Male plastic surgery continues to gain in popularity. Year after year the number of men undergoing elective cosmetic surgery procedures has been increasing. This is because men care about their appearance just as much as women, and men are more willing to admit this now. It’s 2021 and there is less of a stigma surrounding plastic surgery overall and this is helping to fuel an increase in men requesting surgical procedures to improve their appearance. The statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS) continues to show a steady increase in men requesting elective cosmetic procedures, even though men still make up a very small portion of all plastic surgery patients.

What are the most common cosmetic procedures for men?

The most common cosmetic procedures requested by men include:

• Liposuction
• Rhinoplasty
• eyelid surgery
• chest reduction
• Botox
• Hair Transplantation

How are these procedures different in men?

There is a big difference between cosmetic procedures in men and cosmetic procedures in women. Procedures are often modified to help preserve male characteristics and avoid feminization of the appearance. This is because men in particular, want to look more refreshed, but not different. For example, when performing eyelid surgery on men, the amount of skin removed is often less than the amount of skin we remove in women. This is because a little bit of extra skin on the upper eyelid helps preserve a more masculine appearance. When we do eyebrow lifting in men, we do not lift the brow too high because a lower and straighter brow is seen as more masculine than the high arching brows of women.  Rhinoplasty, or nose reshaping, is another procedure that is modified in men. We tend to keep a stronger, larger nose on the male face. If we were to perform male rhinoplasty the same way we perform female rhinoplasty, the result may be a nose that is too small for the male face.

Basically, if we are performing cosmetic procedures on a man who desires to preserve his masculine features, the surgeon needs to be aware of the normal male anatomy and preserve these masculine features. Of course, if the purpose of the man’s surgical procedure is to create a more feminine appearance, then we would perform the procedure in a manner more common in our female patients.  

Other Considerations for Male Plastic Surgery

Aside from modifications in the surgical technique to preserve a masculine appearance, other considerations for plastic surgery in men include:

• Incision placement
• recovery restrictions
• pain management

• Incision Placement

As plastic surgeons, we always take great care in placement of our incisions. This is because surgical incisions ultimately become surgical scars, and we want these scars to be as hidden as possible. For the most part scars of the face are kept hidden within the hairline. This means that when performing facial plastic surgery on men, we need to consider the male hairline and how it can change over time. For example, a male facelift needs to take it to consideration that men commonly develop receding hairlines or become bald later in life. If a scar is please in same location we would place it on a woman, then this will be a very visible scar in situations of receding hairline for balding.  As you can imagine, hiding face lift scars on men is much more difficult than women with long hair.

Similarly, in the case of a male tummy tuck, the abdominal scar is placed lower and more horizontal in men than in women. This is because we want the scar to be hidden beneath underwear and a bathing suit. In men this requires a lower and straighter scar as opposed to the tummy tuck scars in women that tend to follow a natural curve to their pelvic bones.

• Recovery Restrictions

Any surgery requires restrictions during the recovery period. Cosmetic plastic surgery is no different. When operating on men, the recovery restrictions often need to be modified. There may be longer restrictions regarding heavy lifting and certain contact sports. Also, in general men tend to be less patient with recovery. This means that men tend to be more unwilling to restrict their activities. Therefore, the surgeon needs to be more specific about what male patients can and cannot do. This is not to suggest that female patients are not impatient sometimes, or that female patients do not engage in strenuous activity and contact sports.  It just means that in general, male patients require more specific instructions and at times are less compliant with these restrictions.

• Pain Management

Pain management tends to be an issue as well with many male patients. It has been documented now cosmetic surgery to be less tolerant of the pain during the recovery period. This is not to suggest that all male patients are bad with pain and all female patients are good with pain, since everyone is different and it is impossible to characterize peoples pain threshold simply based on gender. However, surgeons need to be aware that male patients overall tend to feel more pain during the recovery. And it is more difficult to control this pain. This means that multiple different medication’s may be required to control the pain.

Choosing your Plastic Surgeon

While the numbers of men requesting cosmetic surgery continues to rise, men still account for only 20% of all plastic surgery patients. This means that plastic surgeons still overwhelmingly have female patients. If you are a man interested in cosmetic surgery, you should be sure to choose a plastic surgeon who is board certified in plastic surgery and is experienced with male patients. This will help ensure that your surgeon will provide you with the most appropriate procedure sense as we discussed earlier, operating on man is very different than operating on women.

