Move over, “Dad bod” — more men are seeking “six-pack abs” with the help of a surgical procedure called high-definition liposuction, according to plastic surgeons. 

This type of “ab-etching” technique is gaining popularity among men who can’t get rid of stubborn belly fat with exercise alone, according to members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

The method targets removal of stubborn fat much like traditional liposuction, but it also creates defined lines across the stomach muscles to create the illusion of “chiseled” abdominals.

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What is high-definition liposuction?

Dr. Josef Hadeed, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon at the Hadeed Plastic Surgery practice in Beverly Hills, California, and Miami, Florida, described the procedure during an interview with Fox News Digital.

“It is more like creating that six-pack and creating the ‘V lines,’ and giving somebody that more athletic, toned physique that traditional liposuction can’t really achieve,” he said.

Traditional liposuction focuses on removing fat, volume and bulk, but doesn’t address the specifics of the “underlying anatomy,” according to the surgeon.

High-definition liposuction is more detailed, Hadeed said. 

“We remove a little more fat from that vertical line above the belly button, and also those horizontal lines above the belly button,” he said. 

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“We also remove a little more fat in those areas to create the illusion or appearance of somebody having a six-pack.”

In some cases, fat is redistributed to other areas to help create a bulkier, more muscular abdominal appearance, the surgeon added.

A growing trend

There has been an uptick in men undergoing this liposuction procedure, according to members of the ASPS.

“I’m definitely seeing an increase in high-definition liposuction requests for men,” ASPS member Dr. Joubin Gabbay, MD, the medical director at Gabbay Plastic Surgery in Beverly Hills, California, told Fox News Digital. 

“It is more like creating that six-pack and creating the ‘V lines,’ and giving somebody that more athletic, toned physique that traditional liposuction can’t really achieve,” a plastic surgeon said. (iStock)

“They are coming in with specific requests for a defined, chiseled contour.”

Dr. Finny George, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon and partner at New York Plastic Surgical Group, a division of Long Island Plastic Surgical Group, has also seen more male patients looking to improve their muscle definition.

“It is becoming more socially acceptable for men to have plastic surgery.”

“There is definitely a growing desire among men [for] alternate means of achieving an athletic physique for two main reasons,” George told Fox News Digital.

“First, it is becoming more socially acceptable for men to have plastic surgery — and second, many have already tried and failed with conventional diet and exercise,” she added.

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High-definition liposuction isn’t the only procedure growing in popularity among men.

There has been a 207% rise in total cosmetic procedures among males since 2019, according to the 2022 ASPS report.  

One reason may be that men are looking for a more youthful appearance to “maintain career vitality,” the report said. 

This type of “ab-etching” technique is gaining popularity among men who can’t get rid of stubborn belly fat with exercise alone, according to members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. (iStock)

Social media influencers and male celebrities have also created an open dialogue about male cosmetic surgery, making it more acceptable for men to seek such enhancement treatments, the ASPS also noted.

“It actually has been very common in Brazil and South America for quite some time now, and it’s slowly been migrating to the United States,” Hadeed told Fox News Digital.

What to know before seeking surgery

If an individual is considering undergoing high-definition liposuction, they should examine their reasons for doing so, said Hadeed.

“They should do it for themselves, not because their spouse or partner is pressuring them to do it,” he advised.

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When a person is seeking those “perfect six-pack abs,” Hadeed said, the surgeon will typically look at the individual’s lifestyle behaviors, such as diet and exercise. 

For example, if someone is sedentary and eats fast food every day, “maybe this isn’t for you,” according to the doctor. 

It is important to research the credentials of the plastic surgeon who will perform the procedure and make sure they are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, an expert advised. (iStock)

Patients should have realistic expectations of what can be achieved rather than trying to look like a certain fitness model or social media influencer, Hadeed cautioned.

In some situations, he said, “we have to lower the expectations a little bit and say, ‘I can’t make you look like this other person who’s completely ripped and shredded, but I can help you look like a more refined version of yourself.’”

“Having elective surgery is a very major decision, and not something that people should take lightly.”

If the individual were to gain or lose a significant amount of weight after the surgery, that could affect the results, leading to the need for a revision or touch-up, Hadeed said — which is why he screens his patients to identify their lifestyle habits and make sure they can maintain the results.

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Gabbay also emphasized the importance of following a good regimen to maintain the benefits of the surgery.

“I think the treatment is certainly effective at helping many achieve the six-pack look, but it requires work and maintenance to maintain,” he told Fox News Digital.

Experts emphasized the importance of following a good regimen to maintain the benefits of the surgery. (iStock)

“It is important to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle and avoid major weight fluctuations after the procedure,” he went on. 

“Unintended weight gain after a high-definition procedure can exaggerate the look of the six-pack, making it look a little less natural.” 

Potential risks

Hadeed, who also serves as chair of the Patient Safety Committee for the ASPS, said it is important for patients to understand the risks involved with the procedure.

