Health
'Six-pack surgery' gaining popularity among men, say plastic surgeons
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.
More men are seeking “six-pack abs” with the help of a surgical procedure called high-definition liposuction, according to plastic surgeons. (iStock)
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.”
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A single spritz could eventually offer simultaneous protection against several infectious diseases.
Researchers at Stanford Medicine have developed a new vaccine that could prevent multiple viruses at once, including COVID-19, influenza and pneumonia.
The vaccine is administered “intranasally” through a nasal spray, which provides “broad protection in the lungs for several months,” according to a Stanford Medicine press release.
Researchers claim this is the closest science has gotten to creating a universal vaccine that protects against respiratory viruses, bacteria and allergens.
The study, published in the journal Science, examined the impact of the vaccine on mice. The animals were given a drop in the nose, some receiving multiple doses a week apart.
The new universal nasal spray vaccine could protect against multiple viruses and allergens at once, researchers say. (iStock)
Every mouse was then exposed to a respiratory virus. While vaccinated mice saw protection for at least three months, unvaccinated mice experienced dramatic weight loss due to illness, lung inflammation and death. Every vaccinated mouse survived and had clear lungs, the release stated.
The vaccinated mice were also found to be protected against SARS-CoV02 and other coronaviruses, as well as Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii — which are common hospital-acquired infections — and house dust mites, a common allergen.
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The universal vaccine does not target a single virus, but instead trains the immune system in the lungs to “provide broad protection against many different respiratory viruses,” senior study author Bali Pulendran, PhD, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford, told Fox News Digital.
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“By reprogramming the innate immune cells that act within hours of infection, the vaccine prepares the lungs to fight off many different respiratory viruses, even new ones,” he said.
“Our findings point toward what may be possible in the future, but they are not a substitute for existing vaccines today.”
If translated to humans, a vaccine like this could replace “multiple jabs every year for seasonal respiratory infections and be on hand should a new pandemic virus emerge,” according to Pulendran.
“Imagine getting a nasal spray in the fall months that protects you from all respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus and the common cold, as well as bacterial pneumonia and early spring allergens,” the researcher said. “That would transform medical practice.”
The preclinical trial in mice shows promise, as none of the vaccinated mice died from illness, the researchers shared. (iStock)
The results of the study suggest that the immune system can “be trained to mount a more generalized antiviral defense in the lungs,” Pulendran added.
The researcher acknowledged that the study has some limitations.
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It is a preclinical study conducted in animal models, making it an “important proof of concept rather than a finished human vaccine,” Pulendran said.
“While the results are encouraging, additional studies are needed to determine safety, optimal dosing and effectiveness in people,” he added.
The lead researcher predicted that with the necessary funding, the nasal spray vaccine could be available in five to seven years. (iStock)
This research should not change current medical advice, according to Pulendran, and the public should continue relying on approved vaccines and public health guidance.
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“Our goal is not to replace current vaccines, but to complement them by developing strategies that could provide an added layer of protection against a wide range of respiratory threats, including future pandemics,” Pulendran added. “Translation to humans will require careful clinical testing.”
The scientists’ next step will be to test the vaccine in humans. With sufficient funding, Pulendran predicts that the vaccine could be available in five to seven years.
The public should continue relying on available vaccinations, the researchers advise. (iStock)
Dr. Robert H. Hopkins, Jr., the Arkansas-based medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, confirmed that there has “long been interest” in developing universal vaccines.
Hopkins, who was not involved in the study, cautioned that the immune responses in mice are not identical to those in humans.
“This process is a fascinating concept, and the study is very interesting, but many additional steps need to be completed successfully and safely before this could be considered in humans,” he told Fox News Digital.
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“It will likely take many years, require significant financial investment and involve multiple additional studies before we know whether this particular universal vaccine candidate can be safely given to humans and whether it will provide similar protection against respiratory bacteria and viruses.”
The study received funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Violetta L. Horton Professor endowment, the Soffer Fund endowment and Open Philanthropy.
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Living at high altitudes may lower the risk of diabetes, and scientists believe they have finally figured out why.
A new study from the Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco examined how red blood cells behave in low-oxygen environments. The findings, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, reveal that at high elevations, red blood cells begin absorbing large amounts of glucose from the bloodstream, acting as a “sponge” for sugar.
When oxygen levels drop, these cells then alter their metabolism to deliver oxygen more efficiently.
This shift also lowers circulating blood sugar, which researchers say explains the lower diabetes risk seen in mountain-dwelling populations.
A previous study of over 285,000 adults in the United States found that people living at high altitudes (1,500-3,500 meters) were significantly less likely to have diabetes than those living at sea level, even after adjusting for factors like diet, age and ethnicity.
A new study finds that living at high altitudes explains the lower diabetes risk seen in mountain-dwelling populations. (iStock)
“Red blood cells represent a hidden compartment of glucose metabolism that has not been appreciated until now,” said senior author Isha Jain, a Gladstone investigator and professor of biochemistry at UC San Francisco, in the press release. “This discovery could open up entirely new ways to think about controlling blood sugar.”
Previously, Jain’s team conducted experiments on mice to better understand hypoxia, or reduced oxygen levels in the blood.
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Mice exposed to thin air cleared sugar from their bloodstream almost instantly after eating, a trait typically linked to a lower risk of diabetes. Initially, however, researchers couldn’t figure out where the sugar was going.
When oxygen levels drop, these cells then alter their metabolism to deliver oxygen more efficiently. (iStock)
“We looked at muscle, brain, liver — all the usual suspects — but nothing in these organs could explain what was happening,” said Yolanda Martí-Mateos, a postdoctoral scholar in Jain’s lab and the study’s first author.
