My friend recently had extensive liposuction done and it’s been fascinating to see people’s reactions. At first some find it a bit comical, or at the very least, superficial. However the immediate follow up reaction is: “Did it work and how much did it cost”

Over the years my opinion on liposuction has shifted somewhat. At first I’d always thought liposuction is one of those places in American culture where “too rich” meets “too thin”. However after suffering through several friends’ vicarious diets and disappointments I’m starting to come around. After all, I’ve never had to work at being thin’”why should I judge other people for how much effort they put into it?

If the ends truly justify the means then I will say this: My friend looks much thinner. His chest is flat for the first time ever and he’s happy. He confided that he wished he’d done it fifteen years ago. Of course, at the time of writing his chest is wrapped in a compression garment and hides some fairly hideous bruises’”not the kind of thing you can run out and flaunt at the club.

As you’ve probably guessed, liposuction is not cheap. My friend did his abs, chest, legs, chin and a grisly extra procedure where they remove the fat sack under the eye (which causes the bags). He demurred when it came to the price of surgery but it was in the five figure range.

However getting all of that done at once saved on overhead such as the operating room and anesthesia. There’s at least a week recovery time so getting it all done with also saves on missed work. Though some sites warn multiple procedures in the same session lead to complications.

You can mitigate some of the financial damage but you won’t ever save money by undergoing elective surgeries. For the low end cost of a single body part procedure, you could join Weight Watchers for approximately fifteen years. People in the film, fashion and adult entertainment industry write off plastic surgery as a business expense, but chances are you’ll have a hard time justifying it if you work in a data center.

And unless you are a media figure, you can’t really put a price on body image. It doesn’t mean economists haven’t tried: thin, attractive people tend to be higher earners on average but studies have shown that making yourself more attractive through financial expenditures (i.e. clothing and cosmetics) does not provide a return on investment. Chances are surgery won’t either.

In the end it’s probably not the wisest way to spend your money’”it’s painful, there’s a long recovery and the fat can come back. There are, obviously, health considerations’¦ as well as cosmetic. Awfulplasticsurgery.com has some truly grisly examples of surgeons who do a poor job. But if you can afford it, it can be an effective way to change your body contours where diet and exercise fail.

While I can’t see myself getting fat removed any time soon, I have considered the possibility of a face lift or hair replacement surgery. Is it vain? Totally. Is it worth it? You tell me in the comments.

When not caring for convalescent friends, Mike writes Broken Cupid, an occasionally updated blog for single gay guys.