer than women do, and the areas of fat beneath the skin tend to be firmer and more vascular than those in women. As such, when the fat is removed, the skin bounces back quicker and has better overall tone. 

Fact #9. Fat removed by liposuction can be reused 

When you have unwanted fat removed from one area of your body, you can improve your appearance even further by transplanting it to another. Men typically lose volume from their temples and cheeks as they age and this can lead to a face that looks hollowed out.

Using a specialised technique called micro fat transfer, small droplets of fat are injected into the face to restore volume where it’s been lost. Best of all, it can be done at the same time as your lipo surgery. Fat grafting is a great alternative to fillers because it’s much longer-lasting. It’s also cheaper because liposuction harvests an abundance of fat, whereas filler is paid for by the millilitre. 

Fact #10. Liposuction changes your body for good

Men report high levels of satisfaction with liposuction due to the big difference it can make to their bodies and the reasonably little downtime it requires. It can be a really worthwhile surgery because it gives such long-lasting results.

Fat cells are removed permanently by liposuction, and the body does not produce new ones. And although the remaining fat cells can still increase in size, it will always be harder for you to gain weight in the treated areas. Provided you maintain a healthy lifestyle, you’ll enjoy a more toned physique for years to come. 

Want to know if you're a good candidate for male liposuction? Book an online video consultation or visit one of our clinics in Marbella, Madrid or Zurich. 

Get a Total Leg Makeover with a Thigh Lift and Knee Rejuvenation

Do you have great legs? Did you use to? Legs can change quite a lot as we grow older - especially for women. Skin starts to sag, cellulite forms and fat accumulates, but these effects of ageing can be reversed with surgery.

If you’d like to feel great in shorts or a swimsuit again, read on to learn about thigh lift and knee rejuvenation...

How do legs age?

Within ageing, the thin skin of the internal thighs starts to lose its elasticity. As the skin begins to sag, this can lead to a wrinkled appearance. People often first notice this sagging and wrinkling around the kneecaps. 

Cellulite also tends to worsen with age, as legs become less toned and grow lumpier. Meanwhile, many women accumulate weight around the bottom and thighs, which becomes increasingly harder to shift.  

What about weight loss?

It’s not only getting older that can change the appearance of our legs - weight loss is another common cause of premature leg ageing. Loose, hanging skin is an unfortunate side effect of rapid weight loss. And there’s no other way to deal with this excess skin than surgically, because once skin is stretched no amount of exercise can restore it.

Yo-yo dieting also contributes to skin deterioration because gaining and losing weight loosens the skin in the same way as blowing up a balloon and letting the air out. 

What’s a thigh lift?

A thigh lift is a surgical procedure to remove excess fat and skin and improve the contours of the thighs. The surgery (also called a crural lift) involves lifting the loose, sagging skin on the upper and outer thigh upwards towards the groin. Once pulled up, excess skin and tissue is removed and deep support sutures are placed in the underlying tissues to help create a tight and toned thigh.

The incisions, which are made in the folds of the groin, are then sealed with skin sutures. The thigh lift procedure is often carried out in conjunction with liposuction, in order to remove larger amounts of fat and further shape and contour the thighs. The removal of fat slims thighs and prevents them from rubbing together. It also reduces the appearance of cellulite.

What’s knee rejuvenation?

While a thigh lift will pull up sagging skin from around the knee and remove hanging fat deposits, the appearance of the knees can be further improved by carefully transplanting fat. Fat removed from the thighs during liposuction can be processed and reinjected in areas where volume has been lost.

Knees can become bony as we age, so contouring the knees out with fat can make them look much more youthful. Additionally, adding fat further helps to fill out wrinkled skin and improve the overall skin tone. 

What scars will I be left with?

The scars from a thigh lift vary based on the areas to be treated and the extent of the work being carried out. They are usually hidden in the groin crease, but can sometimes extend along the inner thigh. 

