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Schedule A ConsultationWhy aren’t more gynecomastia surgeons using BodyTite or J Plasma for skin tightening for the chest in addition to gland removal? Many patients ask these questions when they are considering gynecomastia surgery. Non-surgical or minimally invasive options like BodyTite and J Plasma would address common worries patients have with gynecomastia surgery, such as scarring or the recovery process. However, Dr. Cruise warns against these options for a majority of gynecomastia patients.
One of the most common concerns patients have when considering gynecomastia surgery is the visibility of the incisions. For mild cases, the incisions are nearly undetectable once healed. For those with skin laxity issues, there may be the need for additional skin tightening. There are two primary techniques used to address this. For more severe cases, additional incisions will be needed to remove the skin and tighten the chest. This is unavoidable to obtain an ideal result. The good news is that over time the incisions will fade and chest hair can also act as camouflage. This method of skin tightening yields predictable results vs. option such as J Plasma and BodyTite, which are very hit and miss and can only help with minimal tightening at best.
For patients with moderate gynecomastia who need some skin contraction, Dr. Cruise utilizes a liposuction cannula to manually promote skin tightening. This is not to be confused with liposuction for fat removal, which will also be done if necessary. It simply means he will use this same device but for a different purpose; skin tightening.
There are many doctors now offering surgical and non-surgical laser and radio-frequency devices as an option for skin tightening of the male chest. Unfortunately, the technology doesn’t yet rival the techniques mentioned above.
Skin tightening requires that the surgeon applies enough energy to the dermis to get it to contract. The current technology is not very good at doing that. There is a second problem; the skin of the chest, axilla and breast roll region is filled with network-like fascial webbing that effectively acts as a splint. So even when the dermis tries to contract this fascial webbing is prevented. This same “splint” acts as a barrier between the dermis and underlying muscle, thus creating sag if there is any excess skin. Current technologies, including J Plasma or BodyTite, do not address these two issues simultaneously. The current device technology is just not there yet to offer a viable and predictable result.
Given a large percentage of Dr. Cruise’s practice is focused on treating Gynecomastia, he sees cases of gynecomastia with excess or loose skin on a regular basis. The good news is that as long as your skin has the ability to contract, it can be done manually by the surgeon. However, this is dependent on the skill and experience of the surgeon.
Dr. Cruise has extensive experience treating gynecomastia and invented the Cruise Classification System to better understand various types of gynecomastia and their best treatment options. By classifying the different types of gynecomastia according to various degrees of severity, including the presence and degree of loose skin, Dr. Cruise will develop a tailored surgical plan for each patient according to their gynecomastia type.
To learn more about your best gynecomastia treatment options, schedule a consultation with Dr. Cruise. Call our Newport Beach office at (949) 644-4808 or contact us online. You may also send us photos for a fast-track virtual consultation.
Dr. Joseph Cruise is a board-certified plastic surgeon with over 20 years of experience. Regarded as one of the top gynecomastia surgeons in the world, Dr. Cruise has gynecomastia-specific content that can be found at lagynecomastia.org. Dr. Cruise has dedicated his career to cosmetic surgery but has also had extensive training in General Surgery, Hand Surgery, and Microvascular Surgery. Dr. Joseph Cruise is also a member of the Rhinoplasty Society as well as the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
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