MEN AND PLASTIC SURGERY

Cosmetic surgery for men

Our society places a high value on looking young and fit. Today, men of all ages and all walks of life are requesting plastic surgery for cosmetic reasons. Men's goals may include a more balanced nose, a rejuvenated face, and a trimmer waistline. The procedures used to achieve these goals must take into consideration factors such as skin thickness, beard growth, or body type.

“Cosmetic plastic surgery for men is a highly individualized procedure. You should do it for yourself, not to fulfil someone else's desires or to try to fit any sort of ideal image, especially those coming from social media. Choosing a procedure based on “what’s new” is never a medically sound decision. Hearing about a procedure on television, through an advertisement or online does not necessarily mean it is the best procedure for you.”

Facelift surgery for men

If you are planning a facelift or a neck lift, Dr Ricardo will evaluate your entire head-face-neck region. Is the hairline receding? How full are the sideburns? Does the beard-growing skin extend up the cheeks or down the neck? Are there facial scars? Is the skin sun-damaged? Is the neck skin loose or drooping?

Any scarring that may result from surgery may be more difficult for men to hide since they don't wear makeup or style their hair toward their faces, as many women do. Hair growth and beard growth may play a major role in the outcome of a facelift. If you are balding or have thinning hair, surgical artistry may be required to hide the facelift incision, especially in the temple area. If the hair-bearing skin of your upper neck is pulled behind your ears during surgery, you may find that you must shave behind your ears or the back of your neck. However, sometimes laser treatments can correct this problem. Be sure to discuss these all these details with Dr Ricardo.

A fatty area or "jowls" beneath the chin is also a concern for many men. In younger patients, liposuction alone may be sufficient to correct the problem. Older patients may require a full facelift and neck lift, which may include the removal of excess skin and tightening the platysma muscles, which run down each side of the neck. These muscles are usually thicker in men than they are in women but do not pose a greater challenge for Dr Ricardo.

Cosmetic procedures such as brow lift, eyelid surgery, nose surgery and facial implant surgery are performed essentially the same way for men and women and may be associated with a facelift. However, it's important to let Dr Ricardo knows if you are seeking a more masculine look to your facial features – a chin with better projection, more prominent cheekbones, a stronger nose.

Brow lift surgery for men

Brow lift surgery, also known as brow surgery or forehead lift, can lift and smooth your forehead, removing wrinkles and frown lines as well as lifting your eyebrows. Brow lifts can give you a more youthful appearance. If you are seeking to improve deep horizontal forehead creases, if you have frown lines between the eyebrows and top of the nose, if you have a sagging forehead or brows that hang low and close to your eyes, and if you have a tired or angry appearance due to sagging eyebrows, brow lift surgery may be right for you.

Eyelid surgery for men

Blepharoplasty, commonly referred to as eyelid surgery, is done on either the upper or lower eyelids or both at the same time to improve both the appearance and function of the eyelids. The skin of the eyelid is much thinner than that in other parts of the face which often makes this the first facial area to show signs of ageing. Dr Ricardo is known for achieving natural-looking blepharoplasty results while also providing a shorter recovery period. As the eyelids being to sag, vision may be impaired, making daily activities difficult. Eyelid surgery is typically performed as an outpatient procedure requiring local anaesthesia and sedation. Scarring will be virtually invisible as incisions are made along the natural crease of the eyelid.

Rhinoplasty (Nose surgery) for men

The nose is a defining feature of the face that can greatly impact the facial profile and proportions. Rhinoplasty, also known as nose surgery or a nose job, is performed to change the appearance and functionality of the nose. Rhinoplasty surgery may be used to reshape or resize a large or non-symmetrical nose, improve a small nose, remove a bump or straighten a twist in the nose. Nose surgery can also correct nasal problems that affect breathing. Rhinoplasty surgery is commonly combined with chin or jaw implants to improve the aesthetic appearance of the face and provide symmetry amongst all features.

Facial implants for men

Facial implants can be used for the chin, cheeks, or jaw to create a more defined and contoured facial structure. Men tend to have stronger chins and jawlines than women, causing them to seek facial implants to give them a more masculine appearance. Facial implants create a better balance of the facial feature while filling out hollows in the cheek area. Implants are commonly used to build up a weak-looking chin and define a stronger jawline. Overall, facial implants can provide a better facial profile and noticeable changes in the silhouette.

