“I’d wanted to have liposuction for a long time,” admits “Jim,” age 49. Last year, he decided to take action and had liposuction on his abdomen and love handles—and is thrilled with the results.

“It helped me a lot,” Jim says. “Afterward, I had a waist—people noticed!” And the benefits were more than physical. Having liposuction also motivated Jim to stick to a diet and get rid of the few extra pounds he’d wanted to lose. Between the liposuction and his weight loss, he went from a 36” waist to 32” and
feels great.

“I’m a single guy,” Jim explains. “I’m out there meeting girls and I want to look the best I can. I’ve got to compete. Girls can’t tell how old I am now; they think I’m in my early 40s.”

Jim is one of the nearly 1 million men who had cosmetic plastic surgery last year. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), men had 53,263 liposuction procedures in 2006, making it the top cosmetic procedure for men.

“Male Baby Boomers are particularly concerned with their appearance,” says Dr. Parungao. “They realize they’re competing with younger men, both in the workplace and in the social arena.”

Men are choosing liposuction for more than just their abs and love handles. Many guys turn to liposuction to trim the excess fat from their neck and under the chin. Liposuction can even help correct mild cases of gynecomastia, a common condition where the male breast is enlarged.

By far, the most popular non-surgical cosmetic procedure for men is Botox® Cosmetic, an injectable treatment that makes frown lines and wrinkles fade or disappear by relaxing the underlying facial muscles. The ASAPS reports that 300,472 Botox treatments were administered to men in 2006.

“Men in particular are looking for treatment options that offer fast results with little or no downtime,” Dr. Parungao explains. “A Botox treatment takes only a few minutes. Most men are able to return to their normal routine immediately, and the results last about three months.”

In some cases, Dr. Parungao recommends combining Botox treatments with a facial filler such as Juvéderm or Restylane to give the skin a smoother, younger-looking appearance. “It’s fast, it’s simple and it works,” he says.

First, congratulations on losing the weight! The best way to get rid of the excess skin on your belly—and tighten up your abdominal muscles—is to have a tummy tuck. Liposuction would actually make your loose-skin problem worse by removing more volume.