If you would like to discuss male plastic surgery with a board-certified plastic surgeon experienced an operating on man, you can contact Dr. Matthew Schulman.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Do men get Tummy Tucks?

Yes. Men get tummy tucks, but a tummy tuck in a man tends to be directed towards excess skin that can accompany weight loss. In women, a tummy tuck is targeting changes associated with pregnancy. However, this is not the case in men. This means that a tummy tuck in men tend to remove excess skin but there is usually not a requirement for muscle repair.

Is it common for men to have chest reduction surgery?

Chest reduction surgery is very common among men. It is designed to remove excess fat and breast tissue that can develop in men. In fact, up to 80% of adolescent boys experience excess breast tissue during puberty. A percentage of these boys do not see regression of this breast tissue and this can become bothersome to them. Male chess reduction is very common among males of varying ages.

What areas of the body can liposuction be performed on in men?

Liposuction can be performed on any part of the body where there is excess fat. In men, it is commonly the lower abdomen flags and lower back which is often referred to as the “spare tire”. But again, if you have excess fat of your neck, thighs, arms, or chest, liposuction may be an option for you.

Is there a procedure to give me a stronger jawline?

Jawline surgery is very common in men. This is because a strong jaw line is considered by many to be more masculine. The specific procedure will depend exactly on what you need done, but jawlines can be strengthened using injectable fillers, implants, or even surgery to move the jawbone.

References

• https://www.plasticsurgery.org/documents/News/Statistics/2020/cosmetic-procedures-men-2020.pdf
• https://www.verywellhealth.com/male-cosmetic-surgery-2328548

As the popularity of plastic surgery procedures increases, so does your options for surgeons. Ideally, you would select a surgeon in your local area since it would be most convenient for your surgery and all the necessary pre-op and post-op appointments. However, the best surgeon for you is often not right down the street.

This means, that more and more people are electing to travel to the surgeon of their choice. Oftentimes, the surgeon in far enough away that it requires a very long car ride or even a plane trip. Many people are selecting surgeons that are in different states and even different countries. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but does require some additional considerations and planning.

Why choose a far-away surgeon?

The easy answer is that you think it is more important to select the best surgeon for your procedure, and their location does not make a difference to you. With the rise of the internet and social media, potential patients have exposure to surgeons from around the globe. Gone are the days where you picked your surgeon because your primary doctor recommended him or her, or your friend had gone to them. Now, there are so many internet resources to help you choose your own surgeon. This may be based on reviews or before and after photos. Your internet research will likely lead you to a surgeon that is many many miles away from you, especially if you are looking for an expert in a very specific procedure such as a Brazilian Butt Lift or Mommy Makeover. Sometimes people choose a surgeon based on cost, and if you happen to live in an area with a vey high cost of living, you may elect to travel to s surgeon in a region with lower prices.

There are many things to consider, when choosing to have your surgery far from your home, and it will certainly require additional planning. Continue reading to learn about these considerations.

How will you have your consultation

If you choose a surgeon who is far away, you need to think about how you even start the process of the consultation. Will the consultation be done virtually? If it is done virtually, who will be doing the consultation? Will it be with the doctor themselves or will it be with a nurse or assistant? Or will you be making a specific trip for an in-person consultation?

It is true for any consultation – in-person or virtual – that the consultation MUST be with the actual surgeon who will be performing your procedure. Only that specific surgeon is in a position to appropriately discuss the surgical plan and any risks of the procedure. If your consultation is not with the surgeon, I would strongly recommend re-evaluating your choice.

If your consultation will be virtual, you want to make sure that there is a designated time to be examined in-person by the surgeon prior to surgery. This means that you should be examined the day before the surgery, and not 5 minutes before the procedure. This will have given the appropriate time for any changes in the surgical plan to be made safely.

How will your travel for the surgery?

Will the distance require you take an airplane? If it does, you want to make sure that it will be safe for you to travel home in the same manner. Some surgeons will request that you avoid flying for a certain amount of time after a procedure. Also, some procedures may make airplane travel very uncomfortable. Also be aware that there are often traveling delays and you need to account for this possibility. Your flight may be delayed due to weather or other situations.