“Having elective surgery is a very major decision, and not something that people should take lightly,” he said.

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Hadeed agreed that while the surgery is typically safe, there are risks involved. 

“In particular, there could be skin necrosis, where some of the skin dies,” he warned. “There could also be fat necrosis, where some of the fatty tissue that’s left behind dies.”

“It is important to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle and avoid major weight fluctuations after the procedure,” a doctor advised. (iStock)

Other potential complications may include blood clots and intestinal perforation.

It is also important to research the credentials of the plastic surgeon who will perform the procedure and make sure they are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Hadeed said.

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The doctor warned, “There are a lot of physicians out there who are not plastic surgeons who are doing these procedures.”

Exposure to outdoor light at night could put people at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD), according to a new study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience.

“We show that, in the U.S., there is a positive association between AD prevalence and exposure to light at night, particularly in those under the age of 65,” first author Dr. Robin Voigt-Zuwala, an associate professor at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, said in a press release.

“Nightly light pollution, a modifiable environmental factor, may be an important risk factor for AD.”

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Some common sources of artificial light include streetlamps, vehicles, illuminated signs, office buildings and other lighted structures.

In the study, researchers analyzed light pollution maps across the country, ranking each state’s “nighttime intensity data.” They then looked at the corresponding levels of Alzheimer’s disease.

For people 65 and older, light pollution was a greater risk factor than obesity, depression, alcohol abuse and chronic kidney disease, the researchers found.

Other risk factors, however — such as high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke — outweighed the risk of light pollution for that age group.

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Those under 65 years old, however, appeared to be more sensitive to nighttime lighting exposure, which increased their Alzheimer’s risk more than any other risk factor.

“Certain genotypes,  which influence early-onset AD, impact the response to biological stressors, which could account for increased vulnerability to the effects of nighttime light exposure,” Voigt-Zuwala said in the release. 

Previous studies have shown that light pollution is increasing by around 10% each year, causing the night sky to become brighter and reaching approximately 80% of the global population. (iStock)

“Additionally, younger people are more likely to live in urban areas and have lifestyles that may increase exposure to light at night.”

Risks of light pollution

Previous studies have shown that light pollution is increasing by around 10% each year, causing the night sky to become brighter and reaching approximately 80% of the global population.

Light pollution has been shown to disrupt the circadian rhythm and reduce production of the hormone melatonin, which can lead to sleep problems.

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Insufficient sleep, in turn, is a proven risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

One recent study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that getting only five hours of sleep per night can raise the risk of dementia by 30% for people 50 and older.

Among adults who have sleep-related movement disorders, the likelihood of dementia is nearly four times higher, the same study found.

“Constant light exposure disrupts the circadian rhythm and limits the amount of time the brain is in the deeper, restorative stages of sleep.”

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Dr. Earnest Lee Murray, a board-certified neurologist at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital in Jackson, Tennessee, was not involved in the study, but spoke with Fox News Digital about the environmental factors that can affect the prevalence of dementia like Alzheimer’s. 

“We have known for some time that the lack of quality sleep has detrimental health effects, and this includes an increased risk of developing cognitive difficulties later in life,” he said.

Researchers analyzed light pollution maps across the country, ranking each state’s “nighttime intensity data.” They then looked at the corresponding levels of Alzheimer’s disease. (iStock)

The brain relies on a circadian rhythm to restore itself during sleep, the doctor added.

“Constant light exposure disrupts this circadian rhythm and limits the amount of time the brain is in the deeper, restorative stages of sleep,” Murray said.

Ways to reduce light exposure

Based on the findings, the researchers recommend people take steps to reduce their exposure to light pollution.

“Awareness of the association should empower people — particularly those with risk factors for AD — to make easy lifestyle changes,” said Voigt-Zuwala. 

“Easy-to-implement changes include using blackout curtains or sleeping with eye masks,” the researchers said. “This is useful especially for those living in areas with high light pollution.” (iStock)

“Easy-to-implement changes include using blackout curtains or sleeping with eye masks. This is useful especially for those living in areas with high light pollution.”

Although the study only examined outdoor light exposure, the researchers also suggested making changes indoors, such as installing dimmers, using blue light filters and swapping to warm lightbulbs instead of cool.

Some have pushed for regulations to control outdoor lighting exposure.

“The legislation against light pollution is usually very weak and/or not well implemented,” Fabio Falchi, Ph.D., a researcher at the Light Pollution Science and Technology Institute in Italy, told Fox News Digital.

“It is time to start putting limits on this pollutant, too, as with the rest of the other common pollutants.”

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The study did have some limitations, the researchers acknowledged.

The data was gathered from a subset of the U.S. population, they stated, and individual outcomes may vary based on how long someone lived in an area with high light exposure.

“It can clearly be implied that exposure to constant light from devices can lead to cognitive issues later in life,” a neurologist told Fox News Digital. (iStock)

“The study only looked at outdoor light pollution and did not include any type of data from indoor light pollution, such as from cellphones or televisions,” Murray noted.

