Male Abdominal Etching – The advances in liposculpture using Vaser Liposuction have resulted in improved ability to sculpt the male abdominal musculature. Knowledge of the abdominal musculature has become imperative to attaining ideal abdominal etching that is dramatic yet natural.
Creating a 3 dimensional muscular construct requires knowledge of muscle shape and positioning. Muscles can be best characterized by considering a geographic hill that is centrally bulky previously referred to as the “apogee” by Dr. Millard and that has slopes that taper into gulleys. The gulley is found at the bottom of and junction between hill tops. Let us review the descriptions of a geographic hill that can be utilized when discussing muscle anatomy.
Hill terminology:
a) brae: refers to the slope of the hill;
b) brane: refers to the highest part of the hill and can be sharp, termed crown of the hill, or be flatter (more descriptive of muscle contour).
To appreciate the above considerations, I have provided the above advertisement of the male models, chosen to represent the ultimate male specimens, at the “Thunder from down Under” show at the Excalibur in Las Vegas. Even these ideal male anatomies, help you appreciate the extreme variability in anatomy. For example males Males A and E demonstrate a 4 packs and Males B, C, and E demonstrate a 6 packs. More interestingly, Male D demonstrates nearly fused abdominal rectus muscles.
Male abdominal sculpting requires accurate removal of fat to define the underlying muscle contour; this process is extremely variable and based on the actual muscle anatomy of the individual client. Sculpting of abdominal muscles requires attention to considerations below:
Upper Rectus Muscle
-Each rectus muscle belly is independently shaped (A through F); each male demonstrates unique branes and braes; this variability is evident even when comparing the left and right side muscle shapes within one individual.
-Inscriptions: are the horizontal gulleys that separate the hill tops; inscriptions are variable in position even between the two sides(Males B,E,and F); configurations can be straight (Males A and C), or angled (Males B and F) or variably shaped (Male E); the gulleys can be complete(Males A,C,and F) or incomplete(Males D and E).
-Number of muscle bellies differs; may be 4, 6, and even 8 packs.
-Some muscle bellies may even be fused(Male D).
– The muscle belly demonstrate a flat brane with a gradual tapered brae into a gulley; the sharper the gulley, the stronger or larger the muscle belly which means there is a steeper brae; the strongest muscle belly is usually the 2nd or 3rd from the top(Males A and C).
Lower Rectus Muscle
– The two muscle bellies not separated by linea alba ( which terminates at the belly button)
– Apron shape formed by bilateral external obliques and bilateral fused lower rectus muscle bellies
– Superficial inferior epigastric veins often extends at mid to central aspect of lower rectus belly and should be preserved.
Serratus Muscles (“Boxers Muscles”)
Serratus muscle is very variable; may have two front rows of 2 to 3 leaves; which may be juxtaposed by another set of posteriorly positioned serratus muscles of 2 to 3 leaves; these posterior leaves are usually staggered with the anterior muscles.
– Point of maximum indentation is located at the junction of the lower serratus anterior belly and the superior external oblique muscles;
– Must respect and sculpt the unique anatomy provided by client;
Semilunaris Lines
– Upper semilunaris lines are sharply defined and represent the lateral gulleys;
– the lower semilunaris line is less defined and wider sometimes referred to as the semilunaris triangle;
– Semilunaris line starts at the medial areola line and curved as a convex curve that peaks out at the 2nd and 3rd rectus belly and then curves down and into the pubic tubercle;
– The two semilunaris lines create the shape of a shield;
Linea alba
– Linea alba refers to the vertical gulley that extends up from the belly button to the rib cage.
– Linea alba is widest over its lower 1/3rd height and tapers superiorly;
– Linea alba is variable in width depending on midline diastasis;
V to the P
– V to the P concavity that is located below the external oblique and the lip of the pelvic bone;
– A bulky external oblique helps accentuate this region;
Chest/Pectoralis muscle
– Chest is the upper border of the abdomen and thus requires sculpting to complete the front torso of the male abdomen;
– Chest contour is universally defined by the pectoralis muscles.
– Pectoralis muscle has a flat brane with slight concavity over lateral and upper aspect of pectoralis; borders the infraclavicular triangular concavity;
– well defined perimeters with braes that taper into gulleys (lateral aspect borders the lateral chest cavity; lower aspect borders the upper rectus muscles; central aspect borders the sternal line);
– Sternal line is the central gulley that is the divide between the two pectoralis muscles and widest at the bottom and tapered superiorly;
– Pectoralis muscle is prominent but maintains a flat brane; has linear line borders; has a modified pentagonal shape;
– Nipple and areola complex should be positioned to within ½ to 1 cm of inframammary crease and 1 to 1 ½ cm lateral to the mid mammary line
You can see why it takes several different skills to produce superior male abdominal etching; in-depth understanding of anatonmy, spacial ability, extensive experience with high-defination lipo and keen surgical ability.