What Is Liposuction for Men?

Liposuction, a type of cosmetic surgery for fat removal and body contouring, is one of the most commonly requested cosmetic surgeries. Similar to most kinds of cosmetic surgeries, liposuction used to be a procedure primarily popular among women. Throughout the 20th and early 21st centuries, however, the procedure has advanced and attracted male patients. Although men tend to focus on different body parts than women, the procedure of liposuction for men doesn’t differ much from that of liposuction for women. Even so, finding a surgeon with experience performing lipo for men, rather than one who works primarily with women, can be beneficial for the results.

There aren’t many procedural differences between liposuction for men and women. Regardless of the patient’s gender, the cosmetic surgeon will use a suction tool to remove a certain predetermined amount of fat while leaving the neighboring tissues and fluid balance undisturbed. Patients may be under local, general, or regional anesthesia during their procedures. Although full recovery can take up to four weeks, patients usually can return home within a day or two and back to normal activities anywhere from two days to two weeks. Side effects like pain can be controlled with over-the-counter or prescription medication and other side effects like bruising, swelling, and numbness will fade during the weeks following the procedure.

Still, there are a few differences between liposuction for men and liposuction for women, and the majority of them lie in the body areas. Most male liposuction procedures focus on the abdomen, the “love handles,” and the neck. Some fat removal in men focuses on oversized male breasts. On the other hand, women tend to request lipo for their abdomens, thighs, and buttocks. Some experts reason these differences are related to the way gender plays a role in the distribution of fat.

Both men and women choose to have liposuction for many of the same reasons. Body contouring is a common reason for liposuction for men and women, and is perhaps what helped lipo become popular among males. Men interested in bodybuilding, for example, can use liposuction to assist them with achieving their ideal body shapes if diet and exercise don’t work. Similar to women, men use liposuction to help them combat aging and appear younger. This could be why the neck is a popular area for lipo for men.

Even though the lipo procedures themselves and the reasons for them aren’t that different, potential male lipo candidates should seek cosmetic surgeons with experience in fat removal in men. Liposuction involves a certain amount of contouring, or sculpting, of the involved body part. Surgeons with experience performing liposuction for men also have experience in how those male body parts should be contoured.