You may hit unanticipated road traffic. Make sure you allow extra time, and this usually means, planning to arrive to the area a few days BEFORE your surgery.

Where will you stay after the surgery and for how long?

Your surgeon will recommend the appropriate amount of time that you should stay in the area after your surgery. This may be anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the complexity of the procedure. You may have sutures that need to come out or drains that need to be removed, and this may require that you stay even longer. You need to make the appropriate arrangements for wherever you are staying – hotel, friends/family, airBnB, recovery house.

Your surgeon will examine you and give you the clearance to return home when you are ready. But you need to also be prepared for the possibility that he or she may require you to stay longer if there are concerns or complications that need to be monitored.

Who will be accompanying you during your surgery?

As is the case with any surgery, you will need someone to help take care of you afterwards. When you are traveling for surgery, this will also mean that someone else will need to travel with you. You will need to find a family member or friend that is willing to make the trip and stay for as long as they are needed.

Who will you contact if there are concerns after you go home?

You want to make sure that you have the contact information of your surgeon. Certainly, there will be questions about your recovery and you need to make sure that someone will be available to answer those questions. Your surgeon should be available to you even if you are now 1000 miles away.

Does your surgeon have a colleague in your area who can assist in your care if needed?

In the event that you have a problem and need to be evaluated, your surgeon should be able to call a colleague in your area. Any reputable board certified plastic surgeon should be able to pick up the phone and call a colleague in an emergency. This is another reason why you should choose a respected Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. Unless it is a true medical emergency, your surgeon should not be instructing you to go the nearest emergency room for care that can be provided in a profession setting with a plastic surgery colleague.

Where will your post-operative care be done?

There is a lot of post-operative care that is required for any plastic surgery procedure. This includes routine check-ups, suture removal, drain removal, scar treatments, etc. If you choose to travel to a surgeon in another area, you should be prepared to travel back to that surgeon for this routine post-operative care, unless he or she has made pre-arrangements with a local surgeon.

Cost Considerations

The main benefit to traveling for your surgery, is that you are able to select a true expert. In fact, about 35% of my patients come to me from distances over 500 miles away. However, you need to be aware of the additional arrangements and planning required. These also come with additional expenses, since you need to consider the cost of travel, cost of accommodations, and the costs associated with returning to that surgeon for routine (or non-routine) care.

Keep this in mind if your main motivation for traveling to have your surgery is the reduced cost, since when you factor in the additional costs, the savings may not be as much as you had thought.

Contact Schulman Plastic Surgery New York City

Dr. Schulman welcomes patients from all over the world. To start the process of your Virtual Consultation with New York City plastic surgeon, Dr. Matthew Schulman, visit our website.

The year 2020 has certainly been a difficult one. COVID-19 has changed the way we live and will continue to affect how we live for years to come. While some areas of the United States are seeing a recent uptick in the number of COVID cases, other areas continue to see a decline.

For those areas where the number of COVID cases remains low and in a decline, there is push to restart “normal” life. For most, this means back to work, back to school, back to retail shopping, and back to seeing friends and family.

For others, it also means, resuming the desire for Plastic Surgery in New York City . This may include non-surgical treatments such as Botox, fillers, facials, and lasers. It also includes surgical treatments such as liposuction, breast augmentation, mommy makeovers, tummy tucks, and Brazilian butt lifts. In fact, the demand for cosmetic procedures is very high. Let’s discuss why there is such an increased demand for surgical and non-surgical treatments, and whether or not it is something that is safe to do right now.

Please keep in mind that these thoughts are based on information that I have at this very moment, and things may change as facts change.

Demand for Cosmetic Procedures is High

The fact of the matter is that people have been isolated and socially distant for the past four months. This means that they have been unable to receive any of their routine beauty care. Many have been without facials, laser treatments, chemical peels, and botox for a longer stretch than ever before. The wrinkles and irregular pigmentation has likely returned, and the body hair is growing back. Many of these treatments require on-going sessions, and missing 4 months of treatments may set things back for them. As the social distancing restrictions lessen, people are eager to resume their regular beauty routine.

