Liposuction for Men

Also known as lipoplasty, liposuction is a simple method using high-tech equipment to remove excess fatty tissue from deep within the skin. For men, liposuction is typically performed on the abdominal areas where fat, either hereditary or stored over many years, has proven difficult to shift from diet and exercise.

The surgical version of liposuction involves incisions to the skin to enable the ultrasonic energy probes to remove the fatty tissues. Although not designed as a weight loss solution for the clinically obese, the results on size reduction and smoother skin are impressive – and long lasting with minimal scarring. Recovery time is speedy (depending upon the individual) and you can expect to back to your normal lifestyle within a few weeks.

Throughout your research you might not have found a good deal of specific information for men about liposuction. We recommend you read all sections relating to Liposuction For Men on the Juvea website, so you can be certain that all your questions are answered. Should you have any concerns at all, please call and speak to a Juvea expert so that you can make a well informed choice.

Why choose us?

We understand that you are looking for the best results, with the minimum downtime. We also understand that both men and women want to experience minimum discomfort during any treatment whether that procedure is for essential or aesthetic purposes. This is where the highest medical standards combined with the most experienced clinicians become the priority in your search for the right practitioner.

Juvea Aesthetics is a well-established medical and aesthetics practice. It is owned and run by a team of highly qualified doctors and clinicians – most of whom are leading the way in education, research and ethical guidance.

We will always ensure that each of our patients is 100% certain they are happy with their chosen procedure and they understand everything that is involved before going ahead with surgery. So, you can be assured that from the moment you decide upon your treatment, right through to the final post operative assessment your needs will be met.

Benefits of Liposuction

Surgical liposuction offers two main benefits to those with excess body fat:

A reduction in size of specific parts of the body
Improved contours to the flesh.

Another benefit reported by some patients is the long term results offered by liposuction. This means the area should not “fill up” again, which is reassuring that the problem is unlikely to reoccur. Of course, some factors such as ageing, alcoholism and medical conditions could override this outcome.

These are the physical benefits but naturally when we look better we generally feel better too. And so, perhaps the real benefit is an emotional one. It is because a patient has been unhappy with their appearance for a prolonged period of time, and feels pessimistic about any improvement through natural efforts, that they seek medical help.

With successful treatment a patient can get back some inner confidence. They might even find a new lease of life and ultimately achieve a level of self esteem they truly deserve.

Combining Liposuction With A “Tummy Tuck”

Liposuction alone is not always the best option. If you have a particularly difficult problem, especially in the abdominal area, abdominoplasty (or tummy tuck) is offered. For patients who are clinically obese and are at risk of declining health the method of cutting away fatty tissue combined with the liposuction technology can be highly effective.

A full abdominoplasty procedure involves making incisions horizontally at the top of the pubic area and the circumference of the navel. Scarring is therefore around the navel and above pubis (similar to the caesarean-section surgery needed for childbirth). Due to the nature of this procedure, a full general anaesthetic is required. A stay in hospital is necessary and the duration of this will depend upon your immediate post-operative recovery.

As this surgery affects the very centre of your body, you must be prepared to take good of care of yourself to ensure a full recovery without complications. Normal movement will be restricted for a while as well as lifting, carrying and exercise.

For those requiring less fat/skin removal a “modified” abdominoplasty can be performed. This does not involve the removal of the navel, meaning less intrusion and scarring. This surgery is often recommended for those who have lost a considerable amount of weight and have a residue of surface tissue and skin.

What areas can be treated?

The typical areas of the male body that benefit from liposuction are:

Double chin/jowls
Chest
Loins
Abdomen
Buttocks

There are some other areas of the body that can be treated for men such as the thighs. Everyone is unique and therefore all consultations should be considered as treating your needs in a bespoke way. If you are keen to have multiple areas treated at one time, or you have a problem area that you wish to deal with speak to an expert at Juvea. Almost all fatty areas can be addressed with some degree of success.

Who benefits from Liposuction?

The treatment was devised as a solution to reducing fat from areas of the body that simply refuses to shift through the conventional weight loss attempts. Liposuction was not designed specifically for women although it is this group that has been the “early adopter” of the procedure. More men are turning to this method after having tried and failed to lose the weight through dieting and exercise approach.

