Chest Lift Surgery for Men (Male Chest Contouring After Weight Loss)

A chest lift is a highly specialized body-contouring procedure designed for men who have excess or lax chest skin—most commonly after massive weight loss or weight fluctuations that stretch the skin beyond its ability to recoil. When the chest skin loses elasticity, exercise alone cannot correct the sagging or fullness. A chest lift removes excess skin, sculpts the underlying tissues, and restores a firmer, flatter, more masculine chest.

When Minimally Invasive Approaches Are Appropriate

In mild cases—where the skin is relatively tight and excess tissue is limited—surgery may be performed through small incisions around the areola. Glandular gynecomastia tissue can be removed, often without the need for large or visible scars. Liposuction is used in all cases to contour and refine the chest for the most natural, masculine result.  The goal is to produce a masculine result with visible pectoral muscle definition and correct nipple-areolar position on the muscle.

Moderate Skin Excess: Hidden Armpit (Axillary) Chest Lift

For men with moderate skin excess, the chest can often be lifted and tightened using an incision hidden entirely in the armpit, leaving no visible scars on the chest.

• The skin is elevated and redraped.
• The nipple–areola complex is repositioned from underneath.
• Breast tissue may or may not need removal.

A Specialized Technique Developed by Dr. Cabbabe

This moderate-skin–excess approach is a refined surgical technique developed and continually advanced by Dr. Cabbabe. It is not widely known, practiced, or taught among plastic surgeons. Most surgeons do not understand how to safely elevate the skin envelope, contour the chest, and reposition the nipple from below without placing scars directly on the chest. As a result, this advanced option is rarely offered—even to ideal candidates. Dr. Cabbabe’s innovation has allowed more men to achieve a masculine, scar-minimized chest outcome that would not otherwise be possible.

Significant Skin Excess: Full Chest Lift With Free Nipple Grafting

Men with extensive skin laxity after massive weight loss require a more comprehensive chest lift.

• Large amounts of excess skin are removed across the chest and outer chest/axillary region.
• The nipple is usually temporarily removed and grafted back as a free nipple graft to achieve the correct position and avoid bulkiness under the nipple.

Attempting to leave the nipple attached in these cases, as in a female breast reduction with lollipop incisions, is never recommended and leads to feminine projection, persistent fullness, and poor contour—all common reasons men seek revision in our practice.

Achieving a Masculine Chest: Precision Scar Placement Matters

A masculine chest is created through sculpting, contouring, and thoughtful incision design, not simply skin or tissue remova.  The scar should be placed at the base of the pectoralis muscle and follow the natural curved lower/inferior and outer/lateral border of the pec muscle.  This maximizes concealment and mimics the natural shadow line of a well-defined chest.

Improperly designed scars—too low, too straight, or extending toward the back—are highly disfiguring for men and difficult or impossible to correct.

When the Incision Must Cross the Midline

Men who have undergone a Fleur-de-Lis tummy tuck, or who have significant central chest fullness, often require the chest lift incision to extend toward or cross the midline. This prevents dog-ears, eliminates midline fullness, and creates a smooth contour across the entire chest. This advanced technique must be performed by an expert; improper midline extension leads to distortion and poor aesthetic outcomes.

Why Sculpting—Not Just Skin or Gland Removal—Creates a Masculine Chest

A masculine chest cannot be created by simply removing skin or excising glandular tissue. Many unsatisfactory results we see are from surgeons who attempt:

• skin removal alone,
• gland removal without contouring, which frequently leads to a “saucer deformity”
• limited liposuction, or
• female breast-reduction techniques, such as lollipop scars that create a projecting, feminine breast shape.

These approaches create:

• a boxy or rounded chest,
• persistent fullness,
• feminine projection,
• asymmetry,
• or a lack of definition.

Every surgery in our practice includes:

• high-definition liposuction,
• contouring of the pectoralis borders,
• blending of the lateral chest,
• optional fat transfer for upper-chest masculine fullness,
• precise skin removal only when necessary.

This combination achieves a natural, athletic, masculine chest.

Why Surgeon Expertise Is Critical

Chest lift surgery is one of the most technically demanding and unforgiving operations in male body contouring. Mistakes in scar placement, nipple design, or contouring are often permanent and not fully correctable.

Very few surgeons perform male chest lifts correctly. Most revision cases we see involve:

• misplaced or feminine-looking scars,
• inadequate gland removal,
• use of female breast-reduction patterns,
• distortion from poor skin redraping,
• or lack of proper liposculpting.

Men should be evaluated by an expert with extensive experience in male chest reshaping, such as Dr. Samer Cabbabe, to ensure safe, predictable, and masculine results.

Combining Chest Lift With Other Procedures

Chest lift surgery is commonly combined with:

• male tummy tuck,
• high-definition lipoabdominoplasty,
• Fleur-de-Lis abdominoplasty,
• arm lift (brachioplasty),
• back lift,
• lateral chest contouring.

Combination surgery creates better harmony across the torso while consolidating recovery into a single postoperative period.

Outpatient Procedure & Recovery

Chest lift surgery is performed as an outpatient procedure.

• Patients go home the same day.
• Drains are occasionally used depending on the extent of skin removal and liposuction.
• Most men return to light activities in 1–2 weeks and resume exercise in 4–6 weeks.

  Compression is usually recommended for up to 3 months

  Comprehensive scar protocols are used to minimize visible scarring

Risks & Additional Considerations

Risks include infection, bleeding, fluid accumulation, changes in nipple pigmentation (more common in darker skin tones), or skin loss. Nipple pigmentation can be tattooed later if needed, though this is not common.

Ideal Candidates

Ideal candidates:

• have a BMI under 30 (or minimum under 33),
• have excess skin or persistent gynecomastia,
• desire a masculine, sculpted chest,
• maintain stable weight,
• and are motivated for long-term results.

Schedule a Consultation

Chest lift surgery requires a master-level surgeon with deep experience in male chest contouring and post-weight-loss reconstruction. To determine the best approach for your anatomy, scars, and aesthetic goals, schedule a consultation with Dr. Samer Cabbabe, a national leader in advanced male chest contouring and complex revision surgery.