Gynecomastia (Male Breast Reduction)

Every year we treat a number of men that have gynecomastia. In my practice I have found that there are several groups of patients that have gynecomastia surgery.

One is the weight loss patients. A lot of men after losing a great deal of weight find themselves with a lot of loose saggy skin. There are surgeries that we can do to remove this extra skin and restore them to an aesthetically attractive shape. There are commonly longer scars for the weight loss patients as more skin is needed to be tailored.

The next group is the more common gynecomastia that arises with puberty.

There are several causes of gynecomastia including puberty as well as anabolic steroids and marijuana. I have certainly seen all these groups in my practice.

Treatment of this form of gynecomastia can range from liposuction to also requiring a small incision around the areola or possibly even a lift. Which one of those options is best depends on the degree of breasts tissue and extra skin that the patient has.

Anytime someone has gynecomastia it is important to consider endocrinological causes such as testicular tumors. As need we routinely order labs and evaluate patients to make sure there is no other cause of the gynecomastia. 

Laser Tattoo Removal

Tattoos are a common part of society today. These are often obtained by young people. When they enter the workforce or become parents they often experience a great deal of regret or sometimes shame. People very commonly come to me for laser tattoo removal. The advantage of laser tattoo removal is that it can fade a tattoo without scarring. There are several things that someone should know about laser tattoo removal.

1. It always  takes multiple treatments. It not uncommon to require 6-10 treatments depending on the darkness of the tattoo as well as the color. I liken it to removing paint from a wall. The limitation is that you can only scrape so many lasers of paint off at one time. To avoid scarring the laser energy has to be controlled thus the technique requires multiple treatments.
2. The treatments have to be spaced out. I usually favor 6-8 weeks between treatments. After lasering the tattoo we want to give the body time to remove the ink debris from the tattoo site so that the next laser treatment is only treating the remaining ink. Bright colors are a lot more difficult. Some of the bright and particularly florescent colors or pastels are very difficult to remove. This can either mean a great number of treatments or not being able to remove it at all. 

For more Before/After pictures click here

Hysterectomy or Bladder Suspension with Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck)

I am commonly asked whether a tummy tuck can be done at the same time as a hysterectomy or bladder suspension.

Performing a tummy tuck with either one of these procedures is safe. It allows ladies to combine two procedures into one recovery. People often have to take time off from work to have their bladder suspension or hysterectomy so there is an added benefit of also getting rid of a lot of unwanted skin. Combining these two is safe and effective. 

click here for more Before/After Photos

Laser Hair Removal

This is a common office procedure that we perform. The most common areas are the bikini, armpits, as well as the face. Other areas include the legs and back. Laser hair removal is an effective procedure. It always requires multiple sessions. Laser hair removal only works on growing hairs at any one time; not all the hair on a given part of your body is growing. This is why hair on our heads grows out unevenly. A mans beard has approximately 90% of the hairs growing at any time. Areas such as legs or back grow much more slowly. 

The laser hair removal works by concentrating laser energy on the hair shaft. This then heats up and burns the hair follicle. The hair follicle is where the hair is created. The ideal candidate has very pale skin and dark course hair. In this scenario all the laser energy will be absorbed by the hair shaft and none of it will be absorbed by the skin. Blonde or gray hair is essentially impossible to do successfully. Darker skinned patients are also more challenging. One has to be careful in those situations that there is no reduction in skin color or scarring. Overall it is a very satisfying procedure. I personally have had laser hair removal on my neck which I love! Now I barely have to shave my neck at all.