Additionally, during isolation, people may have become more self-critical. When we have nothing but time on our hands, sometimes it leads to us analyzing, or over-analyzing, ourselves. So, over the past four months, people may have become aware of things that they dislike about themselves and that they would like to change or improve upon. Scrolling photo-shopped pictures of Instagram “influencers” all day long certainly is not helping. After four months of isolation, sometimes something as simple as a botox injection is what people need to help them feel “normal” again.

The biggest reason why the demand for cosmetic procedures is at such a high level is time. Many people have more free-time than ever before. Schools are out. They may be out of work, have reduced work hours, or working from home. This means that school and work may not be a barrier for them anymore. They no longer have to worry about taking time off to heal and recover from a procedure. Their annual summer vacation is likely cancelled due to travel restrictions, so many people have a two to three week block of time that had already been cleared on their schedule that can no be used to recover from a procedure.

Now, I am certainly not saying that the social distancing associated with COVID-19 has made people who would never consider having plastic surgery now have plastic surgery. But, the circumstances of the last four months have likely help people who have been thinking about having something done finally take the next step.

So, is it safe and what precautions need to be taken?

When we discuss whether or not a procedure is “safe” to have during a COVID-19 pandemic, we are really talking about the risk of transmission between you and the medical staff; “If I get botox injections, am I at risk for catching COVID?” Surgical and non-surgical procedures can be done safely during this COVID-19 pandemic, but there are several important steps that you and your doctor need to take. Some procedures carry higher risks than others. Procedures centered around areas of the body where the virus lives, such as your nose, mouth, throat, and lungs, carries a higher risk than procedures of the breast and body. Also, these procedures can only be performed in geographic regions where it is allowed, based on the current number of COVID-19 cases.

You need to be COVID-free

This is the most fundamental thing to be concerned about. You want to be sure that you do not have COVID-19. This means that you are not actively infected. You want to be sure that you are without the most common symptoms of COVID-19. This includes fever, sore throat, cough, loss of taste or smell, fatigue, body aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, skin rashes, etc.

Because not everyone infected with COVID-19 has symptoms, you are also want to be sure that you have not been in contact with anyone who has had COVID within the previous 14 days or traveled to high risk countries or states. The list of high risk regions changes almost daily, so it is important to familiarize yourself with the current list on the CDC website. You will be required to wear a mask while in your doctor’s office as well.

Your Doctor’s office should be COVID-free

The staff at your doctor’s office should be taking the same precautions to make sure that everyone who you will encounter during your visit is also COVID-free. This means that the staff will be screened for COVID symptoms daily and also subjected to routine testing. The staff should also be wearing masks at all times to reduce your risk of exposure, since again, some people may be asymptomatic COVID carriers.

Medical offices are also taking precautions with any non-patient who enters the office. This means that entry to the office will be restricted to only patients and essential people. If someone doesn’t need to enter the office, they will be asked to stay outside. This includes delivery persons, postal workers, friends or family of patients, etc. Anyone who needs to enter the office will be subjected to a screening process to detect any COVID symptoms BEFORE they are permitted inside.

Social Distancing will occur inside the office and operating facility

Inside the office and operating facility, staff and patients will be socially distanced. Patients will come to the office alone. No friends or family will be permitted, in an attempt to reduce the risk of exposure and transmission.

Appointments will be spaced-out in a manner so that you should be the only patient in the office and any given time. This means that instead of there being 3-4 patients scheduled per hour, there may only be 1 patient per hour. This will eliminate your exposure to other patients and it will allow for complete disinfection of the room between patients.

However, this also means that appointments for your non-surgical procedure or surgical consultation will be much more limited, so expect there to be a much longer wait to get into the office.

The waiting room will also be modified. You will find six feet distance between chairs and couches will be for one person only. Items that can be a transmission point for the virus, have also been removed. These include magazines and skin care samples.

The Doctor will look different

Your doctor will be wearing full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). These include a mask and gloves. Depending on the specific procedure you will be getting, he or she may also have on a protective gown and a face shield.

Additional Precautions will be taken in the Operating Room

During a surgical procedure, additional precautions will be taken. These precautions are based on what we know today about the virus and how it can be spread. Your anesthesiologist will be protecting him or herself with a full face shield. You will have a surgical mask that will remain on throughout the entire procedure. The number of people in the operating room will be minimized during the times most risk for transmission of the virus – going to sleep and waking up.