Improving the contours of the outer thigh may require an incision extending from the groin around the hip. All scars are - as much as possible - placed so that they will be covered by underwear, swimsuits and shorts. Liposuction and the reinjection of fat is performed with a fine cannula meaning these sites will hardly be noticeable. 

How long is recovery?

It’s possible to have a thigh lift and knee rejuvenation performed on an outpatient basis, under twilight sedation, meaning you don’t have to stay overnight in the clinic and can go home the same day. Despite this, you will require at least two weeks of downtime following surgery (up to one month if you have a physical job). 

Are there non-surgical alternatives?

If you don’t have a significant amount of loose skin on your thighs and just want to tighten and tone, non-surgical treatments can be effective. Options include firming ultrasound and radiofrequency treatments like Ulthera and Venus Legacy. 

If the problem with your legs is excess fat, you can see results with fat freezing treatments like Coolsculpting. Meanwhile, Ocean Clinic also offers specialist treatment for cellulite, stretchmarks and leg veins offering you holistic results.

Are you interested in learning more about treatments for legs? Book a virtual or in-person consultation at one of Ocean Clinic’s three locations in Spain and Switzerland.

4 TikTok Dental Hacks You Should NOT Try at Home

Have you been thinking about the state of your teeth more lately? Perhaps it’s because you’ve been spending more time than you might like looking at yourself on a webcam? 

The rise of videoconferencing has led to increased interest in cosmetic dentistry. Many practices have been receiving higher than expected enquiries, as people desire to make their smiles more “Zoom friendly”. 

But it’s not just facing up to our imperfections on camera that’s driving demand for cosmetic dentistry. We’re also more influenced than ever by social media. Research shows that the use of social media soared during the pandemic, and this has fuelled demand for “celebrity smiles”. Among the most popular are Cristiano Ronaldo (the most followed person on Instagram, with 238m followers), Ariana Grande and Kylie Jenner. 

Unfortunately, the desire for a superstar smile has led some people to try at-home fixes. During the last few months, TikTok has become a place for people to share their DIY dentistry tips, which have ranged from using a nail file to reshape teeth, to whitening teeth with hair bleach. 

It’s a worrying trend… and could lead to long-term damage for your teeth. So, we wanted to let you know what you should and shouldn’t be doing in your quest for the perfect smile. 

Don't: use a nail file on your teeth

It might seem harmless using a nail file to smooth a chipped tooth but, if you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s very easy to make a mistake. If you remove too much enamel (that’s the hard, white protective layer), you’ll expose the yellow dentin within the teeth. 

Not only will this cause your tooth to look discoloured and make it more vulnerable to staining, but it could also result in chronic sensitivity. What’s more, you might inadvertently cause changes to your bite that could cause a whole host of other problems.

Do: have professional dental contouring 

Leave tooth contouring to the professionals. Your dentist will use specialist diamond filing tools to expertly smooth rough edges and reshape your teeth to bring them into alignment. They will be sure that any changes do not negatively impact the function of your teeth.

Don't: use raw bleach for whitening

Although there are plenty of home teeth-whitening products available, the latest social media hack sees people using raw hydrogen peroxide. This is often many times stronger than the amount allowed in regulated teeth-whitening products. 

Hydrogen peroxide is carcinogenic and should be handled with extreme care. It’s not something you want to self-administer in your mouth because of the risk of ingestion. What’s more, it can also cause damage to soft tissue and can result in severe gum recession. 

Do: have an in-clinic whitening treatment

A reputable dentist will be able to offer an effective but gentle teeth whitening solution that will take care of your teeth. The treatment that we offer at Ocean Dental Marbella can lighten your teeth by a few shades without added heat or light, which can be drying and cause sensitivity. You can enhance results with a take-home tray that is used for the next 3 days following the in-clinic session.

Don't: remove plaque at home

At-home plaque scrapers might seem like a good idea for keeping your teeth in good health but these tools can easily do more harm than good. Dentists go through years of training to learn how to safely scrape off plaque and tartar from your teeth. 

If used improperly, dental tools can cause gum damage and recession. Tartar can also accidentally be shoved under the gumline, causing oral health problems.  

