If you’ve struggled with a belly bulge that won’t budge or saddlebags that you can’t unpack, no matter how much you exercise, getting liposuction may have crossed your mind. However, is liposuction right for you?
Liposuction is ideal for a patient within 15-20 pounds of his or her optimal weight (meaning a weight that is fairly easy to maintain) or has pockets of excess fat that are resistant to diet and exercise. Liposuction IS NOT a method of weight loss. Patients who would be considered overweight or obese are generally not good candidates for liposuction.
Just about any area of the body can be treated with liposuction. The most common areas include the hips, belly, thighs, buttocks, back, arms, and under the chin. Oftentimes liposuction is also performed in combination with other surgeries, including facelifts, breast surgery, and tummy tucks.
Although liposuction should not be used as a major weight-loss method, liposuction can be used to contour your shape after you have lost weight. Liposuction can be used to refine and define your shape and create pleasing contours on the body. It can slim the waist, give definition to the abs, and help create an hour-glass figure.
The fat cells removed during liposuction are gone permanently. They do not grow back. However, it doesn’t give the patient license to ignore healthy eating and exercise. If you gain weight, your remaining fat cells increase in size and undo your liposuction results. Maintaining a healthy, stable weight is the key to long-term success with liposuction.
If liposuction sounds like it might be the right option for you, schedule a personal consultation with one of our award-winning, board-certified plastic surgeons at Gulf Coast Plastic Surgery, Drs. Peter Butler, Jocelyn Leveque, and Nathan Patterson.
