Liposuction becomes common as men swap ‘love handles’ for flat belly in just hours.
In most Nairobi clinics, more men aged between 28 to 36 years are opting for fat removal and fat transfer.
In some cases, doctors extract the fat from different body parts, refine it and use it for procedures such as facial and hand rejuvenation.
To toil in a gym for months or surgically remove the annoying fat? For a growing number of Kenyan men who want to get a perfectly chiselled look, the operating room has become their best shot.
In most Nairobi clinics, more men aged between 28 to 36 years are opting for fat removal and fat transfer, a surgical procedure known as liposuction.
Prof Stanley Khainga, a cosmetic surgeon and president of the Pan African Association Plastic Surgeons, says more women still do liposuction, but the procedure is helping men get a more chiselled look.
He says that while most people think that liposuction is a weight-reducing surgery, it is actually a way to give the body a perfect-looking figure, but it is never ‘‘a permanent way to banish fat.’’
Dr Martin Ajujo, a plastic surgeon at Surgeoderm Healthcare in Nairobi says about 30 per cent of the clients at his clinic are men coming in for liposuction.
“Many men want fat removed from the belly to achieve the six pack look,” he says.
In some cases, doctors extract the fat from different body parts, refine it and use it for procedures such as facial and hand rejuvenation.
“Rejuvenating fat skin cells is done by harvesting stem cells from the abdomen or thigh fat to transfer it to various parts of the body such as the face or the breast,” says Dr Ajujo.
Prof Khainga adds that this is one of the reasons why liposuction is becoming common because other cosmetic procedures such as facelifts can only be done after fat removal or transfer.
Of the Kenyan women who get plastic surgery, doctors say most want the fat removed from their abdomens, underarms, thighs and transferred to the breasts or butt for a fuller yet a more natural look which is cheaper and safer than silicone implants.
Hormonal changes in women leads to piling of fat deposits while men tend to gain weight due to high alcohol or food intake.
“Women come in to get rid of the small pockets of fat that are not responding to exercises and dieting. Men often target areas like the chest or abdomen to gain a more desirable contour,” Dr Ajujo says.
As low as Sh50,000
The price of fat removal and transfer depends on the volume of fat and combination of procedures done, says Prof Khainga.
“It can be as low as Sh50,000 to Sh350,000 or even much higher depending on the area and volume of the fat removed. The prices also vary because often-time patients require a combination of procedures done,” he says.
While techniques have become more sophisticated over the years, Dr Ajujo adds that there are machines that make it possible to have a liposuction while awake.
“The vaser liposuction is an advanced body contouring procedure which selectively removes unwanted body fat. This is an alternative to the harsh techniques of traditional liposuction,’’ he says.
The ultrasound technology gently reshapes the body by liquefying the fat which is vacuumed out by a high-powered suction. For this type of liposuction, Dr Ajujo says, a client does not need hospital admission. Someone can resume normal activities after three weeks.
“You can go home that same day, be able to walk and even go back to work the next day and after a week of painkillers you should be fine. There is the initial swelling but in three weeks you see the great results after the skin finally contracts,” says Dr Ajujo.
The known shorter-term risks of liposuction include blood clots, skin or nerve damage, and loose or rippling skin where the fat was removed.
However, as fat removal and transfer gains popularity, not everyone can do the procedure.
A person should have an optimal body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 30 to get a liposuction.
“The person should also be an non-smoker who does not take blood thinners or herbal medications,” Dr Ajujo says.
