Plastic Surgery for Men

You probably are considering plastic surgery for a very specific reason. Perhaps it's to get rid of some baldness, firm up your body or eliminate a sagging jaw line. However, in general, men who seek plastic surgery have the same simple goal: they want to look as good on the outside as they feel on the inside.

Today, there are a variety of options available for men who would like to make a positive physical change. During the past few years, many of the most popular plastic surgery procedures have been refined so that they can often be performed with minimal incisions and reduced down time.

Dr. Jensen has training and experience in many techniques to improve the appearance of your face and body. Together you can determine which procedure is right for you. You may find that a combination of procedures rather than just one offers you the best results.

The best way to get complete answers to all your questions that relate to your needs and goals is to have a one-on-one consultation with Dr. Jensen.

What type of conditions can be treated?

Men of any age may benefit from appearance-enhancing plastic surgery. Your surgeon can offer cosmetic treatment options for any of the following conditions:

Body

• Excess fat or glandular tissue in the upper chest, which causes a condition called gynecomastia
• Excess fat ("love handles") in the waistline area
• Loose abdominal skin or muscles
• Poorly defined muscles

Face, Head & Neck

• Thinning hair or bald patches
• A double-chin or loose skin ("jowls") around the chin and/or neck
• Scarred or sun-damaged facial skin
• Wrinkles or bags around the eyes
• Disproportionate facial features: a receding chin, large nose, undefined cheekbones

What to expect during your consultation.

A personal consultation with Dr. Jensen is the first step for every patient considering plastic surgery. During this meeting, Dr. Jensen will assess your physical health and discuss your specific cosmetic goals.

You should be in generally good health if you're planning cosmetic plastic surgery of any type. Arrive at the consultation prepared to provide complete information about:

• Previous injuries, surgical procedures or treatments that have been performed in the surgical area.
• Significant weight gains or losses in recent months.
• Skin conditions or allergies that have been previously diagnosed or treated.
• Medications you are taking or have taken previously, including dietary and herbal supplements.

During your physical examination, Dr. Jensen may take preoperative photographs to be kept in your medical record. His observations will help determine which treatments or procedures can offer you the greatest benefit. You may learn that a secondary procedure, which can sometimes be performed during the same surgical session, will bring about the most satisfying results.

What to know about the safety of cosmetic plastic surgery.

Each year, thousands of men undergo cosmetic plastic surgery procedures of the face, head, neck and body and they experience no major complications. However, it is important for you to be informed of the risks as well as the benefits of the procedure you choose.

One of the most important parts of your consultation is the discussion that you and Dr. Jensen will have about the possible complications with your procedure.

By carefully following Dr. Jensen's instructions - before and after your treatment - you can do your part to minimize some of the risks.

Surgical Options

Dr. Jensen will provide all the information you need about the specific procedure you're interested in. Here are some of the options available to you.

Liposuction

Liposuction, also called lipoplasty, removes deposits of excess fat from specific areas of the face, neck and body. It can create a flatter, firmer and better-contoured shape. Liposuction is generally performed as an outpatient procedure under local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia and most men can return to nonstrenuous work in 1 week. Your initial results will appear in the first few weeks; final results are evident in 2-6 months.

Breast Reduction Surgery for Gynecomastia

Gynecomastia is the term used to describe an excess accumulation of fat or glandular tissue in the male breasts. It's a condition that affects up to half the male population - sometimes in one breast, sometimes in both.

In many cases, liposuction alone can be used to correct the problem areas, particularly if the tissue being removed is primarily fat. Using this technique, a small incision is made around the edge of the nipple area. A thin tube, called a cannula, is attached to a vacuum pump and is moved through the layers beneath the skin, breaking up the fatty tissue and suctioning it out. If this is the technique you select, you may feel a bit of vibration or friction during the procedure, but generally no pain. If a large amount of fat must be removed, the excess overlying skin may have to be removed to allow the remaining skin to adjust to the chest's new shape.

If, on the other hand, the primary source of the breast enlargement is glandular tissue, it will be excised through a small incision either on the edge of the pigmented skin around the nipple or in the underarm area. Larger incisions may be required if a significant amount of tissue and skin will be removed.

After surgery

Sometimes a small drain is inserted beneath the skin to draw off excess fluids after the procedure is complete. The incisions are usually covered with a dressing, and the chest may be wrapped to keep the skin firmly in place. You'll be a bit swollen and bruised for the first week after the surgery. Still, your surgeon will encourage you to try to resume a normal nonstrenuous routine, and you may return to work as soon as you feel comfortable enough to do so.

Dr. Jensen may advise staying out of the sun and avoiding sports and sexual activity for a few weeks following the procedure so that your body has a chance to heal. In general, it will take about 4 weeks to return to full activity.

You'll see Dr. Jensen for regular follow-up visits to ensure that you are healing as you should. Once you are completely healed, the results of the procedure are significant and permanent, and you're likely to be pleased with your improved body contour.

Hair Replacement Surgery

There are a number of techniques used in hair replacement surgery. In hair transplantation, small pieces of hair-bearing scalp are removed from a donor site with thick hair growth and relocated to a bald or thinning area. Punch grafts, mini grafts, micro grafts and strip grafts are typically chosen by men who desire a more modest change in hair fullness. Transplantation is a gradual process that may take a year or more to complete. To achieve the desired level of fullness, several surgical sessions may be needed with a healing interval between each one.

