Age of possibilities

Pictures of R Madhavan and Milind Soman having aged like fine wine have been exploding the internet for a while. But contrary to the popular belief, not all men get to bear the same perks and confidence about their body image as they age.

The ideal male body shape is considered to be trimmed and athletic-looking, with broad shoulders and chest, a flat abdomen, and a narrow thigh area. However, as men age, fat tends to accumulate around the abdomen, the flanks and the chest area.

Beer bellies, “man breasts” or love handles — the number of concerns are plenty. Research shows that more than 50 percent of young men have worried about their body shapes some time in their life. It’s an under-recognised problem and it can be quite serious. It is what we refer to as a ‘silent’ yet widespread problem.

However, with advanced technology, there are multiple solutions to these problems too. Let’s take Gynaecomastia for example. For a man, nothing can be more embarrassing than having breasts. This is a combination of breast tissue and fat accumulation. Medical treatment and weight loss procedures cannot make them disappear.  In this case, usually the fat and gland can be removed entirely by a key-hole surgery which is done as a day care surgery without hospitalisation. The scars are minimal and fade in time. Going to swimming pool or baring the chest need not be scary thoughts anymore.

Another common problem is the ‘beer gut’. These prominent barrel shaped abdomens are caused due to fat deposits within and outside the abdomen muscle wall. Consuming excess calories without adequate exercise and physical activity will allow fat to deposit in the skin of the abdomen What most people like to see is six pack abdomen. This can be created but not by surgery alone. Surgery in the form of high definition liposuction defines the muscle shape but the intra-abdominal fat reduction can be achieved by weight loss and exercises.

However, the most stubborn and easily spotted problems are love handles and double chin. Excess fat deposits on the waist which look like two bulges can be addressed and shaped by liposuction. This is a permanent result as the fat cells are lost forever. The waist becomes narrower and shapely. In case of the chin, the loss of jawline makes a person look old and obese. The neck looks shorter and the shirt collars become tight. A combination of liposuction and/or injection lipolysis can give a fabulous result.

Mohan Thomas is a cosmetic surgeon (Disclaimer: Always check with an expert before going ahead with such treatment)