Everyone has stubborn fat, even the fittest athletes, but there is a way to target and treat that fat so that it never interferes with your goals again. At Sule Facial Plastic Surgery Clinic in Dallas, TX, we can help you reach your body goals with liposuction, a body contouring procedure that removes fat permanently to reveal a tighter, slimmer you.
Does Liposuction Remove Fat Permanently?
Before you commit to liposuction, you probably want to know everything about the process, including how long you can expect your results to last. The results from this procedure are intended to be permanent. Once the fat cells are removed from your treatment areas, they will be gone for good. You’ll develop new body contours and finally achieve your ideal body image.
All About Fat Cells
Everyone has fat cells, regardless of their weight and body composition. It is not realistic, nor is it healthy to obtain and maintain an extremely low body fat percentage. Your body needs fat to function at an optimal level. Fat helps prevent your body from shifting to starvation mode and assists in the communication between your muscles and your brain.
The body stores some fat cells for later use when energy levels run low, and it needs something to draw from to keep your body functioning at optimal levels. Once you go through puberty, your body will no longer make new fat cells. Weight gain is not the development of new fat cells; it is the expansion of preexisting ones.
Healthy Fat vs. Stubborn Fat
When you lose weight, you don’t lose fat cells, but weight loss does shrink your fat cells. Fat cells remain in the body until something destroys them, and the body removes them as waste, or they are manually removed through a process like liposuction. While there is necessary body fat that plays an important role, there is also unnecessary stubborn fat that does nothing but causes frustration and discouragement.
Stubborn fat deposits in certain areas and is difficult to treat with diet changes and extra workouts. Some areas of the body have more fat cells than others, and they are typically called the problem areas. Diet and fitness efforts cannot help you spot-treat stubborn, unwanted fat, but liposuction can.
Adults and Fat Cells
Once you reach adulthood, you cannot grow new fat cells. When you undergo liposuction, the fat cells that have been in your problem areas for the majority of your life will be gone for good and cannot return or redevelop. It is important to know that you will reach your body goals once you undergo this procedure, but you are responsible for maintaining your new body.
Liposuction is not a weight-loss procedure but instead is intended to help those who are at a healthy weight get tighter and more toned-looking. It eliminates pockets of stubborn fat cells, but it doesn’t prevent any remaining fat cells from expanding in that same treatment area if you gain weight post-op. That is why you must maintain a healthy lifestyle so that you can maintain your results.
What Is Liposuction?
Liposuction is a fat removal procedure. It’s the original body contouring treatment and has been helping individuals reach their body goals since the 1970s. The most common treatment areas include the hips, chest, and abdomen, but we can use it to remove fat from anywhere in the body.
Other treatment areas include the back, buttocks, thighs, backs of the knees, neck, underarms, and chin. The only prerequisite is that you have enough fat volume in your desired treatment area, and your skin is elastic enough to bounce back to perform the procedure successfully.
How Does It Work?
During this treatment, we will use a numbing method to ensure that you remain completely comfortable during treatment and don’t feel any pain. The type of numbing method used depends on your preferences, the amount of fat you want to remove, and the number of treatment areas undergoing lipo. We can use general or local anesthesia, and your surgeon will determine the best course of action during your initial consultation.
The Procedure
Once your treatment area is numb, your surgeon will make a small incision in that area. Then, he’ll inject a solution called tumescent solution to further numb the area. This solution works to numb the area and help break up the fat cells to make the removal process easier. A thin tube called a cannula will then be inserted into the area to gently suction the fat out.
Depending on your treatment plan, different methods may be used to aid in the fat removal process. Once the necessary fat has been suctioned from your treatment area, which is typically one fourth of the total fat cells in the area, the incisions will be closed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the Different Procedure Techniques?
Depending on your needs and goals, your surgeon may use different techniques during your procedure to help you get the best results. Some different techniques can be employed, including the tumescent technique, the super-wet technique, and the ultrasound-assisted technique.
Tumescent Lipo
The tumescent technique is often used for those who are at or near their goal weight and don’t want to be put under general anesthesia during the procedure. This fluid helps further numb the area and break up the fat cells to make the removal process as simple and as gentle as possible. It helps the surgeon remove more fat while decreasing the total procedure time.
