Male beauty lies in the holder of the scalpel

 Cosmetic surgery is no longer associated only with women; these days a lot of men are opting for a ‘man tuck’ or abdominoplasty — a surgical procedure to sculpt and tone their abdominal areas.

Forget the ‘mirdle’, which is the male girdle that is the new gut-cinching garment for men abroad. Mumbai doctors feel the male stomach tuck is the best way to go for it, if you want to lose weight. And in an age of ‘what you see is what you get’, men today are queuing up for it like never before.

Bariatric (weight loss) surgeon doctor Mufazzal Lakdawala says, “The male tummy tuck (man tuck) is a huge trend, especially among politicians, actors and young professionals. Even five years ago my patients were female. Now, it’s a 50:50 male and female ratio.”

While he’s only concentrating on the health aspect of the surgery rather than the cosmetic one, Lakdawala maintains more men are fighting to be fit and are opting for this surgery. “A lot of youngsters (male) in the age group of 20-40 are becoming diabetic because of their bellies. A stomach fat reduction can get rid of problems like diabetes, blood pressure, cardiac attacks, or even gout,” says Lakdawala.

But it’s also the cosmetic value that has takers. Doctor Lakshyajit Dhani, a plastic laser and cosmetic surgeon with Hinduja Hospital, says, “The number of young men opting for surgery is going up. It’s an age when awareness of the treatment coupled with the desire to look good has become crucial. Men have a high incidence of intra abdominal fat, which in common terms is called a pot belly. Thus, I get so many unmarried men who come in concerned about their ‘love handles’ (the flanks area). Even those who want a six-pack get this kind of fat reduction done.”

Though model Rahul Dev says he’d never do it, he feels going in for a tummy tuck procedure ought to be a personal choice and not something that is gender-restrictive. “I believe that ‘fat is out and fit is in’.”

Though Rahul swears by his fitness routine, he does take the alternate route too. “One should be entitled to pampering oneself when so desired, like a day at the spa can be a big help in relaxing and chilling,” he says.

Comedian and host Cyrus Broacha says a tummy tuck is not something he’ll try. On a lighter note he jests, “I want to get fatter. In fact, I think that we Indians look much smaller when compared to others. I was just telling Kunal (Vijayakar, actor and TV host) the other day that if he stood in front of a German he’d look like his child.”