Despite its popularity, there are still many misconceptions about liposuction. The procedure designed to eliminate unwanted fat soared in popularity after its development in the 1970s. Now, patients worldwide undergo liposuction for body contouring and to target stubborn areas where fat persists.
At Premier Cosmetic Surgery & Medspa, we offer patients in Los Angeles, CA, precise, refined liposuction using the latest technology, including SmartLipo laser liposuction and MicroAire power-assisted liposuction.
Before undergoing any cosmetic surgery, you should understand the procedure and differentiate fact from fiction. Liposuction is an effective tool to reshape your physique, but it does have its limitations.
Liposuction surgery uses a vacuum or suction to withdraw fat from targeted areas and reshape the body. Also called lipo, lipoplasty, or body contouring, liposuction is commonly performed on the following areas:
Patients can also have the surgery on smaller areas, like the bra line, upper back, or above the knees.
Fact: Liposuction is a body contouring procedure, not weight loss surgery.
One of the most pervasive myths about liposuction is that the procedure is for overweight or obese patients or that it helps you lose weight. In truth, the best candidates for lipo are near their ideal weight and have body areas where fat stubbornly persists, despite diet and exercise.
Fact: While non-surgical body contouring treatments effectively remove stubborn pockets of fat, liposuction surgery offers more dramatic results.
CoolSculpting is a groundbreaking technique to reduce fat in a localized area. The treatment is non-surgical and non-invasive, and it can remove 20%–25% of fat cells in the treatment area. The results appear gradually over time as the body flushes the fat cells from your system.
In contrast, liposuction surgery is a more comprehensive treatment, targeting larger areas and offering more substantial fat elimination. Liposuction provides more dramatic body contouring results and is combinable with other procedures for enhanced body contouring.
Fact: The fat removed through liposuction is permanently gone. However, no procedure can remove all fat cells from an area. So if you experience a significant weight gain, the remaining cells can still expand and increase the size of the treatment area.
Patients undergoing lipo must commit to a healthy lifestyle to maintain their improved figures.
Fact: As the technology in performing liposuction surgery has evolved, the procedure has become safer, more effective, and requires less downtime.
Lipo is typically an outpatient procedure that allows patients to return home immediately after the surgery. The recovery time necessary varies based on the treatment area, the amount of fat removed, and the patient’s health. However, most patients can return to work within a few days and resume strenuous exercise within two to four weeks.
Fact: Liposuction only removes excess fat.
Many patients with excess fat in an area also experience skin laxity, or sagging. For example, patients with stubborn fat in their abdomen may also have sagging skin around the waistline. Removing the fat may worsen the skin’s lax appearance.
In these instances, we may recommend a skin-tightening procedure such as Ultherapy, or more extensive surgery, like a tummy tuck, to tighten and contour the skin so you achieve optimal results.
Fact: You won’t see the full results of your liposuction procedure until the swelling subsides.
Although liposuction actively removes unwanted fat from your body during the procedure, it also causes your treatment area to swell as it heals.
Your body will need some time to recover from the surgery, and even though you may feel ready to resume your regular activities within a few days, swelling may take a few weeks to subside completely.
Fact: According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, men pursue liposuction as one of their top requested cosmetic procedures.
Both men and women deal with areas where fat is resistant to diet and exercise, which can feel like it’s undermining all of their healthy efforts. As a result, men often pursue liposuction on their abdomen, back, flanks, and chest.
Fact: New advances in liposuction techniques and tools emerge all the time, offering more precise results and shorter recovery times.
We use two of the latest tools to provide our patients with the best liposuction experience: SmartLipo laser liposuction and MicroAire power-assisted liposuction.
SmartLipo laser liposuction reduces the invasiveness of liposuction procedures by applying laser energy to the treatment area and liquefying the fat tissue before suctioning it out with a cannula. As a result, the liquefied fat is easier to remove, causing less trauma to the surrounding tissue.
As an added benefit, the laser energy applied through SmartLipo triggers collagen and elastin production, which helps tighten the skin and boosts its resilience. While SmartLipo can’t reverse severe skin laxity, it can maintain skin strength and buoyancy.
MicroAire power-assisted liposuction (PAL) uses an upgraded cannula that breaks up fat cells through gentle, steady vibration. Since it moves smoothly through the fat tissue, we can remove the fat without damaging the surrounding tissue and reduce swelling and bruising after your procedure.
In addition, MicroAire PAL allows for more precise and thorough fat removal, shorter recovery times, and a more comfortable procedure.
If you’ve struggled with stubborn fat that seems resistant to your diet and exercise efforts, liposuction can provide you with the body contouring you need to see the results of your hard work and healthy lifestyle.
Our team at Premier Cosmetic Surgery & Medspa in Los Angeles, CA, works to make sure that our patients achieve their best results with our advanced liposuction technology and methodology.
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