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Since 2003, the award-winning organization Movember has been raising men’s health awareness by asking men around the world to use the month of November to grow a mustache, and then to promote their mustache-growing effort in a way that rallies people to donate to health programs that fight prostate and testicular cancer.

Movember’s annual, global campaign has been very successful in using a purely cosmetic initiative to promote awareness of men’s wellness, including the importance of taking preventive action, like going in for an annual doctor’s exam. Men should also know what steps they need to take if they get sick and what options are available for treatment.

Many patients are surprised to find out that some procedures commonly associated with plastic surgery can also be used to treat certain medical conditions.

Breast Reconstruction and Breast Reduction

While women are 100 times more likely to develop breast cancer than men, it’s estimated that one in every 1,000 men will be diagnosed with the condition. For men who elect to receive a mastectomy, breast reconstruction surgery can help repair some of the physical and emotional impact of the procedure.

Breast reduction surgery, on the other hand, is an option for men with gynecomastia, a usually benign condition that causes the size of the male breast to increase disproportionately. Gynecomastia in men typically occurs during infancy, adolescence or old age, the three stages of a man’s life when the body experiences significant hormonal changes. However, in rare instances it may also be a symptom of serious conditions, including liver disease and lung or testicular cancer.

Botox Injections

Botox relaxes the contraction of the body’s muscles by blocking nerve impulses. These injections are widely used to prevent or eliminate wrinkles. But Botox can also treat disorders that affect the muscular system, including cervical dystonia, achalasia and hand dystonia (writer’s cramp), as well as some types of chronic pain and migraine headaches. Recent research has shown that men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a condition of an enlarged prostate that increases the urge to urinate and makes doing so difficult, experienced improvement after having Botox injected into their prostates.

Liposuction

Liposuction, a fat-removing procedure alternately known also as lipoplasty, liposculpture suction, lipectomy or lipo, is the one of the most common cosmetic operations in the U.S. This surgical procedure uses a hollow tube connected to a high-pressure vacuum to suck out fat from under a patient’s skin. Liposuction can be used to remove benign tumors, reduce the size of male breasts and help metabolize fat when the body cannot do so on its own.

Health Starts Here

Dr. Livingston’s team of experienced plastic and cosmetic surgery pros knows how to make men and women look and feel their best, whether for cosmetic or medical purposes. Schedule a consultation with us and learn more about what we can do for your health.