If you’ve been watching what you eat, hitting the gym, and doing countless sit-ups but still can’t get the physique you want, it may be time to consider liposuction. Once thought to be the domain of women, more and more men are opting for and benefiting from plastic surgery, and liposuction for men is a popular procedure. The truth is that no matter how many things you do right, you may have stubborn fat deposits that just don’t respond to exercise and need a little surgical encouragement to go away.
As this before and after photo shows, men who carefully follow their post-op instructions often enjoy excellent results.
We’re proud to showcase the quality of work performed by our dedicated surgeons.
Liposuction for men works by permanently removing unwanted fat through a thin tube called a cannula. It is a body contouring procedure that shapes and sculpts your body, revealing a more toned and slimmer version of yourself.
Although the mechanics of liposuction for men work the same as they do for women, it’s important to note that men have thicker, more fibrous fat than women which can make it harder to remove. For best results, you want to work with experienced surgeons like those at Mia Aesthetics who are adept at performing body contouring procedures on men as well as women.
Liposuction can treat almost any area of the body, including the:
Many men notice a large boost in self-esteem and confidence after liposuction. It’s common for men to tell us that they’re taking their shirts off at the pool for the first time in years and loving their results. After your liposuction procedure you will look more toned and fit, which can eliminate body image issues and leave you feeling good about yourself.
Good candidates for male liposuction are men who are generally in good health and close to their ideal body weight. It’s also best if you don’t smoke or drink alcohol. If you have a chronic condition such as diabetes, it’s important that it be well-controlled at the time of your surgery. For traditional liposuction performed under general anesthesia, we require patients to have a BMI lower than 34. If your BMI is higher, you may be eligible for awake liposuction which uses a local anesthetic rather than general anesthesia.
The best way to know if you are a good candidate is to receive a free virtual consultation with one of our friendly and knowledgeable surgical coordinators. We’ll be happy to help you choose the best procedure for you.
Here is an outline of the steps we take during liposuction surgery:
If you choose a traditional liposuction procedure, your surgeon will place you under general anesthesia and you will go to sleep. If you prefer awake liposuction, your surgeon will administer a local anesthetic in the areas where they will be working so that you don’t feel any pain. They may also give you a mild sedative.
Once you are asleep or feeling comfortable, the surgeon will make the incision they need to pass the cannula into your body. These incisions will be small, measuring only 1 to 2 millimeters in length to minimize or even prevent scarring. Whenever possible, your surgeon will place these incisions in the natural folds or contours of your body to camouflage them.
Next, your surgeon will insert a small tube called a cannula into your incisions and use it to loosen and remove fat cells. They will work strategically, removing the unwanted fat deposits as necessary to sculpt and shape your body in the most favorable way possible. As they work, the surgeon will flood the treatment area with tumescent fluid, which is an anesthetic that further numbs the area and slows bleeding.
When the procedure is finished, your surgeon will close your incisions if necessary. Sometimes the incisions are small enough that they don’t require stitches. In cases where a lot of post-surgical swelling is expected, your surgeon may install drains in your incisions to prevent fluid from accumulating. If so, they will remove them in about a week.
After your surgery, you’ll be woken up and brought back out of the anesthesia. Naturally, if you opt for awake liposuction, you won’t need to be woken up. In both instances, you’ll be monitored for a time so the surgical team can make sure you aren’t experiencing any ill effects from the procedure. When it’s clear that you’re doing well and ready to go, we will send you home. Liposuction is an outpatient procedure so you should be able to go home the same day that you have your surgery.
Everybody is different, but most people are able to return to work one or two weeks after a liposuction procedure. Because you won’t need time for the anesthesia to clear your body, if you opt for awake liposuction you may enjoy a slightly faster recovery time and may return to work in 3 to 5 days. If you have a strenuous or physically demanding job, however, you may need a little more time.
All of your pain and tenderness should be gone three to five weeks after surgery, and you can resume light exercise at the four-week mark. After six weeks you are free to return to more vigorous activity and get your routine completely back to normal.
It’s common for men to experience some moderate pain and soreness for a few days after a liposuction procedure. Your surgeon will prescribe pain medications to combat this and keep you comfortable as you heal. Some men find that over-the-counter analgesics are adequate for managing their pain.
Liposuction is a body contouring procedure—not a weight loss procedure, so don’t expect to see a big difference when you step on the scale. Most men see a weight loss of only about 5 to 11 pounds after surgery, depending on how much fat is removed. Just because your weight loss isn’t dramatic, however, doesn’t mean that your body transformation won’t be. A few pounds of fat removed in the right way will make a dramatic difference to your appearance.
