Liposuction might be one of the most popular plastic surgery options. But, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t still a lot of misinformation out there about it. For example, a lot of the misconceptions about the fat removal procedure center on who it is meant for. While liposuction isn’t the best choice for everyone, there are a number of cases or factors that can make it a great idea.
Your Goal Is Not to Lose Weight
Liposuction isn’t about weight loss. Sure, you might drop a few pounds after having the procedure, since it does physically take the fat away from your body. But, if you’re thinking about the surgery to help you reach your weight loss goals, you’re likely to be disappointed in the results.
Surgeons recommend putting off liposuction until you are near your goal weight. It’s a contouring procedure, which means it ‘s meant to help improve your overall shape. It won’t be effective at taking off 10, 20, 30 pounds or more.
You Want Liposuction to Shape Certain Areas
You’ve lost a considerable amount of weight, but some stubborn fat still hangs around your tummy or thighs. Or, it seems that no matter how many crunches or squats you do, that fat just won’t go away. While exercise is great for your overall health, there’s no way to target one specific area for fat burning. Some people are just genetically predisposed to having fat in certain areas.
That’s where liposuction can come in handy. Since you can’t exercise the extra fat in your tummy, thighs or hips areas, the surgery can be a great tool to create the contour you want in those areas by taking away the stubborn fat.
You Have Elastic Skin
When people lose a fair amount of weight, it can be difficult for their skin to bounce back to its original position. The skin stretches with weight gain, and depending on the person, it might have lost enough elasticity that it doesn’t spring back once the fat is gone. The same can be true when you have liposuction. If you’re older and your skin is no longer as elastic as it once was, you might notice a fair amount of drooping and sagging after fat removal.
While having elastic skin is ideal, if you do end up with some sagging after liposuction, a body procedure such as a thigh lift or tummy tuck might be a good option.
Your Health is Good Overall
As with any type of plastic surgery, you want to be in good overall health before you have liposuction. Certain medical conditions increase your risk for complications, and most surgeons won’t perform the procedure on patients who aren’t physically at their best.
Some habits can negatively affect your health and rule out liposuction for you. For example, if you’re an active smoker, your surgeon will recommend quitting at least two weeks before surgery and staying off of tobacco products for another two weeks afterwards.
You’re Committed to Maintaining Your Weight
Liposuction is a good idea if you’re ready to and able to maintain your weight, which might mean making some big changes to your diet and exercise habits, or maintaining the changes you’ve made to lose the weight in the first place.
The surgery permanently removes the fat from your body. But, remaining fat cells can grow bigger if you gain weight after surgery. It’s also common for people to notice that they get bigger in other areas, that didn’t undergo liposuction, if they gain weight after the surgery.
You can discuss the best ways to keep weight off with your surgeon. Usually, sticking with a healthy diet and a regular exercise routine is enough to help people maintain their results from liposuction.
You Understand the Recovery Process
Fat removal surgery is only a good idea if you really understand what you are getting into, and what the recovery will be like afterwards. There will most likely be some swelling and bruising in the liposuctioned area for about a week after the surgery. Your surgeon will recommend wearing a compression garment around the treated area, to help reshape it, often for as long as eight weeks after surgery.
It’s especially important that you enlist the help of a friend or loved one for the day of your surgery and the day after it. You’ll want someone to be by your side during the very early stages of recovery, in case you need help getting up or have an issue. Since you won’t be able to drive home, it’s important to have someone around to make sure you get home safely after your surgery.
Liposuction at Williams Plastic Surgery Specialists
At Williams Plastic Surgery Specialists in Albany, NY and in NYC, Dr. Alain Polynice performs liposuction on a variety of areas of the body. Dr. Polynice is a board certified plastic surgeon who trained at the world renowned Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. His fellowship training involved traveling around the world, to Australia, Asia, Europe and South America, as well as working in the US. The diversity of the doctor’s background and experience allows him to provide an excellent bedside manner to a wide demographic of patients. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Polynice, call (800) 742-2797 today.