For punch grafts, your surgeon may use a sharp, tube-like instrument that punches the round graft of hair-bearing scalp from the donor site. For other types of grafts, a scalpel is used. The grafts are then divided and transplanted into tiny holes or slits within the scalp. Donor site holes from punch grafts may be closed with a single stitch, which can usually be concealed with the surrounding hair.

Flaps, scalp reduction and tissue expansion are usually more appropriate for men who are seeking a more dramatic change in a relatively short amount of time. In flap surgery, a section of bald scalp is removed and replaced with a flap of hair-bearing skin that remains attached to its original blood supply at one end. In recent years, plastic surgeons have found a new way to combine flap surgery and scalp reduction for better coverage of the crown. Scalp reduction is sometimes referred to as "advancement flap surgery" because sections of hair-bearing scalp are "advanced" or pulled forward to fill in a bald crown. This method works best for men who seek coverage at the top and back of the head. Performed under local anesthesia, the procedure involves removing a section of bald scalp - typically in an inverted "Y" or "U" shape - and then pulling the surrounding skin so that sections of hair-bearing scalp are brought together.

Tissue expansion is another procedure that provides dramatic results in a short amount of time. In tissue expansion, a balloon-like device called a tissue expander is inserted beneath a section of hair-bearing scalp that lies next to a bald area. The device is gradually (over a period of weeks) inflated with salt water, causing the skin to expand and grow new skin cells. When the skin beneath the hair has stretched sufficiently, another procedure is performed to bring the expanded skin over to cover the adjacent bald area.

After surgery

Even though the ease of your recovery will depend greatly on the extent and complexity of the procedure you choose, you can generally expect to feel some aching and tightness in the scalp after your procedure. However, these symptoms can be eased with pain medication prescribed by Dr. Jensen.

You will be permitted to wash your hair gently within about 2 days after surgery, when the bandages are removed. Stitches are typically left in for about 7-10 days. Contact sports or other vigorous exercise should be avoided for at least 10 days after surgery. However, you may feel well enough to return to work after several days.

It is normal - albeit somewhat distressing - to lose some of the transplanted hair within the first 6 weeks after the procedure. However, it's important to recognize that this condition is typical and that it will take another 5 or 6 weeks for hair growth to resume. Once that healing interval passes, you can expect about a half-inch of growth per month.

To ensure that your incisions are healing properly, Dr. Jensen will probably want to see you several times during the first month after surgery. After your incisions have healed, you may need a surgical "touch up" procedure to create more natural-looking results. Dr. Jensen can usually predict how extensive your touch-up procedure may be.

Results

Most patients who undergo hair replacement say that the natural-looking results are worth the time it takes to achieve them. The self-confidence that comes from having a fuller head of hair can bring about a dramatic change in your work life or personal life. Best of all, your hair will feel like your own - because it is!

Facial Cosmetic Surgery

Men who seek more balanced facial features or a rejuvenated appearance often turn to cosmetic surgery. Whether you are seeking a slight "freshening" of the facial skin or a more extensive change in your facial structure, Dr. Jensen can help.

Some of the procedures that men often seek are:

Blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery): This procedure eliminates sagging skin above the eye or the bags below. It is typically an outpatient procedure that is performed under local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia. Depending on your healing progress, you may be able to return to work within 1-2 weeks.

Facelift: Sagging facial skin, jowls and loose neck skin are removed in this procedure, which results in a smoother, more youthful appearance. Most often this is an outpatient procedure that is performed under local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia. However, sometimes s short inpatient stay is required. Most men return to work with 2-3 weeks after having a facelift.

Facial implants: Custom-styled implants can be positioned within the face to bring about a more harmonious balance of the facial features. Most often, implants are used to build up a receding chin, to add prominence to the cheekbones or to reshape the jaw line. Occasionally an overnight hospital stay is needed, but typically this is an outpatient procedure that is performed under local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia. Most men are back to work within 1-2 weeks and are able to see their final result within about a month.

Forehead lift (browlift): Furrows and creases in the forehead as well as drooping upper eyelids are minimized in this procedure. It is typically performed on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia. Most men are able to return to work within 1-2 weeks.

Nose surgery (rhinoplasty): This custom-tailored procedure reshapes the nose to create a more balanced facial appearance. Most often, it's an outpatient procedure that is performed under local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia. You are likely to return to work within 1-2 weeks. However, it takes many months for the final result to become apparent.

The results of rhinoplasty and chin implants are permanent, and create a more proportionate balance among facial features.

Skin resurfacing and revitalizing: Varieties of methods are available to soften or eliminate wrinkles and surface flows on facial skin. Gentle revitalizing treatments performed in Dr. Jensen's office include botulinum toxin injections (Botox®) to reduce facial-expression lines and glycolic acid peels and microdermabrasion to reduce the visible effects of aging and sun damage, including fine wrinkles and brown spots. These treatments require little or no down time for recovery and must be repeated to maintain your smoother, more refreshed appearance.

Chemical peel, dermabrasion and laser resurfacing are more extensive skin resurfacing procedures also performed on an outpatient basis and require only local anesthesia. Because these treatments remove the top layer of facial skin, a red, flushed appearance is part of the early phase of recovery and some degree of heightened color may persist for an extended period. You may need 2 weeks or more to feel comfortable enough to return to work.

Learn more

If you're considering any of these facial procedures, it's important to schedule a consultation with Dr. Jensen. He can evaluate your needs to determine which options would provide you with the most satisfying and long-lasting results.