Do: book a professional clean

Book in for a professional clean and your teeth will be cleaned with an ultrasonic scaler. This gently blasts away plaque and tartar using high vibrational energy, without causing any damage to your teeth or gums. Your teeth will also be polished using ‘Airflow’, a powerful combination of water, air and bicarbonate powder, that will help to remove any surface staining. 

Don't: make your own braces

It’s hard to believe, but some people have gone as far as trying to make their own braces. In an effort to close gaps in their smiles they’re using rubber bands to pull teeth closer together. It might save money but it’s a very dangerous gamble to take. 

Orthodontics is a highly skilled field of dentistry, which requires 10+ years of training. It’s not just about producing the desired aesthetic result, it’s also about understanding the knock-on effect that shifting teeth will have. The condition of your gum, jaw bone, and teeth must all be considered. Moving teeth without doing this could cause disharmony in the eating system leading to painful TMJ disorders.

Do: consider invisible braces

If you need to move your teeth to fix your smile, “invisible braces” are a far better solution than rubber bands! Clear retainers like Invisalign or the Incognito system (which goes behind the teeth) are designed for maximum comfort and convenience. And for even better results, braces can be combined with veneers. At Ocean Dental Marbella, we make a comprehensive plan for your teeth using digital smile design techniques. This lets us simulate the movement of the teeth, design the correct retainers and make sure the end result both looks and functions beautifully. 

Want more confidence in your smile? Don’t resort to DIY dentistry! Book an online or in-clinic consultation with Ocean Dental Marbella.

Micro Fat Transfer: A Non-Surgical Facelift Alternative

 Is your face looking older? Would you like to look more rested and refreshed but don’t want to have a facelift? 

Micro fat transfer offers a real alternative for facial rejuvenation without the need for any invasive surgery, and it’s suitable for both men and women. 

What is micro fat transfer?

Micro fat transfer is the process of grafting fat to the face using a micro injection technique. This approach allows small droplets of fat to be placed with extreme precision. The fat is carefully layered to restore volume in areas where it has been lost.

Grafting the fat in small quantities allows the surgeon to contour the face like an artist shaping clay. Fat can be placed exactly to plump out lines and wrinkles, and added bit by bit in delicate areas such as under the eye. Not only does this provide a better aesthetic result, but it also maximises the odds that the transplanted fat will gain a blood supply and become permanent tissue. 

How is micro fat transfer different to facial fillers?

With micro fat transfer, the fat is added droplet by droplet. It’s a very precise art and requires a high level of skill. Volume is slowly built up until an optimal level is achieved, which means you can avoid an “over-filled” look and the result is completely natural looking.

What’s more, the material being used as a filler - your own body fat - is completely natural. It behaves naturally, with the correct texture and movement. Rather than adding anything foreign or synthetic to your body, it’s simply a case of restoring fat to the areas where it used to be.  

Another major benefit to using transplanted fat over cosmetic fillers is that it’s a permanent solution. Whereas fillers are reabsorbed by the body and need to be repeated every 9-18 months, transplanted fat remains. It only diminishes with the natural ageing process. 

Who is a good candidate for micro fat transfer?

Volume loss is one of the earliest signs of ageing, starting in the thirties. As it continues to progress, the face becomes thinner and the skin starts to sag. Imagine removing stuffing from a cushion; as the volume inside the cushion decreases, the fabric loses its tightness and starts to wrinkle.  

The fat pads in our face are just like cushions, giving us a soft, youthful fullness. The loss of these fat pads is the number one reason we start to look older. It’s something we’ve only come to understand quite recently - and it means that we can start fending off the signs of ageing earlier than before.

Previously, a person might have waited until they had significant skin laxity, say in their sixties, to tackle the problem. A full facelift would be performed to tighten the skin, easing the appearance of wrinkling but nothing would be done to restore lost volume. Hence, the facelifts of yesteryear often looked somewhat unnatural. 

