Sculpt a Masculine Physique With These Chest and Abdominal Shaping Procedures
Most American men carry extra weight on their bodies, and even the slimmest among us tend to have a stubborn area of fat or two. Unfortunately for guys, fat accumulation is often more noticeable than it is on women, as the male body is naturally less contoured. But whether you are struggling with enlarged breasts, a protruding abdomen, or love handles, there are effective and long-lasting solutions to restore your naturally masculine physique. Today, board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Conway pairs your body concerns with the best procedures for treating them.
Enlarged male breasts
Enlarged male breasts (gynecomastia) are present in a significant portion of the male population. Enlarged male breasts can either be the result of enlarged glands or excess fat in the breast tissue. Regardless of their cause, this can be uncomfortable and embarrassing, and seriously affect the quality of a man’s life if left untreated. Thankfully, there are a few very dependable ways to correct enlarged male breast tissue.
- Gynecomastia surgery: Up to 70% of men between the ages of 50 and 69 are affected by gynecomastia, the clinical term for enlarged male breast tissue. Gynecomastia is a common medical condition in which male breast tissue becomes enlarged due to an imbalance in estrogen and testosterone hormones. In addition to affecting the appearance of your physique, enlarged breast tissue can be tender and even painful. Gynecomastia surgery, also known as male breast reduction surgery, is performed to reduce the size and improve the shape of the male chest by removing enlarged glandular tissue and, if necessary, any excess fat.
- Liposuction: For men who suffer from fatty breasts, liposuction is the most effective treatment. While it’s impossible to lose weight in just one area of your body with diet and exercise, liposuction can spot-treat the chest to eliminate stubborn fat, revealing your chest’s natural definition.
Prominent abdomen
Prominent, or protruding, abdomens are extremely common among adult men, particularly those over the age of 50. They are often caused by a poor diet, lack of exercise, and stress. A protruding abdomen can either be “hard” or “soft”: a soft prominent belly indicates you have too much subcutaneous fat (the visible fat you can pinch along your waistline), while a hard prominent belly is often the result of accumulated visceral fat (the non-visible fat that accumulates around your organs).
The following procedures can improve the appearance of a prominent abdomen:
- Liposuction: While liposuction is a very effective procedure for removing diet- and exercise-resistant fat, liposuction alone is often not enough to treat a protruding belly for two reasons: 1) there may be some abdominal muscle separation causing your belly to protrude, which liposuction cannot treat; and 2) you may be left with a significant amount of sagging skin following your procedure, which will require surgical excision. Liposuction is also not effective at reducing visceral fat, which can only be treated with diet and exercise.That said, if you are in generally good shape but struggle with some subcutaneous fat around your abdomen, liposuction may be the perfect procedure to slim your waistline and reveal an underlying muscular six-pack.
- Tummy tuck: Clinically called abdominoplasty, a tummy tuck is the most common procedure for correcting a prominent male belly. During a tummy tuck procedure, I am able to tighten the abdominal muscles (and rejoin them if they are separated) and remove excess fat and skin as needed to improve the function and appearance of the abdomen. For my male patients, a tummy tuck results in a firm, muscular core and trim waistline. I am also able to correct hernias during tummy tuck surgery by returning the abdominal organs to their proper positions and repairing the weakened lower abdominal muscles.
Whichever procedure matches your needs, correcting a protruding belly can increase your core strength, relieve back pain, and improve digestion and posture, helping you feel and look great and age more healthily.
Back fat
Poor diet, overeating, lack of exercise, and genetics are the main contributors to back fat. Once accumulated, back fat can be nearly impossible to get rid of on your own. If diet and exercise aren’t getting you the results you want, liposuction and/or a body lift are your best options for eliminating fat in this tricky area.
- Liposuction: Liposuction is often very effective for spot-reducing fat on the back because 1) men typically have less fat and more muscle in their back than in their stomach and waist, and 2) the skin on the back tends to be more elastic, meaning it can contract more easily after fat is removed from beneath it.
- Body lift: If you have extensive back fat, a body lift may be needed to get rid of lingering post-weight loss folds on the back after liposuction is performed by removing excess skin.
Love handles
The flanks, or “love handles,” as they’re commonly referred to, are the extra pockets of fat that can accumulate on the sides of the hips. For many of the reasons I’ve cited for fat accumulation in other areas of the body, love handles are very common among men, especially as they age. They can be embarrassing and make it difficult to wear form-fitting clothing. Like other areas of the body that contain excess fat, love handles can place undue strain on a man’s heart and increase his risk of type 2 diabetes, stroke, and liver disease. And like back fat, love handles can be incredibly difficult to get rid of without medical assistance.
- Liposuction is the most effective treatment for love handles, as it is able to safely remove fat from the flanks without damaging surrounding skin or muscle. And since liposuction removes fat cells for good, you won’t have to worry about fat returning to that area of your body again. (Note that fat can still accumulate in other areas of your body where you haven’t had liposuction.)
While liposuction is the most common and effective treatment for love handles, a body lifting procedure may be required to remove persistent sagging skin if you lack adequate skin elasticity.
Combining body contouring procedures to enhance the male physique
The best male body contouring results often come from using a combination of procedures; this is because a plastic surgeon can deliver the most thorough and tailored result by using multiple techniques from their surgical toolbox.
Think of it as a torso makeover: a skilled plastic surgeon will be guiding you towards the right options to achieve an overall effect. For example, having both gynecomastia treatment and liposuction of the love handles can create a sculpted upper body that transitions smoothly into a firm, attractive core.
Combining body contouring procedures can help you look and feel great all over, improve your physical health, and promote healthy aging.
It’s also very practical to combine multiple procedures during one operation. Combining multiple body contouring procedures can help you save on operating room fees and allow you to achieve your goals with just one recovery, helping you look and feel great all over.
Sculpt your ideal body with Asheville plastic surgeon Dr. Conway
Board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Donald Conway has been helping men in Asheville and western North Carolina look great and feel confident for over 20 years. His exceptional skill and experience make him an expert in male body contouring procedures. If you are struggling with stubborn body fat or have recently lost a large amount of weight, contact Dr. Conway’s practice online or call (828) 210-9333 to discuss your body contouring options.
