How to meet the surge in male cosmetic surgery demand key techniques and equipment to review

Today’s frequent social media posts and Zoom calls get us examining our faces closely. Never before have we seen our appearances reflected to us so frequently…and in often poor lighting at that. This is true for both women AND men. While men aren’t crowding women out of the plastic or cosmetic surgery office quite yet, they are adding a little variety in aesthetic practice waiting rooms all over the world. In 2018, 1,434,000 men opted for plastic or cosmetic surgery procedures worldwide. In the United States, 211,000 men had surgery for aesthetic / cosmetic reasons, an increase of 29% since 2000. According to the IASPS, men request 14.4% of all plastic / cosmetic surgery procedures globally.

There are a plethora of reasons why men increasingly opt for surgery to get six-pack abs, sculpted chests, smooth waists (no love handles), and younger-looking faces and necks. This demand will only rise as the stigma around men getting “work done” eases.

Interested in getting in on this market?

Given the procedures requested, surgeons most familiar with women’s physiology need to also understand the unique challenges of performing aesthetic procedures on men. They often even select surgical instruments that are more effective based on these differences.

Special Concerns and Surgical Tools Involved in Male Cosmetic Surgery 

Will Male Cosmetic Surgery Procedures Fit with Your Brand, Expertise and Staff? 

With so many women eager consumers of cosmetic procedures, you may have not even considered appealing to the male market. Men request just 8% of plastic surgery procedures in the United States and 14.4% worldwide.
Retooling your practice and adding marketing initiatives targeted to men will add complexity. Further, you and your staff may even need to undergo training to ensure the best outcomes for men.

Therefore, rather than picking up a new specialty, you may want to consider finding a colleague who is already involved with procedures within the male market. Being able to refer the men who come to you for cosmetic procedures to a reputable surgeon outside of your practice will ensure goodwill for your client base and maintain your reputation as a practice. If you’ve developed a unique brand, consider whether gynecomastia, the male facelift, and the Daddy-Do-Over fit into it.

Different Aspects of Male and Female Physiology Could Mean New Techniques and Even Tools

Surgeons with a predominantly female clientele will find that male skin, muscle tone, fat, and hair varies from women’s. These differences typically mean the surgeon will have to wrestle harder with the body during liposuction and gynecomastia procedures. It also means planning for more instances where more blood interferes with procedures.

Gynecomastia:  The skin of the chest is thicker and more elastic than the skin around a woman’s breast area. Surgeons shouldn’t rely on their experience in breast lift procedures with women to determine skin removal in men. The good news is that the increased elasticity in male skin allows surgeons to excise less skin during gynecomastia. Of course, the skin quality of each individual must be examined closely.
The fibrous bands in the male breast, too, make cosmetic procedures in this area a little more challenging. Surgeons can cut down on exertion by selecting liposuction equipment designed for ease of use. That includes tools like Moeller Medical’s Vibrasat® Pro, which eases a surgeon’s efforts with a carefully engineered ergonomic design and strong, powerful drive.

Liposuction:  Greater muscle mass and different fat distribution across the body means men will typically seek out body sculpting procedures more commonly than procedures for high-volume fat removal. Further, men’s deep fat is loosely organized and the superficial fat is denser and contained within fibrous bands (as in the breast.) Surgeons performing liposuction on men typically target both the deep and superficial fat layers to achieve the best outcomes.
Most cosmetic surgeons prefer to use power-assisted liposuction to treat men because of these greater physical demands. The reciprocating action involved in power-assisted liposuction reduces the physical force needed to perform the liposuction procedure. A device like the Vacusat® power can also help streamline your workflow while delivering more accurate, gentler, and less traumatic results.

Liposuction for “Six-Pack Abs:” The increasingly popular abdominal etching (also known as high definition “liposculpting” or “six-pack abs”) involves many of the same adjustments described above. Fat will be more dense and fibrous, requiring more exertion. For men, the abdominoplasty often accompanies the high definition liposculpture. Here, men have a bit of an advantage over women. Their skin is more elastic, meaning that less skin needs to be excised.

Will You Add or Outsource the New Male Cosmetic Surgery Procedures? 

Liposuction has always made the top two most requested cosmetic procedures worldwide, and fat grafting is surging. Are you at the right point in your career to add the skills, strategies, and equipment to add precision fat grafting to your procedures? Do you want to be considered a cutting-edge practice or one that does a limited number of procedures well?

Whatever your choice, you can achieve precision body procedures with German-engineered liposuction instruments, whether you’re performing procedures on men or women.