The air circulation in the operating room will be modified to allow for additional filtration of the air so that any airborne virus is filtered out of the room. The operating room is always thoroughly cleaned between patients, but cases will be spread out to allow more time to do so. Essentially, every single patient will be treated as if they have the virus, and this is something we call in medicine “universal precautions”.

There also may be a limitation on the specific procedures that can be done in the operating facility. Procedures involving the nose remain at the highest risk, so you should check whether your surgeon is performing procedures like rhinoplasty.

Should you get tested for COVID-19?

This is a very difficult question since there still remains some issues surrounding testing. First of all, despite all the talk about how important testing is for controlling this virus, there is still many barriers to testing. Not everyone is able to get tested. In some regions, testing centers may not be abundant. Also, many states will only provide testing to people who are residents of that state. So, what if you are living in another state or visiting another state and you want to get tested?

It is possible that you will have difficulty.

More fundamental is the significance of the test. Keep in mind that not everyone who is infected with COVID-19 will have a positive test. There still will be false negatives, which is why it is so important to treat everyone as if they have it. Test results take anywhere form 2-5 days to get back.

So, if you get a negative result, it doesn’t mean you haven’t been exposed during the days between your test and your results. So, if you are going to be tested in preparation for your surgery or procedure, you really need to quarantine yourself from the time of the test to the time of the procedure. This can be difficult.

Until we had rapid tests that give results in under 2 hours and are 100% accurate, there will always be an issue with testing. Keep in mind that this is referring only to the RNA tests that specifically test for the virus. This is not referring to rapid antibody tests that are available.

Rapid antibody tests have their own shortfall. First of all, it only detects if you have antibodies to the virus, presumable indicating that you had been infected in the past. These tests are readily available and results can come in as little as a few minutes. However, the accuracy can be low. Also, there can be false positives, meaning that it can show antibodies that you have to other coronavirus, like the common cold, and not COVID-19. Most importantly though is the significance of a positive antibody?

What does it really mean if you have antibodies? All it means is that you MAY have had COVID-19. But, we don’t know if that means you cannot get it again. Many suspect that there is not going to be long-term immunity to COVID-19. You will likely be able to get it again in the future. So, while antibody testing is important if figuring out how many people may have had COVID-19, it probably means very little in terms of keeping you safe during your cosmetic procedure.

As you can see, there are some things we still do not understand about COVID-19, but medical offices are set up to protect you as best as possible. In fact, I would argue that having a procedure in a medical office, with trained medical professionals who understand infectious disease and sterile technique is exponentially less risky that going to the supermarket or the park.

Contact Schulman Plastic Surgery New York City

To learn more about having your surgical or non-surgical procedure in New York City with Dr. Matthew Schulman, please contact our New York City Plastic Surgeon office today.

Lost A Lot Of Weight? Plastic Surgery Can Improve Your Final Look

Losing weight is a serious accomplishment, particularly if you’ve managed to lose a lot of weight and keep it off for good. It takes a lot of self-discipline, working against your body and society, and you should be proud of yourself. But what can you do if you lose all that weight only to find that you’re not happy with the results? This happens all the time because people lose weight and are left with a lot of loose skin.

Post-weight loss, loose skin is often concentrated around the waist, upper arms, and chest, and this excess skin can make otherwise remarkable weight loss results less than thrilling, but there is a solution: plastic surgery. Through the proper application of several different procedures, a surgeon can help you complete your body’s transformation, highlighting your hard work

• See Also How to Choose the Right Implant Size for Your Breast Augmentation?

What Procedures Address Excess Skin?

There are several different procedures that address the problem of excess skin, depending on where on the body it’s located. Among the most common are tummy tucks, arm lifts, and breast lifts. If you’ve lost a very large amount of weight, you may also need skin removal surgery; this is more common in those who have lost weight very quickly, since the skin doesn’t have a chance to contract back. Older patients are also more likely to need skin removal surgery because their skin is less elastic, due to reduced collagen production. Skin removal surgery targeting the area around the lower abdomen is known as a panniculectomy.