For men there is also the potential problem where fat can settle after the cessation of body building or super athletic activities. Muscle can rapidly waste away and the area instead starts to store fat in a way that is most stubborn for breaking down after prolonged and intensive periods of training.

It might be that you have inherited the excess fat condition from your parents which means you can be sure that how they reacted to, or treated, the problem (with or without success) will mostly likely be the same outcome for you. There is plenty of opportunity at the first consultation to explain your situation and desired results.

We are happy to offer the procedure once we have been assured that:

You are a physically healthy individual
You are mentally well, and certain that you have considered all possibilities
You have tried your best to rid the fat through diet and/or exercise.

What are the results?

You can expect to see impressive results with surgical liposuction. Carried out by highly experienced surgeons, the Juvea liposuction procedure is a safe and reliable method for long term fat reduction and smoother body contours.

After around one week post surgery you will have an assessment with the surgeon or Juvea clinician. By this time, initial swelling should have subsided enough to judge how successful the procedure has been. Most patients see a noticeable size reduction at this stage.

If you had set out to achieve a more even skin surface you should, after a few weeks, see an improvement and you can discuss the progress with your consultant.

With the treatment of multiple sites, or complex procedures you may need to wait a while before seeing the desired outcome. Most people report an improvement of around 70+% success rate and feel they have gained the result they set out to achieve.

A smaller area with firmer skin being the No.1 aim.

You can expect to see the optimum results between 6-12 months after the surgery. A full 12 months is likely for larger or more complex areas. Your surgeon will not conduct a final review of the treatment until he/she considers the recovery period complete.

Long term effects:

Men considering liposuction treatment must understand that bodily changes such as ageing, weight gain/loss or medical conditions can affect body mass and skin contours visually and to the touch.

The Procedure

The first step is agreeing with the consultant that surgical liposuction is the right procedure for you.

An appointment will be made (and here is where you must consider planning around your work/leisure schedule), and all pre and post operation details will be fully explained.

For liposuction (not including abdominoplasty), the standard practice is quite a simple and reliable method using vacuum suction:

The area will be shaved and cleansed.
Local (or sometimes general) anaesthetic is administered.
A small puncture is made to the treated areas.
A long hollow tubing (cannula) is inserted to the layers of the fat.
A saline solution mixed with anaesthetic is pumped through to break down the fat.
The fat is then extracted by vacuum suction provided by either a pump or large syringe.
Because you may lose body fluids you will be connected to a drip for a short period of time following surgery. The small incision sites generally do not require stitches.
Anaesthesia is required for liposuction. Usually the surgeon will combine local anaesthesia to the area long with sedation. Occasionally a general anaesthetic is required.
Surgery time will depend upon the number areas being treated, the complexity of these areas and the volume of fat being extracted. Typically, though you should expect to be in theatre for 1-2 hours.
You will feel a bit drowsy for some time after the procedure as the general anaesthetic wears off.
As with all other forms of liposuction, you will be required to wear a compression garment after a laser liposuction.
Recovery time will depend upon the complexity of the operation and the volume of flesh affected. It is expected that you will need around one week to recover before returning to your normal lifestyle. Full details for a successful recovery will be given at the time of your first consultation and post-surgery.
A follow up consultation will be required around 1 week after your surgery to ensure successful healing, and a later appointment to assess the full results of the procedure.

Other techniques include:

Advanced Laser Lipo or a combination of techniques. This method uses laser-assisted lipoplasty and is simply a combination of laser and liposuction.
When provided separately Advanced Laser Lipo is performed under local anaesthesia in the minor procedure room on an out-patient basis.
Initially a small cannula is inserted into the fatty tissue through a puncture site and local anaesthesia/IV fluids are introduced to numb the treatment areas. Then the optical laser fibre is used to emit heat which literally melts the fat using back/forth motions in a fan shape. The action of the laser means that less invasive suction is required to remove the fatty tissue.
Average procedure time is 2 hours.
Lipo-Selection uses a specific targeting technology, a patented grooved solid metal probe is first inserted through small skin incisions. Ultrasonic energy is emitted from the sides and end of the probe, as it passes back and forth and this breaks down fatty deposits before a cannular is inserted in the area of emulsified fat cells.