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The team discovered the answer using an alternative imaging method: the red blood cells themselves were the missing “glucose sink.”
By using a different type of imaging, the team found that the red blood cells were holding onto the glucose.
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Under hypoxic conditions, the mice produced more red blood cells, and each cell absorbed significantly more glucose than they did in normal conditions.
Red blood cells act as glucose “sponges” at high elevations, absorbing sugar from the bloodstream. (iStock)
The researchers even developed a drug, HypoxyStat, that mimics this high-altitude effect. In laboratory tests, the drug completely reversed high blood sugar in diabetic mice.
Study limitations
The researchers acknowledged some limitations with the study. The research focused on one specific mouse strain known for its sensitivity to blood sugar. While humans show similar results, testing other strains would confirm that the findings are universal.
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To ensure consistent results, the team only studied young male mice. Because age and sex significantly impact how red blood cells are produced, more research is needed to determine whether these findings hold true for females and older populations.
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“This is just the beginning,” Jain said.
“There’s still so much to learn about how the whole body adapts to changes in oxygen, and how we could leverage these mechanisms to treat a range of conditions.”
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As people age, vision naturally declines and the risk of eye conditions increases. That includes age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a condition that typically occurs in patients older than 50.
AMD is one of the leading causes of vision loss among adults over 60 and impacts millions of Americans, according to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation.
The condition degrades the ability to read, drive and recognize faces. AMD has no cure, so experts advocate for early detection and prevention.
In more advanced stages of AMD, patients may notice wavy straight lines, dark spots in their vision, or blurred central vision, according to ophthalmologist Dr. Vaidehi Dedania at NYU Langone Health.
Vision loss can be particularly difficult for seniors, as impaired eyesight can lead to more falls, decreased mobility and loss of independence, the doctor told Fox News Digital.
Age-related macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of vision loss among adults over 60. (iStock)
“We are moving toward a world where we don’t just react to vision loss — we can intercept it and take measures to delay what used to be inevitable for many patients,” Dedania said.
While the main risk factors for age-related macular degeneration are genetics and aging, the expert shared the following five lifestyle changes that could decrease the risk and severity of the disease.
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No. 1: Stop smoking
Smoking is a major risk factor of AMD and can “significantly impact” the risk of vision loss, according to Dedania.
“The oxidative stress from smoking can really affect the retinal cells, and this is what increases someone’s risk of macular deterioration,” she told Fox News Digital. The habit can also speed up AMD’s progression and reduce the effectiveness of treatments.
Smoking can increase the risk of vision loss, according to experts. (iStock)
“We really encourage people who smoke to stop smoking, especially if they have family members with this condition,” the expert told Fox News Digital.
People who stopped smoking 20 years ago may have a risk level similar to those whose risk is based primarily on age and genetics, she noted. “That’s why quitting as early as possible is so important.”
No. 2: Get proper nutrition
Eating a healthy diet can impact the advancement of any disease, including AMD.
Diets high in processed foods, sugar and fat are associated with macular degeneration due to an imbalance of the gut microbiome, according to a recent study by researchers at the University of California, Davis.
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“These are things that are currently still being explored, but we definitely know that our diet affects our risk of macular degeneration and how advanced it’s going to be,” Dedania told Fox News Digital.
She recommends adding more leafy greens and maintaining a balanced diet to support a healthy gut microbiome. In particular, she is a big advocate of the Mediterranean diet.
Eating a healthy diet can impact the advancement of any disease, including AMD. (iStock)
3. Consider supplements
Certain supplements can decrease the risk of AMD. In particular, AREDS2 is a specific combination of vitamins and minerals used in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2.
In clinical trials, the AREDS2 formula was shown to help slow progression of AMD in people with intermediate or late stages of the disease, according to the National Eye Institute.
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“While patients can take these supplements early on, we really only have data to show that it helps after they’ve already reached the intermediate stage,” Dedania noted.
Certain supplements could help slow progression of AMD in people with intermediate or late stages of the disease. (iStock)
While taking the supplement very early on may not significantly impact risk, it is safe to start anytime as long as patients aren’t doubling up on their vitamins, according to the doctor.
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Dedania noted that earlier formulations of AREDS — without the “2” — included beta-carotene, which has since been removed due to its link to lung cancer in smokers.
“Make sure that you’re finding the supplement that has AREDS2 on it and use that one,” she advised.
4. Exercise regularly
Regular movement is another core pillar of health that can help slow the progression of disease.
“Exercise falls into the overall balance of a healthy lifestyle,” Dedania said.
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“We know that exercise also diminishes oxidative stress, and these are things that we aim to do just for overall well-being — but there are studies that show that it also benefits patients with macular degeneration in terms of their risk of advanced disease.”
Patients should provide their doctor with information on a family history of eye conditions. (iStock)
No. 5: Get regular eye exams
Seeing your eye doctor for routine screenings could be the key to spotting an issue before it’s too late.
With AMD, patients are not typically symptomatic until they’ve reached intermediate or advanced stages of the disease. “Patients may have macular degeneration and they don’t know,” Dedania said.
AMD symptoms, like seeing wavy lines and black dots, don’t occur in early stages, according to an expert. (iStock)
The ophthalmologist reiterated that the disease is not frequently seen in patients under 50, and signs often go undetected in patients over 60.
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“It is important for patients 50 and above to have a general eye exam and come equipped with the knowledge of whether they have family members with macular degeneration,” she advised.
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