Cosmetic Procedures for Men
Cosmetic procedures for men have become more popular and accepted in recent years taking away the stigma that surrounds men and self- improvement. Statistics show male procedure continue to rise in popularity making up about 10% of all cosmetic procedures performed in the US today. There is better information available and proof of outcomes helping men to manage their ageing process differently than their fathers. Procedures are meant to rejuvenate a more youthful appearance, correcting baggy eyelids, double chins, deep forehead lines, acne scars, and red complexions while keeping your masculinity intact. For younger patients the evolution of grooming now includes preventative treatments like Botox, chemical peels, laser and body contouring.
Dr. Michalak has been offering some of the most popular male driven procedures for years in the Seattle, Issaquah, eastside area. In addition to facial rejuvenation and body contouring, he has been helping men with therapeutic treatments for dermatologic conditions like rosacea and sun-damaged skin (actinic dysplasia) with innovative laser procedures that have high efficacy and minimal downtime.
If you’re contemplating having one or multiple procedures, and don’t know where to start, we invite you to continue your research below with these popular procedures offered for men at Cosmetic Surgery & Dermatology of Issaquah.
Surgical Procedures
Tumescent Liposuction: Treats stubborn areas of fat on the body like love handles and abdominal areas. Liposuction permanently removes fat by using an instrument called a microcannula inserted into small incisions. The procedure begins by infiltrating tumescent fluid containing local anesthetic that constricts blood vessels, controls pain and makes for easier fat removal. Liposuction is the number one cosmetic procedure sought after by men. This procedure is very effective, safe and patients can return to work in a few days.
Male Breast Reduction: A percentage of men at some point in their lifetime will experience enlargement of the chest area causing a breast-like appearance. The condition, gynecomastia can be caused by a hormone imbalance and happen at any age, although young and middle age men are more susceptible. True gynecomastia is swelling of glands and some fat in the chest area while pseudogyncomastia is just fat. An evaluation by Dr. Michalak will determine if you are a good candidate to have the procedure. Dr. Michalak uses Tumescent Liposuction to recontour the chest, reducing the fat creating a more natural chest contour. Scars are minimal to non-existence making this an attractive option for men with gynecomastia. This is the third most popular procedure performed on men.
Eyelid Surgery: Baggy eyelids can be one of the first areas to show the signs of aging in men making us look more tired and older than we are. This procedure called a Blepharoplasty corrects excess eyelid skin and protruding fat pads. Dr. Michalak uses the transconjunctival technique on lower eyelids so the procedure is scarless. Upper eyelids are rejuvenated slightly differently, often small amounts of skin need to also be removed to properly reposition with incisions tucked into eyelid folds, if fat is presently contributing to the problem, that is also removed. Any loose skin on the lower lids can be treated with a laser resurfacing procedure like Total FX. Blepharoplasty is the second most popular surgery performed on men.
Non-Surgical Procedures and Laser
Botox and Xeomin: Botox and Xeomin are both neuromodulators used to reduce muscle movement of the face causing a temporary smoothing of deep facial lines and crows feet. It’s not uncommon for men to have deep lines between the brow and forehead causing a stern facial expression when that’s not what is being emoted. Both products are administered by injection via unit, units vary by area and can be individualized. Having a “frozen” unnatural appearance often scares patients off driven by Hollywood standards that for most are unrealistic. Neuromodulators should enhance treated areas, softening lines and lifting lowered brows. Botox is the number one non-surgical procedure performed on men.
Dermal Filler: Dermal fillers are used to restore facial volume or augment facial features. The most recognizable brands include Restylane and Juvederm, and are derived from a naturally occurring substance called hyaluronic acid. Our skin naturally produces hyaluronic acid making it recognizable to the body, so it can be safely injected without patch testing like old school fillers. Like facial fat, we lose hyaluronic acid in our skin with age. Fillers are used to replace the loss of facial fat, enhance facial features, improve lower eyelid hollows in our tear troughs and more. We offer products in the Juvederm family: Juvederm Ultra, Voluma and Vobella. Restylane family of products, Restylane, Restylane Silk, Refine and Define. Radiesse is another substance we offer and is a calcium-based product. Radiesse is injected deeper than some of the HA products and some areas of the face need deeper placement to achieve desired outcomes. This is especially true for men who generally want subtle improvement preserving masculinity without creating softer features that females desire. Sculptra is yet another material that creates a scaffolding stimulating collagen production. Also injected very deep. Sculptra was initially used or lipodystrophy of the face. Sculptra works very differently taking multiple vials injected over a period of months. Sculptra takes time to see results and is often combines with HA fillers producing a very natural semi-permanent result.
Fraxel Laser: Fraxel treats sun-damage, pigmentation, scars and prematurely aged skin. Fraxel is a non-ablative laser that produces tiny columns deep in the skin creating microthermal treatment zones, these thermal injuries create new healthier skin tissue. Popular amongst men because it has minimal downtime and can drastically improve a variety of skin concerns. Fraxel can take several treatments for optimal outcomes, your individualized treatment plan would be created during your consultation outlining, amount of treatments and cost. Fraxel “Thulium” is one of our most popular treatments for sun damaged skin and successfully combined with Laser Dynamic Therapy for patients who are seeking skin cancer prevention.
V-Beam Laser: V-Beam is a pulsed dye laser used to treat redness in the skin. For men, most common concerns are spider veins on the cheek, chin and nose and redness created from the skin disorder rosacea. The V-beam laser emits a “beam” of light at a specific wavelength to destroy superficial spider veins. Results can be seen in one to three treatments with minimal downtime. Dr. Michalak also uses the V-Beam for scar suppression after dermatologic surgery and Laser Dynamic Therapy as a preventative treatment for actinic dysplasia.
Laser Dynamic Therapy: LDT combines V-Beam laser and a topical agent used for the prevention of actinic dysplasia (precancerous spots) that can lead to skin cancer. For men who are seeking more preventative treatments, LDT might be for you. We also use this treatment for men and teenagers suffering from acne and that do not want to take long term medications or isotretinoin.
Ultherapy: Ultherapy is focus ultrasound waves that go very deep in the skin creating a lifting effect. The energy is emitted at different wavelengths via a handpiece creating a thermal injury that in 3 months result in collagen production responsible for “lifting” the skin. Currently, this is the closest non-invasive device to improve sagging other than a surgical facelift. Results are subtler than surgery and for men, subtle improvements are more desirable. Ultherapy pairs well with other procedures like liposuction of the chin helping to further tighten the skin.
UltraShape: is non-invasive body contouring that selectively targets and destroys fat cells in certain regions of the body such as your abdomen and love handles. UltraShape works by emitting ultrasound energy that vibrates fatty tissue, breaking down fat cells. Your body then naturally eliminates the damaged cells over a period through its natural metabolic process. The benefits of Ultrashape compared to other similar devices is the treatments are comfortable without damaging the surrounding tissue or nerves. The treated area also transitions well to none treated areas without leaving a line of demarcation. Most patients need 3 treatments to achieve desired results.
Dr. Michalak offers comprehensive consultations for men’s cosmetic procedures in his Issaquah practice in addition to dermatology, dermatologic surgery and MOHS Micrographic Surgery. Some procedures like Botox and dermal filler can be booked without a consultation. Give us a call at 425-391-2500 for additional details.