“However, it can clearly be implied that exposure to constant light from devices can lead to cognitive issues later in life, reinforcing the importance of limiting nocturnal light exposure from cell phones and other devices.”

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The researchers called for more studies into the association between light pollution and Alzheimer’s.

Fox News Digital reached out to the study authors requesting comment.

Gut health has been linked to a common neurological disorder in a new study.

Those who have sustained damage to the upper lining of their gastrointestinal (GI) tract are 76% more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease, according to research led by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston.

The findings were published in JAMA Network Open on Sept. 5.

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The study included 9,350 patients (averaging 52 years of age) who underwent an upper endoscopy — a procedure that examines the esophagus, stomach and first portion of the small intestine — between 2000 and 2005 within the Mass General Brigham system.

Those who had “mucosal damage” were shown to have an elevated risk, the researchers found.

Parkinson’s disease was diagnosed an average of 14.2 years after the damage was detected, the study showed.

Mucosa, also called the mucous membrane, is the “soft tissue that lines the body’s canals and organs in the digestive, respiratory and reproductive systems,” according to Cleveland Clinic. 

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“When asked, many of my patients with Parkinson’s disease will say, ‘Come to think of it, yeah, I started to get bad constipation or nausea, years before anyone diagnosed me with Parkinson’s,’” lead study author Trisha Pasricha, MD, a gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and an instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, told Fox News Digital.

“We now know that gut symptoms like these herald a future diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.”

The study included 9,350 patients who underwent an upper endoscopy, a procedure that examines the esophagus, stomach and first portion of the small intestine. (iStock)

Dr. Earnest Lee Murray, a board-certified neurologist at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital in Jackson, Tennessee, was not involved in the study, but confirmed that gastrointestinal dysfunction is very common in patients with Parkinson’s. 

“Motor symptoms, such as stiffness, tremors and difficulty walking, are the stereotypical features of Parkinson’s,” Murray said. 

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“However, there are several non-motor symptoms that are often seen, the most common being gastrointestinal dysfunction, especially constipation and difficulty swallowing.”

These gastrointestinal symptoms can appear years before the motor symptoms, the neurologist added.

Patients who had “mucosal damage” were shown to have an elevated risk, the researchers found. (iStock)

“Given the prominence of early gastrointestinal issues in Parkinson’s, there has been a theory suggesting that the pathology that causes Parkinson’s can originate in the GI tract and travel to the brain via the vagus nerve,” Murray said. 

“This study gives additional evidence to the ‘gut-first’ theory.” 

Causes and prevention of upper GI damage

Many factors can cause damage to the mucosal lining, Pasricha said. 

“Those include taking NSAIDs like ibuprofen, drinking alcohol, stress or bacteria like H. pylori,” she said.

“Our study only examined people whose stomach symptoms were so severe that they sought an upper endoscopy to investigate the etiology, but we all experience small amounts of damage to our gut lining throughout our lives for various reasons.”

Gastrointestinal symptoms can appear years before the motor symptoms, such as tremors and stiffness, a neurologist said. (iStock)

It is not clear how those frequent, smaller amounts of damage impact the risk of Parkinson’s, the doctor noted. 

“Nonetheless, I advise my patients — regardless of their risk of any neurological disease — that minimizing NSAIDs, reducing stress and cutting down on alcohol will only help their gut health,” she added.

As Murray noted, Parkinson’s is caused by a depletion of the neurotransmitter dopamine — which leads to slowed muscle movements, stiffness and tremors — and is also involved in the integrity of the GI tract. 

Parkinson’s is caused by a depletion of the neurotransmitter dopamine — which leads to slowed muscle movements, stiffness and tremors — and is also involved in the integrity of the GI tract, a neurologist said. (iStock)

“As the study authors point out, we don’t know if the injury to the GI tissue triggers a depletion in dopamine or if the destruction of the GI tissue is the earliest sign of an issue with dopamine that eventually leads to more stereotypical Parkinson’s symptoms,” he told Fox News Digital.

Potential study limitations

While the study reveals a “strong link” between injury to the upper gastrointestinal tract and later development of Parkinson’s disease, Pasricha noted that the mechanisms leading to this effect are not yet known. 

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The study did not include cases of Parkinson’s that were diagnosed outside the Mass General Brigham system, the researchers noted.

“The brain-gut connection is really a two-way street.”

Due to the small sample sizes in the study — and the risk of “confounding variables” that could introduce a measure of bias — the research team called for additional studies to confirm the association.

“The brain-gut connection is really a two-way street,” said Pasricha.

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“The gut can exert an enormous influence on the brain in ways we are still only beginning to understand — but when we do,​ we might be able to open new avenues for early intervention and treatment strategies for many diseases.”

The study was funded by grants from the National Institute on Aging, the American Gastroenterological Association and Harvard University.