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Men and cosmetic surgery
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 include a more balanced nose, a
rejuvenated face, a trimmer waistline. The
procedures used to achieve these goals must take into consideration
factors such as skin thickness, beard growth, or body type.
Facial surgery
In general, it's known that male facial skin has a richer blood supply
than female facial skin. Male faces bleed more during surgery and are
at greater risk for forming a temporary collection or pooling of blood
under the skin, called a hematoma, after surgery. Also, any scarring
that may result from surgery may be more difficult for men to hide,
since they don't wear make-up 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 electrolysis can correct this problem. A fatty or
"jowly" area 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 necklift, 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
your plastic surgeon.
"Refinishing" treatments for facial skin: Shaving must be
postponed for about 3 weeks after a skin-smoothing treatment such as
chemical peel or dermabrasion. Because these
procedures strip away the surface layers of skin, you can expect your
face to remain sensitive, swollen, and bright pink for several weeks
following surgery.
Gynecomastia
Breast reduction surgery for men. Enlarged male breast is quite common
and affects one or both sides of the chest. Removal of fatty tissue and
skin will reduce and firm up surrounding tissue.
Gynecomastia is a condition in which males
develop enlargement of the breast. Male breast enlargement is often
seen during puberty but commonly resolves spontaneously. In those cases
where the male breast remains enlarged surgery may be indicated.
Gynecomastia is quite common in adolescents
and is often first noted at the onset of puberty. The medical
literature reports rates as low as 8% and as high as 65%.
Most of these cases are due to changes in the hormonal secretion with
temporary excess of estrogen like substances or relative deficiencies
of testosterone like substances. This imbalance can lead to temporary
increases in the amount of ductal tissue present on one or both sides.
The majority of cases show enlargement in both sides. The degree of
enlargement varies widely but in the most severe cases C or D cup
breasts may be present. The milder cases usually resolve in 3 months to
a year although it is not unusual to see some breast enlargement for up
to three years. By the late teens most of these patients will have
normal appearing male breasts without any form of treatment. Because
young boys are reluctant to discuss their concerns they are likely to
simply try to hide their abnormal appearance with clothing. They may
try to avoid gym classes, athletic activities, and swimming or beach
activities.
While most gynecomastia is seen in
adolescence and resolves without treatment some cases are the result of endocrine gland malfunction or
tumors. Some types of liver disease and cancers of several types can
produce gynecomastia.
Some cases are due to congenital syndromes and others may be related to
drug use such as steroids or marijuana. There is a second peak in
incidence late in life and here the risk of ductal carcinoma of the
breast must be a stronger consideration so that biopsy of the breast
may be necessary.
When gynecomastia is severe, when it
persists, and in those cases where there is suspicion of malignancy
surgical treatment may be indicated.
In most cases the incisions for this operation can be placed just
inside the areolar border where they are less likely to be conspicuous.
The glandular tissue must be removed. This firm fibrous tissue extends
from the nipple areolar complex down to the surface of the pectoral
muscle beneath. In some cases it is helpful to use liposuction to
remove some of the fatty tissue which always surrounds this ductal
tissue. Without this liposuction some patients would have a
"donut" shaped defect after removal of the ductal tissue.
Complications
The most common complication following surgical removal of the ductal
tissue is hematoma. When severe this could lead to a second operation
to drain the collection of blood . Some
residual deformity of the nipple areolar area may remain despite the
best efforts of the surgeon. With any operation a wound infection could
occur. Inadvertent injury to the blood supply of the nipple areolar
region could result in loss of skin in the nipple areolar area.
There would be the usual anesthetic risks associated with any surgical
procedure. These complications and other even rarer complications do
not occur often and the vast majority of patients
undergoing this operation are very pleased and adopt a more
normal life style with regard to exposure of the chest in normal social
situations such as the beach.
The information on this web site is only intended as an
introduction to this procedure and should not be used to determine
whether you will have the procedure performed nor as a guarantee of the
result.
The best method of determining your personal options is to schedule a
personal consultation with Dr. Makki. He will be able to answer
specific questions related to your situation.
Please don't hesitate to call for any questions that you might have
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