Now, a surgeon is able to assess a patient’s face to see where volume loss has occurred - and the knock-on effect that’s having. As soon as volume loss begins to occur, it can be “topped up” with fat taken from elsewhere on the body. This makes it a suitable treatment for younger people.

With that said, even more advanced volume loss can be treated with fat grafting. Older patients who don’t want a facelift can still see significant improvements when treated with transplanted fat alone. Meanwhile, older patients who combine surgical skin lifting with micro fat transfer can see incredible results. At Ocean Clinic, all our facelifts also include fat grafting. 

What areas can be treated with micro fat transfer?

Most commonly, fat loss starts in the cheeks and temples and this is when gravity begins to take effect, pulling everything else downwards. Restoring fat to these regions can help to pull the lower face back up into place. Fat can also be used to treat:

• Thinning lips 

• “Smokers’ lines” around the lips

• Nasolabial folds or “marionette lines”

• Hollows under the eye

• Lack of definition around the jawline

When done throughout the entire face, it can restore a youthful roundness and make a person look younger, healthier and more energetic. 

How is micro fat transfer carried out?

The procedure is most commonly performed under local anaesthesia with light sedation. This means you don’t need to stay overnight in the clinic and eliminates the risk of general anaesthesia, which is often a concern for older patients.

A gentle liposuction technique is used to remove the fat from the donor site, which would usually be somewhere we typically store fat, like the tummy, “love handles” or “muffin tops”. To prepare the fat for transfer, we use a centrifuge, separating the fat from the oil, water and blood. 

The fat is placed into multiple syringes and then injected in the desired portion of the face. It’s built up layer by layer, until the perfect plumpness is achieved. Other than a very small incision at the fat harvesting site, no incisions are made in the face. 

How long is the recovery from micro fat transfer?

Patients who have had micro fat transfer can go home the same day with little discomfort and essentially no downtime. You’re usually able to return to work the following day, although we recommend taking some time off if you can as you may experience some bruising and swelling around the injection sites. 

Likewise, you’ll have some tenderness around the donor area and will need to wear compression bandages. Patients usually return to normal activity within a week to 10 days and the final result is seen a month after the treatment.

Want a facial assessment with a surgeon to see what micro fat transfer could do for you? Contact Ocean Clinic for an appointment - either in-person at one of our clinics or online via Skype/Zoom. 

I'm Unhappy with my Nose - What are my Options?

If you don’t like the way your nose looks, you’ve probably spent a long time wondering if you should do something about it - and, if so, what?

It can be difficult for people to tell what actually needs to be done to their nose to improve its appearance. In this article, we’ll help you understand the most common reasons people are unhappy with their noses - and the best treatments to correct them, including non-surgical options.

If your nose is too big

An ideally proportioned nose is one that’s in harmony with the rest of the facial features. If a nose projects too far out, it will look off-kilter and be very noticeable. To assess if the nose is too big, vertical and horizontal measurements are taken. The horizontal measurement is then divided by the vertical measurement. The optimum range is 0.55 to 0.60. 

To reduce the projection of the nose, a reduction rhinoplasty is needed. The procedure involves removing some cartilage and filing down the bone to bring measurements into the optimum range. 

If your nose is too small

If your nose falls below the ideal 0.55 to 0.60 size range it can also look out of proportion (according to Caucasian facial proportions). The projection of the nose can be increased non-surgically by injecting dermal filler (with the result lasting 12-18 months) or surgically, with a dorsal augmentation. 

A dorsal augmentation uses either a silicone implant or -preferably - your own septal cartilage to build up your bridge. If you don’t have sufficient cartilage, a rib or bone graft can also be used.

If your nose is too long

To analyse if the nose is too long for a face, surgeons divide the face into three equal sections horizontally. If the nose extends lower than the middle third of the face then it is too long. This is usually caused by an overly large nasal tip and/or hanging columella (the bit between the nostrils).

The angle of the tip of the nose (the amount the nose is turned up) also plays an important role. Measured from the lip up, the ideal range of rotation is 90 to 100 degrees for men and 95 to 110 degrees for women. A female nose that is rotated less than 90 degrees to the face looks droopy, long and masculine.

