After Massive Weight Loss for Men – Skin Removal 101

Weight loss is hard work, which is why all aspects of weight loss are important to explore, bringing us to the perfect topic for Men’s Health – Skin Removal 101! While the difficult task of losing and maintaining weight can be accomplished naturally, the excess skin left behind may be a surprise to you and may need surgical removal.

At Mansfield Cosmetic Surgery Center, after major weight loss or post bariatric skin removal surgery is a topic you may be slightly unfamiliar with in terms of where excess skin can be successfully removed from your body and which areas are most commonly modified for men. Dr. Michael L. Thornton, a dual board certified Cosmetic Surgeon and Diplomate of the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, offers various skin excision procedures to his male patients following massive weight loss and bariatric surgery. These skin excision procedures may include:

• Male Abdominoplasty
• Fleur-de-lis abdominoplasty
• Body lift
• Brachioplasty (arm lift)
• Gynecomastia (male breast reduction)
• Male chest contouring
• Male facelift

A male body is classically defined by a shapely chest, toned abdominal muscles with the sought after “six pack”, sculpted arms, and a square and slim jaw with a strong neckline. Losing excess pounds following natural weight loss or bariatric surgery may improve your overall health, but how do you prepare to deal with excess skin in your abdomen, upper arms, and chest following weight loss?

Preparing for Male Skin Removal Surgery

Before considering skin removal surgery following weight loss, you will need to be you’re your weight loss has stabilized and leveled as measured by your body mass index (BMI). This is important because stabilizing your weight loss for approximately 6 months or more will allow your skin elasticity to better declare itself for future removal. Furthermore, stable weight loss will also allow for Dr. Thornton to identify any areas of fat excess, which may need future liposuction. Lastly, for those patients having undergone bariatric surgery it is important to obtain a full laboratory check up on your blood chemistry, Vitamin B12, protein levels, and iron levels.

Your Consultation for Male Skin Removal Surgery

During your consultation with Dr. Thornton it is an ideal time to ask questions about ways to improve your weight loss efforts. He will also ask about your specific cosmetic surgery goals and develop realistic expectations. Skin excision is empowering and a wonderful option to get you pumped about your fitness goals, but it is also important to understand all risks of the procedures and recovery time involved. Many procedures are tailored to male patients as men have specific anatomical patterns that are contoured differently than women. Furthermore, Dr. Thornton will discuss the latest trends and technologies in cosmetic plastic surgery to allow for expeditious recovery.

VASER is one specific technology that Dr. Thornton frequently uses for male gynecomastia (male breast removal) that breaks up male breast fatty tissue using high-frequency sound waves. Consequently, further liposculpting of the male chest is vastly improved after using the VASER platform.

Aftercare and Recovery

As it was mentioned, the recovery process following skin removal and body sculpting procedures can be extensive, but the results are worth the wait. To get an idea of what the typical recovery time for each skin excision procedure, these are listed below by procedure. While some procedures may be combined, other procedures may need to be scheduled as staged procedures with months apart before the second (or third) surgery can be performed.

• Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) — will require two weeks of recovery, with the first week scheduled off from work.
• Gynecomastia — usually requires 4-5 days off work and 3-4 weeks until you can resume exercise.
• Brachioplasty – similar to abdominoplasty, as will require two weeks of recovery, with the first week scheduled off from work.
• Facelift – will require two weeks of recovery with 80% swelling resolved in the first two weeks.

If you feel ready to talk about male skin removal surgery or plans to improve your body contour, Dr. Michael Thornton is a leading male cosmetic surgeon in Dallas / Fort Worth area. Call Mansfield Cosmetic Surgery today at 817-477-9000 to schedule your appointment.