You should see some improvement within a few weeks, once the post-operative swelling has reduced. You can expect to see the optimum results between 6-12 months after the surgery. A full 12 months is likely for larger or more complex areas.

What are the risks?

Every medical procedure carries some degree of risk either during or post surgery. Occasionally a patient has a bad reaction to the equipment, medication or dressings, but the highest risk is that of infection. This can be greatly minimised with the correct post operative care which will be detailed as part of your consultation.

Industry reports indicate some negative results associated with liposuction but in nearly all cases, the problems are solved with appropriate and timely intervention. Reported problems include:

Pain and discomfort; leakage; bruising; swelling; bleeding; skin discolouration; uneven skin surface/tone; changes in sensitivity; irritation; scarring; skin elasticity; deep vein thrombosis; toxic shock syndrome.

Alternatives to Liposuction

Men considering medical treatment for fat reduction should also think about some alternative procedures.

Laser Liposuction

Also known as lipolysis, laser liposuction is an advanced system for reducing small fatty areas of flesh that refuse to shift from dieting and/or exercise. Laser lipolysis can be combined with the conventional methods and is proving to be highly effective for men of all ages.

The procedure is conducted under local anaesthetic with a mild sedation. Small incisions are made the skin to enable the laser light device target the fat cells. These are then absorbed to form an emulsion of fatty tissue. This substance is then gently removed via the ultra fine probes. Because this treatment is virtually non-invasive there is no need for an over night stay and you should experience a very speedy recovery. Getting back to your normal lifestyle as soon as possible is a top priority for most men having aesthetic treatments and with this procedure you should expect to see great results with minimal downtime

SculpSure

An intriguing name but we are seeing some very positive feedback from our clients on this relatively new aesthetic treatment. A good number of men are showing interest in this unique procedure because it is non invasive and requires virtually no downtime. The fat cells are heated to the optimum temperature and, over a period of a few weeks, the fatty tissue is eliminated naturally through the body’s lymphatic system. Juvea Aesthetics partners with SculpSure. This process is ideal for small parts of the body such as the chin and knees and is particularly suited to the male chest area – the problem commonly referred to as “manboobs”.

FAQs

We have set out some typical questions that men have regarding liposuction. If you have a question that is not fully answered here, please give us a call to discuss your situation

Is the treatment a one-off, or will I need to have multiple procedures?

Most men find that one procedure is enough to give them the results they desire. It is worth noting that it is important to set realistic expectations from the start. Liposuction is not a miracle worker and it might take some time before the optimum results are visible – perhaps one year on from the procedure.

How much discomfort am I likely to experience?

Surgical liposuction impacts the deeper layers of flesh. The incisions and pressure to separate the fatty tissue would be painful without anaesthetic. You will receive adequate pain relief from the intravenous anaesthetic system. For larger areas or more complex cases a general anaesthetic is required. This means some more recovery time, but once the procedure is over, the discomfort – rather than severe pain, can be treated with non-prescription pain relief medicine.

How long does it take to see the full results I expect?

Each man’s body is different and recovers in its own unique way. Seeing the results that you were hoping for will depend upon the complexity of the operation. You should see an improvement in size reduction very quickly, within weeks. If you are looking for a finer body reshaping solution it might be that you will need to wait a full year. Therefore it is ideal to consider this and plan your surgery accordingly.

What about scarring?

Even with non- or low-invasive treatments, there is a degree or risk associated with scarring. Sutures (stitches) are usually the cause for noticeable scarring. Depending upon the amount of flesh treated and the number or size of incisions, stitching is generally minimal or not required at all. Your current state of health, healing behaviour and lifestyle may all play a part in the eventual outcome. You will be given the best advice to avoid any unnecessary scarring during your consultation and also post operation.

I’ve heard about SculpSure – is it better than the traditional liposuction method?

