As we round out the summer, those barbeques and beach beers can really bombard our busting bellies. We devote this month’s blog to the unsung heroes of economic vitality: The Suburban Dad.
Most of us live fairly busy lives: education, chiseling away at our career and devoting the needed time for wives and families. But somehow between the trips to soccer practice and the scattered dinner or Monday Night Football game, we (myself included) have missed a few opportunities to keep in shape and try to hold on to the youthful physique that we once had.
During my wife’s first pregnancy, we each had a weigh off every few weeks. Truth be told, I tallied my weight really as a way to help her stay encouraged during the rigors of pregnancy. Unfortunately, I gained more weight that she did! While it took a few weeks to get back into “fighting shape”, it is much more difficult at middle age to stay fit that it once was. As so much attention has been paid to “The Mommy Makeover”, perhaps its time for the warriors of suburbia to get back to our own pre-pregnancy shape. And so, I give you…The Daddy Do-Over.
According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, three of the top Cosmetic Surgery procedures performed for men in 2013 were Liposuction, Eyelid Surgery and Male Breast Reduction. Here in San Diego, this is exactly the breakdown of procedures that I see in my male patients. As men age and gain weight, we see changes in our bellies, our chests and our eyes. While we should all agree that exercise, a balanced diet and lots of rest should be the primary method for attempting to get yourself back to your 20s, sometimes mother nature has other plans. Fortunately, this is where a trip to your friendly-neighborhood plastic surgeon can help you get fit and youthful again in time for the holidays. Let’s examine some of this plastic surgery “bro-menclature”:
Liposuction can be a tremendously successful procedure for Daddy Do-Overs. This is in part due to the anatomic location where men carry their weight: the love handles and lower back. The skin of this region is very thick. When liposuction is used to remove fat from under this skin, it tends to contract very well with a smooth, natural result, with minimal wrippling. This has a very predictable and aesthetically pleasing result of restoring a “V-shape” to your back and shrinking those love handles. The same is true for our chest and breasts. While this responds very similar to the abdomen, excessive male breast tissue (i.e. gynecomastia) may sometimes need to be surgically removed through a small open incision. Liposuction is often used as an adjunct for this procedure, but it will not completely contour the chest wall if gynecomastia is left behind. It is important to obtain a comprehensive exam for your board certified plastic surgeon to determine which procedure is best for you.
Male Eyelid Surgery is also a very successful procedure which can reduce excess skin of the upper lids or remove bulging fat from the lower lids. Most of my Daddy Do-Over patients request a procedure so that they “don’t look so tired all the time”. Subtle changes through eyelid surgery can make you look like you’ve slept for 9 hours and have the energy to run triathlons (maybe???)
As we are all busy professionals, sometimes finding the time to recover from surgery is the biggest challenge. Rest assured, there are options for non-surgical procedures to help give you a more rested appearance. Botox or Dysport can be used to help soften the crow’s feet of the eyes and raise the eyebrows to a more natural position. Soft-tissue fillers can also help to hide deep folds of the mouth or chin. Remember that the sun, although it feels great our face, can really exacerbate some of the effects of aging and skin damage. So when you are spending all day next Saturday at your kid’s soccer tournament, grab that sunscreen.
If you have devoted your energy to staying healthy, but there are still some problem areas that are stubborn, the Daddy Do-Over may be right for you. Stop in for a consultation, we can have a nice bro-talk!
Salvatore J. Pacella, M.D., M.B.A., F.A.C.S.
www.drpacella.com
858-554-9930