Why is liposuction the best treatment for body contouring and not for weight loss?

What is Liposuction?

Liposuction commonly known as lipo is a cosmetic surgical procedure to remove excessive and stubborn fat from body areas such as belly, hips, thighs, buttock, arms and under the chin. Liposuction is an excellent way to shape your body and get rid of fat that is difficult to lose in spite of diet and exercise.

Uses of Liposuction

It is a common myth for people to consider liposuction as a treatment for weight loss. Liposuction helps in shaping your body by getting rid of the excessive fat that you want to lose, it helps contour the body; however, the associated weight loss may not be significant. The ideal patient for liposuction is someone who has tried his best to lose fat from his body and has lost weight but is unable to lose fat from the stubborn areas such as the tummy, love handles, thighs and hips. Once people lose the fat and appreciate the shape of their body, they usually get further motivated to maintain the results and improve upon it by following healthy lifestyle and regular exercise.

Benefits of Liposuction

Liposuction is a safe method to effectively remove these unwanted fat pockets and helps you achieve your desired body.

Following are a few benefits of Liposuction:

  1. It can help enhance the shape of your body by exaggerating your natural curves and getting rid of excess fat from other areas.
  2. The fat removed can be used to re-inject and enhance the appearance of your
    cheeks, lips, breasts or buttocks by fat grafting. Fat can be used as a filler and gives excellent results.
  3. Liposuction is a permanent solution. The fat removed by liposuction is permanently removed. If you maintain a healthy lifestyle and regular exercise, you can maintain the results for life.
  4. It is performed through tiny less than 0.5cm cuts in your body which gives a virtually scarless appearance. The scar on getting healed looks like a small mole more than anything else.
  5. Localised areas of fat deposits can be targeted under local anaesthesia without
    requirement of general anaesthesia.
  6. An athletic body or 6 pack abs can also be sculpted through liposuction (also known as liposculpture or 4D liposuction) by enhancing the appearance of your muscles and strategically removing the fat around it.
  7. The most common areas toned by liposuction are belly, love-handles, hips, thighs, arms, back, bra-roll and buttocks.
  8. Lower face and neck liposuction can enhance the jawline and get rid of double chin caused because of submental fat.
  9. It is the most common method to treat gynecomastia or man-boobs. The results are virtually scarless.
  10. It is beneficial in treating lipodystrophy syndrome where fat metabolism is disturbed and leads to excessive fat in many parts of the body.

How to know if you are a good candidate for liposuction?

  1. Liposuction is an effective cosmetic surgery to get rid of the flab or excessive fat.
  2. You are an ideal candidate for liposuction if you are within 30% of your ideal weight or have a BMI less than 32.
  3. Excess skin as seen around the tummy after pregnancy is best treated with a tummy tuck.
  4. Smoking adds additional risks to the procedure and it is advisable for you to stop smoking for 1 month prior and 2 months post procedure.
  5. Following the post-operative instructions and wearing the compression garment as advised is important for best results.
  6. It is important to be motivated to follow a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise to maintain results.
  7. Liposuction is considered to be one of the best treatment options for getting rid of excess fat and you must consult only a board certified plastic surgeon for your surgery as they are best trained for this procedure.

Dr. Abhinav Aggarwal has trained in body contouring procedures and liposuction under the world renowned plastic surgeons from India and Switzerland under the prestigious ISAPS fellowship.

If you have any questions regarding Liposuction surgery, then you can
consult us at Dr. Abhinav Aggarwal, Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.