SculpSure is a relatively new technique, and it is a very different process to liposuction – requiring the body to eliminate the fats naturally via the lymphatic drainage system. This can take longer than the surgical approach which removes the fat in one go while under anaesthetic and sedation. With fat freezing, results are less predictable and therefore if less fat than expected has drained away, another attempt may be required.

In comparison, the benefits of fat freezing are mainly due to the procedure being a non-invasive treatment and therefore an almost “zero downtime” treatment. Risks associated to intravenous anaesthetics are also minimised.

Non- or low invasive treatments are wonderful but something you need to be mindful of when considering the various practices near to you is that the practitioners may not be medically qualified. Considering this you need to question their professional standards even more rigorously.

What about qualifications – I would not be happy with a recently qualified beautician slicing into my flesh!

Traditional surgical liposuction is a medical procedure. It is minimally invasive but it does require stringent practice standards. In your research you must tick all the boxes with 100% certainty. As yourself:

Does this practice have more than one qualified clinician?
What is the highest qualification they have?
How many liposuction procedures have they carried out in recent months?
Are they happy to show me their certificates of education and training?
Are they happy to show me the clinic’s indemnity insurance?
How many glowing testimonials can I see and rely upon?
If they seem very cheap, ask why would that be? Perhaps they have no local competitors, but maybe they are newly qualified and a new business.

At Juvea all our clinicians have trained to the highest standards appropriate to aesthetic and medical procedures. Furthermore, they are part of a pioneering team who believe in elevating the best possible medical practices and ethical behaviours.

Will the fat return to the same area?
It is unlikely that the targeted area would store fat again in the medium-long term. It is possible in the much longer term due to the natural ageing process or because of excessive weight gain, and/or a medical condition and its drug therapies.

We have no recorded incidents of a redistribution of fat to areas that the patient would not normally store fat. Saying that, we cannot rule it out in future. You will discuss these risks as part of your consultation but in the meantime it is worth you conducting further research and that of your family health history.
Does surgical liposuction bring better long lasting results compared to body contouring?
The new technology for body contouring uses a combination of ultrasound and radio frequency, because of this, it offers the benefit of removing fat along with cellulite and even wrinkles or sagging skin. For men, cellulite is less common but for those with sagging skin as a result of drastic dieting, this option could be a good solution. Only a full discussion with a qualified aesthetics clinician can tell you if body contouring would be better for you than surgical liposuction.
So, what’s the worst that can happen?
Poor healing and/or infection are the most common causes of problematic surgical procedures. This can be minimised by smart post operative care from the provider and the patient. At Juvea our adverse reaction record is excellent – with XXX % of problems recorded during the procedure or immediately after. Health history and information on allergies and sensitivities are captured at the consultation but there is still an outside change that someone will react to the equipment, the physical method of fat removal, medications or dressings.
Industry reports the following outcomes in a very small percentage of patients:
Pain and discomfort; leakage; bruising; swelling; bleeding; skin discolouration; uneven skin surface/tone; changes in sensitivity; irritation; scarring; skin elasticity; deep vein thrombosis; toxic shock syndrome.
When can get back to work and my exercise routine?
The first 48 hours will require quality rest but not bed rest. It is recommended you book one week off work but if your job is sedate or you work at home the week after the procedure will mean no exercise, carrying or lifting. Exactly how much time off work will depend upon your job and how well your body usually heals. At your first post-operation consultation, you can discuss returning to exercise and increasing activity etc.
I am a 40 year old man and have been suffering from “manboobs” since my early twenties, would liposuction suit me?
Liposuction can be offered for this condition but it might be that one of the other procedures such as body contouring, or fat freezing would be a better option. Call a Juvea consultant to discuss your situation and you can talk though the various procedures offered at our clinics. It might be that you will need to be examined before a final decision on the best treatment can be made.

Is liposuction just for the torso?
Liposuction is appropriate for areas that hold a significant amount of fat. It is not usually conducted on the face, but if a male patient has a problem with severe jowls or a “double chin” then liposuction can be offered. It is always recommended that you discuss this with an expert clinician as it might be that a different method of fat removal could provide a better solution.