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Australian Men’s liposuction numbers continue to rise exponentially

By October 5, 2017March 13th, 2024Uncategorized

Men are now flocking to cosmetic surgery, and in particular, liposuction procedures – in staggering numbers. Here’s why, and what’s involved…

According to the American Society of Aesthetic and Plastic Surgery, more than 50,000 American men underwent liposuction procedures in 2015. This is a colossal amount, especially when you consider it doesn’t include liposuction treatment for the medical issue gynaecomastia. If we include gynaecomastia treatment in these figures, then liposuction is responsible for nearly half the procedures men are choosing.

Here in Australia, according to the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery, the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures for men are gynaecomastia treatment, liposuction, rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery and cosmetic ear surgery.

Why is this happening? Presumably, men want to look good, too. And, given the rise in the popularity of women’s liposuction, and society’s growing acceptance of cosmetic procedures, the idea of men indulging in the odd tweak here, injection or two there – is becoming far more socially acceptable.

Aesthetic expectations on men today are also greater. Marketing, advertising and even movies relentlessly target men’s vanities and insecurities, repeatedly highlighting images of perfect bodies, rippling muscles and washboard stomachs. The male grooming industry has also gone into hyperdrive, with men’s waxing (or manscaping), skin care clinics, hipster haircuts and, of course, designer beards.

Popular areas for male liposuction

Men turn to liposuction for the same reason as women: you watch what you eat, hit the gym and work hard to create a healthy, toned physique. But occasionally, some areas just won’t budge. Enter: liposuction.

Liposuction can give excellent results for stubborn pockets of fat that won’t disappear, even after religious exercise routines. The most common or popularly requested areas for liposuction in men are:

Liposuction around the waist, tummy and ‘love handles’ are most popular. The fat in this area is relatively easy and safe to remove. Small changes can make a huge difference to a flatter, more sculpted and masculine appearance.

Gynaecomastia (also spelt gynecomastia) is a hormonal condition where a man’s breasts are enlarged. It is usually caused by hormonal therapy or hormonal imbalances. Occasionally, a patient may require a plastic surgeon to remove the breast tissue. However, often, exceedingly good results can be achieved through liposuction alone. A skilled liposuction physician can quickly and safely remove the fat to flatten your chest wall.

Understanding fat and liposuction

As we’ve mentioned, one of the most popular areas for men’s liposuction is around their tummies and torsos. In this area, it is worth noting that there are two types of fat stored here: visceral fat and subcutaneous fat.

Liposuction targets subcutaneous fat only, which, as the name suggests, this is just below the skin. Visceral fat is the more dangerous fat that lives around our internal organs and cannot be safely removed through liposuction. To minimise your visceral fat, you need to change your diet and exercise regime. If you are concerned about visceral fat, please speak to your GP for advice.

Benefits of liposuction

Liposuction is a surgical procedure, and every surgical procedure carries risks. However, complications are rare, while the benefits are plentiful:

  •       minimal scarring
  •       Limited downtime
  •       drastic improvement in physique
  •       low chance of complications
  •       no general anaesthetic required

The Liposuction procedure

Dr Feldman prefers to use only local anaesthetic, not general anaesthetic on her patients when performing liposuction. This rapidly reduces recovery time and had another benefit: by staying awake, Dr Feldman can move the patient around, closely assessing her work and ensuring the best possible aesthetic result.

After the liposuction procedure

Straight after the procedure, the patient is dressed in a compression garment and sent home with some light painkillers. Most patients (depending on the extent of liposuction) can expect to be back at work within a few days to one week.

Liposuction should never be a replacement for diet and exercise or treatment for obesity; however, when combined with a healthy diet and exercise, liposuction can produce excellent and long-lasting results.