What is skin elasticity and why is it so important in consideration for gynecomastia surgery? Ø Think of skin elasticity as billions of tiny “rubber bands” in the skin. If the “rubber bands” are stretched too far and for too long, they become tired and lose their ability to bounce back and tighten by themselves. The skin sign of extreme loss of elasticity is stretch marks, which are areas of the skin where the elastic fibers have actually broken, just like stretching a rubber band until it breaks. There is no way to restore elasticity once it has been lost.
It is important to have sufficient skin elasticity in order to qualify for minimal scar surgery. In essence, the excess tissues are removed via the minimal incisions – but the skin has to be able to tighten by itself. This tightening ability is determined by the amount of elasticity in your skin.
Elasticity is diminished in several ways: by the natural aging process, by smoking, by excess sun exposure and tanning, and most importantly, by being overweight or obese and thereby stretching out the skin. Once elasticity is lost for any or all of the above reasons, there is no way to replace it. Thus, in certain cases, there may be a need for additional incisions during surgery to tighten up any loose skin
