Time affects all people. The skin and tissues of the face and body stretch, descend, and lose elasticity as they age. This can affect your facial and body contours negatively. Particularly noticeable on the abdomen, chest, and neck/jaw juncture of men. As plastic surgeons, it is our responsibility to devise new, safer, and more effective ways to meet the needs of our patients. In recent years, nonsurgical techniques for fat reduction and skin tightening have made tremendous strides forward. This 1-2 combination has made it possible to treat many facial and body contouring problems in men without resorting to surgery. This is a tremendous benefit for men with lower tolerance for downtime.

Occasionally, however, surgery will be the best option. When contemplating any type of aesthetic procedure, it is crucial to undergo a personal consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon. You want to see someone who not only offers the full spectrum of nonsurgical and surgical options, but also has the experience and training to produce a safe, natural-looking outcome. The internet has made patients more aware of the numerous options for male face and body contouring, but a procedure is only effective if it is tailored to the patient’s unique anatomy and aesthetic goals. What worked for your friend may not necessarily work for you.

Abdominal body contouring alternatives for men
The abdomen is the area that most men are most concerned about. A taut, flat abdomen with visible abdominal muscles, also known as the “six-pack,” is desired by many men. Some men develop a gut as they age, regardless of how much they exercise or how well they eat, which can conceal a taut abdomen. Extra-abdominal fat, which resides outside the abdominal wall, is treatable. The two most prevalent nonsurgical fat reduction techniques are:

Both CoolSculpting® and SculpSure® eliminate fat cells in the treatment area by utilizing either cold or heat. Once destroyed, these cells are eliminated by the lymphatic and metabolic systems of the body. Both CoolSculping® and SculpSure® are efficient and versatile. However, they each require multiple treatments separated by 6 to 8 weeks for optimal results. Each treatment aims to reduce the targeted fat by approximately 20%.

Liposuction, on the other hand, is a more aggressive and potentially more effective surgical procedure. The vast majority of plastic surgeons concur that liposuction is the gold standard for male abdomen and flank body contouring. It enables the surgeon to literally reshape the patient’s torso. Laser technology can also be used as a supplement to other body contouring techniques. In the appropriate patient, it can even reveal the six-pack abs that are concealed by the extra-abdominal fat. You will need to wear a compression garment to achieve the best results and skin contour after liposuction.

Alternatives to Gynecomastia for a flatter chest
The chest is the second most popular area for men when it comes to body contouring. Gynecomastia is an enlargement of the chest caused by an excess of glandular tissue, fat, or both. There are a number of different ways to treat the extremely common condition of gynecomastia. The appropriate treatment will depend on the underlying cause. In patients whose fullness is caused solely by excessive fat, liposuction is the most common treatment option. Sculpting and fat reduction may result in a leaner and more masculine chest. The chest can be safely liposuctioned under local anesthesia with minimal downtime and recovery.

However, the majority of men affected by gynecomastia also have excess glandular tissue. The gland must be surgically removed in order to provide men with the desired flat, smooth chest. There are several available incision options. The appropriate one will depend on how much breast tissue needs to be removed. Although the thought of chest scars is unsettling, ideally, the incision can be concealed in the transition between the darker skin of the nipple and the lighter skin of the chest. In addition to gland and fat, men with excess, sagging skin may require surgical removal and adjustment of the skin.

Surgical procedures for a chiseled jawline
A chiseled jawline is a jawline that appears youthful. Unfortunately, some men are not born with this characteristic, and others lose it with age. Men’s submental region is a prime location for excess fat. Whether or not you wear a tie, a buildup of fat at the neck/chin junction can make you feel sluggish and overweight even if you are not. Fortunately, noninvasive body contouring devices such as CoolSculpting® and SculpSure® are able to effectively treat this localized fat accumulation. In addition, there is an injectable medication, Kybella®, that is specifically designed to reduce submental fat. In patients with a substantial amount of excess fat, liposuction will likely be the best option.

Assuming your skin has sufficient elasticity or “bounce back,” these can all be performed independently. However, older men or men with loose or sagging neck skin may require a combination of a fat-reduction technique and a skin-tightening technique such as ThermiRF. This technique utilizes radiofrequency energy to heat the treated tissue. This causes a controlled injury to the skin of the neck. The body’s natural response to any type of injury is the production of additional collagen and elastin. As the foundations of youthful-looking skin, increased collagen and elastin result in skin that appears smoother, tighter, and more lifted.