Most patients with excess skin require some combination of procedures to get the optimal results, but the procedures are not without risk. In addition to the usual risks associated with surgery, more extreme procedures like panniculectomy can leave significant scarring. For those who are concerned about scarring, a different selection of procedures may be more appropriate.

Why Remove Excess Skin?

In addition to issues of appearance, many people seek plastic surgery after losing a lot of weight because having hanging skin can actually present serious health risks. Specifically, loose skin can lead to infections, because the weight of hanging skin causes tears and the folds breed bacteria. That’s why many doctors will actually recommend that patients undergo these procedures once they’ve reached a stable weight. This isn’t just about how you look, but about your long-term health.

Body Lift Or Tummy Tuck?

Though the distinction may seem confusing at first, lower body lifts and tummy tucks – both common procedures among those who have loose skin – are radically different procedures, with the body lift being far more extreme. In body lift surgery, the surgeon actual performs a skin removal while also drawing up and tightening the skin around the entire lower body; there is also an upper body equivalent that addresses loose skin around the arms and back. As part of a lower body lift, you may also undergo liposuction for additional shaping, a buttock lift, and also buttock augmentation to adjust for the loss of shape, since the buttocks are prone to flattening.

Thought a tummy tuck is similar to a body lift, it targets a much narrower area of the body. Rather than addressing the thighs, waist, stomach, and arms all at once, a tummy tuck generally involved a panniculectomy coupled with tightening of the underlying musculature. Depending on the patient’s need, some patients also undergo additional liposuction.

Often, for patients with extreme weight loss, Dr. Schulman recommends an additional midline abdominal incision, known as a fleur-de-lis incision. Though this leaves an additional scar, it also allows for better contouring and the scars do fade over time, and the fleur-de-lis incision is widely considered to be safer.

• See Also Your Top Mommy Makeover Questions Answered  

Is A Breast Lift Enough?

Breast lifts are another common procedure among those who have lost a lot of weight, but it’s important to recognize that a breast lift may not be enough to address the results of such enormous physical changes. That’s because, while a breast lift repositions the breasts, it doesn’t change the amount of breast tissue or fat in the area. As such, depending on a woman’s final body shape, some may require an additional breast reduction or breast augmentation.

Some women have too much breast issue relative to their new body size, which can lead to back pain, which is why a breast reduction coupled with a breast lift may be appropriate. Others experience something more akin to the buttock flattening mentioned above. For these women, a combination breast augmentation and breast lift may be more appropriate, to create the desired proportions.

Male Breast Reduction – A Common Concern

While breast reduction and augmentation surgeries are commonly discussed, many men who have experienced substantial weight loss are left with “man boobs” – extra flesh around the chest from past fat stores. Unfortunately, this is much harder for men to talk about than for women seeking a breast lift. Many are ashamed to discuss the issue. However, men can also have breast reduction surgery, often combined with chest contouring procedures, which will resolve the problem, creating a more masculine, flat chest.

Arm Lifts And Other Procedures

One of the problems with loose skin following weight loss is that it can exist just about anywhere on the body, from the stomach and arms to the neck and back. Additional procedures like arm lifts, neck skin tightening, and other interventions can address loose skin elsewhere on the body. Every individual has different needs and different areas that they’re concerned about – your doctor will discuss your concerns with you and help you make the best decisions for your body.

Preparing For Post-Weight Loss Plastic Surgery

If you’re considering plastic surgery in New York City  of any kind after losing a lot of weight, it’s important to take your time. Dr. Schulman generally require post-weight loss patients to maintain a stable body weight for at least six months before these procedures, so you’ll need to demonstrate that you can remain at this new weight. Additionally, many formerly overweight patients have lingering health issues, ranging from Type 2 diabetes to high blood pressure, which can complicate the surgeries. Maintaining a stable, lower weight for at least a year can sometimes reverse these health issues and make surgery much safer.

Ready to get rid of excess skin after extreme weight loss? Then you need the best on your side. Contact Dr. Matthew Schulman today to learn more about your options for body shaping and contouring. You worked hard to change your life and lose weight – the right surgical procedures just reveal what’s hiding underneath.

References

• https://www.webmd.com/beauty/plastic-surgery-after-weight-loss#1
• https://www.health.com/weight-loss/weight-loss-surgery-excess-skin-removal