Case study: Men’s cosmetic surgery

By LYNDSAY BUCKLAND
Published on 17/03/2013 00:00

AFTER years of diet and exercise, Simon Connolly realised he was not going to remove the last few inches of unwanted fat without some extra help.

Now, just five weeks after cosmetic surgery, the 49-year-old is already looking forward to putting on his swimming trunks without the embarrassment he previously felt.

Connolly, from Hamilton, is one of a growing number of older men having Vaser liposuction treatment to liquefy and remove fat and sculpt the body to produce a more toned appearance.

He said: “From my mid-30s onwards I saw a change in my physique where the weight would go on in certain places – the usual suspects for men, chest, love handles, around the stomach.

“It just wouldn’t shift regardless of a change in diet or exercise. I do a lot of cycling and a couple of years ago I did Land’s End to John o’Groats.

“I slimmed down doing that but it still didn’t come off the really stubborn areas.

“I knew that without an intervention such as Vaser I wasn’t going to get rid of these problematic areas of fat.”

Connolly, who himself works in the cosmetic industry, said the only uncomfortable part of the procedure for him was towards the end of the treatment when the doctors were defining the muscle groups.

He added that he was “delighted” with the results.

“I have a flat chest that I haven’t had for at least 15, possibly 20, years,” Connolly said.

“That was not something I thought I would achieve with Vaser because normally with the chest you are looking at about a 50 per cent improvement. But I would say my chest is probably 90 to 100 per cent improved on what I had previously.

“Even now, though I am not fully healed, I can see a colossal difference in my actual appearance and I know that, a couple more months down the road, once everything is fully healed and we are getting into the summer, getting my swimmers on will not be embarrassing.”

Connolly said working in the cosmetic industry meant that looking good was important to how people viewed you in the job.

“I think you need to look good and realistic as well. You couldn’t have someone who was obese running a diet centre,” he said.