Super-Wet Lipo
This technique uses less tumescent fluid than the tumescent technique and involves an injection of local anesthesia and a tumescent solution during treatment. It is typically used on those who are going under general anesthesia.
Ultrasound-Assisted Lipo
Ultrasound-assisted lipo is typically used in areas like the upper back, upper arms, and calves. It works alongside the tumescent technique to liquefy fat cells with ultrasound’s ultrasonic vibrations. During treatment, ultrasound energy is used both above and below the skin to help liquefy these fat cells to make their removal easier.
Laser-Assisted Lipo
This technique is most commonly used while treating smaller areas of the body that contain stubborn fat, including the cheeks, neck, and underarms. This technique is beneficial for those who lack the necessary skin elasticity to undergo other methods. Laser-assisted lipo emits heat, which helps increase collagen production in the treatment area. The laser energy helps new collagen formation, which firms and tightens the skin post-treatment.
What Happens During an Initial Consultation?
Your initial consultation is one of the most important parts of the process. Not only does it help confirm that you are a candidate for this procedure, but it helps us learn more about your goals so that we can create the perfect treatment plan that will meet all of your needs. During this consultation, we’ll discuss your health history and your current state of health. It’s important that you are in good health before you undergo this procedure.
Confirming Your Candidacy
If you are or have been sick, you should wait two weeks before scheduling your procedure so that your body can recover and be fully ready to heal from this procedure. During this consultation, we’ll also review any medications or supplements that you have taken or are currently taking. It’s important that we have a complete list of these products as there are certain ingredients that can interfere with the process and the results of this procedure.
We’ll also discuss your problem areas and examine them to ensure that the skin in the planned treatment area is healthy and that you have an ample amount of fat volume to get the best results. The best candidates have good skin elasticity because skin elasticity helps ensure that your skin can bounce back post-op.
How Can I Maintain My Results?
The best way to maintain your results is to keep doing what you have been doing pre-treatment. Most patients who choose this procedure already understand the importance of diet and exercise in achieving and maintaining a healthy and toned body. Regular exercise, a nutrient-rich diet, and adequate hydration will help you maintain your results and continue to accomplish new fitness goals.
This procedure does not give you a free pass to unhealthy living. It should act as a motivational force that helps push you in the right direction, even in the face of laziness and the temptation to overindulge.
What Kind of Recovery Can I Expect?
You can expect to spend the first 24 hours post-op resting. You will feel tired, but that is completely normal. You will begin to feel like yourself again once the effects of the anesthesia wear off. Rest is an important part of the recovery process because your body needs to rest and recover so you can enjoy your results that much sooner.
As soon as you regain your strength, you should try to move your body. We recommend taking a short walk, either around your house or around your yard. As a general rule of thumb, listen to your body. If you feel overtired, don’t push yourself. Most patients feel fully recovered by eight weeks post-op but can return to work by two weeks post-op and resume their workout and exercise routine by six weeks post-op.
What Are the Benefits?
The number one benefit of this procedure is that it increases your confidence. Not only does stubborn fat stand in the way of your ultimate body goals, but it can make you feel self-conscious in and out of clothing, especially in swimsuits. Lipo removes the pockets of stubborn fat to improve your appearance and your figure. Not only does this procedure make you look and feel better, but it can also help address and treat certain medical conditions, including:
- Lymphedema
- Lipoma
- Lipodystrophy syndrome
- Gynecomastia
Am I a Candidate?
The best candidates for this procedure are at or near their goal weight but still struggle with stubborn fat and cannot lose that fat with diet changes and a consistent exercise routine. Ideal candidates should be in good health and have realistic expectations regarding their procedure and their results. The best candidates for this procedure should understand that they are responsible for maintaining their results with a healthy lifestyle post-op.
Begin This Journey Today
If you’re ready to reclaim your body, we can help. You don’t have to let stubborn fat stand in between you and your ideal body image. Perfection is just an appointment away. Contact us today at Sule Facial Plastic Surgery Clinic in Dallas, TX, and schedule your initial consultation to find out more about this body contouring procedure and how it can help you achieve your dream body.