Dumbbells or surgical drains?

OP. DR. YUNUS DOĞAN

Hacks or healing?

Some people thrive on gym time. It’s part of their daily routine, just as necessary as morning coffee but a little easier on those pearly whites. Exercise comes in many different forms: HIIT workouts, kickboxing, yoga, swimming, strength training, walking and running are just a few examples of the many ways you can have fun moving your body. Athletes have long been using plastic surgery as a tool to enhance performance.

Sometimes all that time spent in the gym falls short of helping us truly realize our dreams and goals and we use a little plastic surgery to bridge the gap. Or for the ones who have no desire to sweat or lift a single weight, there are work-arounds to working out.

A few ways you can possibly enhance your existing athletic frame (or use as shortcuts) include:

• Sculpting
• Coolsculpting
• J-plasma
• Implants

Sculpting

You can be the master artist of your own recreation. The hammer and chisel are within your reach but what chisel (method) should you use? There are options for minimally invasive procedures that can tighten skin. Note that these suggestions will not replace a traditional tummy tuck, so if you have excessive skin to remove, these options will not work for you.

Coolsculpting

The process is spelled out in the name. Using cryolipolysis, Coolsculpting freezes subcutaneous fat cells in their pudgy little tracks to make a more chiseled version of you. They die and your body naturally eliminates them, leaving you with up to 20% fewer fat cells. Just like liposuction, this process only targets subcutaneous fat, not visceral. Need a refresher on the difference?

J-plasma

This process sounds like a tool on a super hero’s belt, harnessing the power of plasma energy to firm and tighten the skin. If paired with liposuction, subcutaneous fat is suctioned out first, then helium gas and radiofrequency waves are mixed under your skin. This ionized powerhouse creates a precise beam of heat that targets fat, complemented by the helium gas’ cooling properties that prevent burns.

Implants

Most of civilized society is aware of breast implants. If you’re a little foggy, here’s the breast thing to read about the history of how we’ve fluffed our dirty pillows. But anatomically speaking, breast implants aren’t just for those of us assigned as female at birth.

Navigating gender norms and stereotypes can be a confusing journey depending on your desired outcome. Let’s just take the “pec” from expectations and talk about pectoral implants. Often included in a gynecomastia treatment plan, pectoral implants are made of a firmer material than breast implants, making them look and feel like part of a traditionally muscular chest. Men seek out pectoral implants to correct asymmetry, enhance existing musculature or completely mimic muscles.

Plastic surgery implants aren’t limited to the chest anymore either. Sometimes paired with a facelift, patients can squeak in a little Botox to fill in wrinkles around the eyes or mouth. Since Botox and other fillers have a relatively short lifespan, some patients opt for more long-term solutions like facial implants, namely cheek, chin or jaw implants. If you weren’t born with a sexy, square and chiseled jaw, you can try face yoga for hours. Or get an implant.

Speaking of sexy and chiseled, which way is the gun show? It’s THAT way, where the bicep implant magic happens. You can spend hours doing hammer curls or put the hammer down and get the implants. Piggyback some triceps implants for the complete upper arm aesthetic and you’ll be the one saying “it’s not a tumor” with a wink and a smile.

Let’s head down south, skipping over the J-plasma-ed 6 pack, 360 liposuctioned tummy tuck and the Brazilian butt lift (BBL) to one of the most stubborn muscle groups to train, the calves. If you’ve done thousands of calf raises and walked miles in high heels - kudos to the men who’ve done both - but your calves’ appearance continues to disappoint, consider calf implants. They’ll make you look like a lifelong marathon runner even if you prefer not to perambulate from your armchair.

The last stitch

Plastic surgery continues to be a polarizing point of conflict in some conversations, depending on where people are chatting. There will always be people who consider it a frivolous means to an end while others rely on it as an irreplaceable element of training.

Plastic surgery is similar to owning a pet, having children or ordering ice cream for dessert: if you don’t personally agree with it, you don’t have to do it. If your existing gym regime satisfies your needs and has your muscles popping in all the right places, take a celebratory swig of your protein shake! But try not to judge the person on the next treadmill over. Maybe their calves are the byproduct of dumbbells AND drains.