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.