Liposuction and body contouring for men

The ideal male body shape is considered to be trim and athletic-looking, with broad shoulders and chest, a flat abdomen, and a narrow hip-thigh area. However, as men age, areas of fat tend to accumulate around the abdomen, the flanks ("love handles"), the breast area (a condition called gynecomastia), and along the chin and neck. Men sometimes seek liposuction to remove these fatty areas that are resistant to diet and exercise.

In many cases, liposuction alone can effectively correct these problem areas. Men retain their skin elasticity longer than women do, and the areas of fat beneath the skin tend to be firmer and more vascular than those in women. Because of these and other factors, liposuction in men is usually very effective.

Men who have some loose, hanging skin, as well as areas of excess fat, may opt for a traditional excision procedure (surgical skin removal) in addition to liposuction. An excision may also be performed on gynecomastia patients whose breast enlargement results in excess skin.

A full abdominoplasty, or "tummy tuck". maybe chosen by men who have hanging abdominal skin (usually the result of massive weight loss), loose abdominal muscles, and/or neglected hernias. It is a major surgical procedure that removes excess fat, tightens the muscles of the abdominal wall, and trims the waistline.

Men with good skin elasticity who have only a moderate amount of excess abdominal fat may benefit from liposuction alone. In recent years, a small number of plastic surgeons have begun offering their male patients abdominal etching, a new liposuction technique that creates a muscular, rippled appearance in the abdominal area, a "sculpting" technique called muscle-enhancing surgery. If you are considering cosmetic muscle enhancement should keep in mind that these procedures are still relatively new.

Calf implants, which were originally developed to restore leg contour in accidents or polio victims, are now sometimes used to create cosmetic fullness in the lower leg. Similarly, pectoral implants, which are used to build the chests of men with Poland's syndrome, can also be used to "bulk out" the existing pectoral muscles of healthy men. Other procedures that might improve your body contouring and self-confidence are body lifts, thigh lifts and arm lifts.

Planning your surgery

Good communication between you and Dr Ricardo is essential when planning your surgery. In your initial consultation, you'll be asked to explain in detail why you want the procedure and how you hope to look and feel afterward. It's important to set aside any awkwardness you might feel and speak candidly about the changes you'd like to see. You should feel completely assured that you and your surgeon understand one another.

Dr Ricardo will also evaluate your health, conduct a physical exam, take pre-operative photographs and explain which surgical techniques are most appropriate for you. You'll discuss the type of anaesthesia to be used, the type of facility where the surgery will be performed, the possible risks, and the costs involved.

Tell Dr Ricardo if any part of the consultation makes you uncomfortable, or if you have any special privacy requests. Bring pictures of yourself at an earlier age; they may serve as a good point of reference for discussing your goals. Above all, it's important to have realistic expectations about your surgery.

Extensive information about the particular procedure you plan to have will be provided during your consultation. While going over the steps of the procedure, Dr Ricardo will discuss several issues that may influence your surgery. Make sure you fully understand these considerations.

After your surgery

The days and weeks immediately following your surgery are critical to obtaining a good final result. Therefore, it's essential that you follow Dr Ricardo’s orders to the letter.

During your recovery, the doctor's orders are likely to include taking adequate time off work, wearing bandages or tight compression garments, getting enough rest, staying out of the sun, saying no to alcohol and cigarettes, and avoiding strenuous activity, exercise, sports, and sex.

However, plastic surgeons understand that it's sometimes difficult for men, who are programmed by society to be stoic, to remain in bed for very long or to accept help from others during recovery. Studies have shown that men often deny their pain and feel foolish about asking for help after surgery. Men who reject help may have an especially difficult recovery if post-operative depression sets in during the weeks following surgery.

To avoid post-operative problems, it's important that you arrange to have a support person available to help you – both physically and emotionally – for about a week after surgery. If you get the help and rest you need, you'll improve your chances of a quicker recovery – and you may see your results a lot sooner.