If the over-projection of the nasal tip is modest, the appearance can be improved by placing a small amount of injectable muscle relaxant at the base of the nose in between the nostrils, or possibly into the nose tip itself. This relaxes the fibres of the depressor muscle that pulls the nose downward and lifts the nose for 4 to 6 months. 

Where a greater uplift is needed, or the nasal tip/columella needs to be reduced in size, excess tissue can be removed during surgery and sutures can be placed to alter the angle of the nose.

If your nose is too short

A short nose is one that is too turned up or what is called ‘over-rotated’. It can result in very visible nostrils giving the appearance of a ‘pig nose.’ A mildly over-rotated nose can be improved with dermal filler injections into the bridge. These can soften the appearance and create the illusion of a more proportionate nose.

But for more severe over-rotation, a specialised plastic surgery technique called derotation or counter-rotation is needed. A derotation rhinoplasty procedure requires a cartilage graft (sourced from the septum or rib) to lengthen the nose and correct the position and rotation of the nasal tip. 

If your nose is too wide

The ideal width of a nose differs according to ethnicity. For Caucasians, the optimal measurement is considered to be one-fifth of the total width of the face. A wide nose will usually be caused by a flat and broad nasal bridge but it can also be contributed to by a bulbous or thick nose tip and flared nostrils.

The width of the nose cannot be shrunk without surgery but dermal fillers can add volume and give an illusion of a smaller nose bridge by adding more height. To treat a wide nose surgically, a medial or lateral osteotomy is performed. A medial osteotomy is the reshaping of the midsection of your nose, while a lateral osteotomy involves chiselling the outer, longer sections of your nose bone.

In some cases, both techniques may be combined to produce an overall narrower appearance of the nasal bridge. Surgery to reduce the size of the nasal tip and width of the nostrils (alarplasty) might also be included. 

If your nose is too narrow

A narrow nose can be due to a narrow bridge or a narrow tip. A narrow bridge is often caused by a dorsal hump and can be easily corrected by filing down the bone to give a flatter appearance. However, sometimes it’s due to collapsed nasal bones or cartilages and, in these cases, spreader grafts are needed to widen the area.

Meanwhile, a narrow or pinched tip can be corrected by using grafts to rebuild the proper cartilage support of the nose and nostrils. Where cartilages in the tip are overlapping, soft tissue spacer grafts can be placed to separate them.

There are non-surgical possibilities, though. For some patients, the use of dermal fillers can enhance volume in different parts of the nose. 

If your nose is bumpy or wonky 

A bumpy or wonky nose is caused by a dorsal hump and/or a deviated septum. These can occur naturally or through trauma - a broken nose can result in a dorsal hump if the cartilage and bone heal unevenly.

A dorsal hump can be treated non-surgically using filler above and below the bump to smooth out the transition and make the bump less noticeable. The drawback is that because you are adding volume to the nose it can make it appear bigger. Also, the injections have to be repeated every 12-18 months.

If the bump is small, it can be filed or shaved down, which avoids having to break the bones of the nose but for larger dorsal humps, osteotomy is necessary. This involves making small cuts to the nasal bones where they meet the cheek so they can be repositioned. 

Septoplasty is the usual way to repair a deviated septum. During septoplasty, your nasal septum is straightened and repositioned in the centre of your nose. This may require your surgeon to cut and remove parts of your septum before reinserting them in the proper position. 

Getting the right treatment for your nose

The truth is, getting a perfectly sized and shaped nose for your face may require a combination of revisions. The best way to find out is to have a consultation with a surgeon who can examine your nose and assess it in relation to your other facial features. 

Even if you have a clear idea of what you’d like to achieve, a surgeon will be able to advise what’s actually possible, taking into consideration your anatomy, skin type and overall health. At Ocean Clinic, we can advise on both surgical and non-surgical options for changing your nose. 

Contact us to make an appointment