The Daddy Do-Over

“Sorry, mom, but your muffin top is taking a back seat to dad’s backside”, was the recent heading in the New York Post

Post-pregnancy “mommy makeover” operations – a plastic surgery combination of a tummy tuck, a breast lift or augmentation and liposuction – have been common for many years, but now men of a certain age are paying for what some experts are dubbing the ‘daddy do-over’.

Did you know that if you google-search the term ‘daddy-do-over’, you will find 1.5 billion hits on the Internet? A few years back this would have been unheard of.

Although the face of plastic surgery has always been ‘female’ with facelifts, breast procedures, tummy tucks and liposuction being performed, recently, as more patients are undergoing surgery, the gender scales are beginning to balance out with an increasing number of male patients seeking surgery.

Male cosmetic surgery used to be a taboo subject, but lately, the cat is out of the bag with more male patients requesting information about the latest techniques and aesthetic advancements.

Guys out there are booking appointments, with male patients from all walks of life looking at having surgery. It’s the businessman who doesn’t like his shirt-popping belly protruding while sitting down or the lawyer who won’t wear a collar and tie because of what it does to his neck.

According to recent statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, operations performed on male patients rose by 29% from the year 2000 to 2017. While these figures don’t confirm that any of these males are genuine “dads,” the numbers suggest these men are suffering the effects of “dad bod” and want a solution – immediately.

During the same period, non-invasive treatments such as fillers and Botox, have increased by 100% while regular surgeries, including liposuction of the chest, abdomen, flanks (sides and back), and blepharoplasty, have remained the most common treatments for male patients requiring a lasting result.

All procedures are becoming more popular with men trying to get an advantage at work – and on the beach. At about age 35, even if one’s weight stays constant, fat distribution in both sexes changes, and being a parent worsens this. Women are undergoing the physical changes that come with pregnancy and childbirth, for men, it’s more about the lifestyle change that having children brings, as well as the typical factors that come with ageing.

It is undeniable that having children changes ones’ life forever, in more ways than one. The daily grind of life takes its toll and exercise regimes, as well as regular eating habits easily fall by the wayside and are swapped for McDonalds and Spurs. After a while, gradual weight gain becomes harder and harder to lose with some patients not willing to put on a T-shirt because some dads say that they feel that they have a C-Cup.

Moreover, that is why these procedures are probably called the ‘daddy do-over.’

Drooping eyes and a saggy neck can also age a man beyond his years, consequently damaging his image in the workplace. Premature ageing influences how people perceive your work performance.  “I’ve had patients saying, ‘I’m tired of people asking me when I’m going to retire. I still want to be in on the game.’

Liposuction to reduce neck fat is a relatively easy get, as the procedure can be done quickly in a surgeon’s office, rather than in the operating room. The effect of liposuction can be life-changing, creating a visible jawline in someone who didn’t have one before.

Baggy lower eyes are typically due to genetics, ageing or both, which means that men of all ages present for this operation. If fat is present, it can be removed or placed into a different area, such as the cheekbones. Less severe cases can be treated using injections of filler into the tear troughs to camouflage the appearance of lower eye bags.

Tightening a loose neck is a little different for men than it is for women as men have thicker skin with more blood vessels, resulting in more fat deposited in the area.

John, a recent patient and a dad in his mid 40’s, had Botox and fillers in the past but never invasive surgery until May this year, where he had a form of the “daddy do-over,” with liposuction of the abdomen, chest, and flanks. Although he says he was never an overweight guy and was generally in good shape, he started to notice weight around his midriff that just wouldn’t go away despite diet, exercise and even Coolsculpting – using Fat freezing to melt fat and lose centimetres. Even though the best results are only noticeable after 4-5 months, just one month after surgery, John was on a beach without a shirt saying that he looked better than when he was in his early 30’s.  He wants to do his neck soon.

So when do you get your life back after having children, you might still be wondering?

Right now!

Because it’s in front of you, at the table having breakfast, in the backseat of your car, outside playing in the garden, and resting on the lounge carpet.

We are given life through the lives of our children!

However, you can have it all!

 “If not you, who? If not, now, when?” – Hillel, the Elder