Are you frustrated by stubborn pockets of body fat that refuse to disappear despite your best efforts with exercise and dieting? Perhaps you’ve even reached the point of wanting to rip them off with your own hands. We get it!

While diet and exercise are the most effective ways to eliminate body fat, they don’t always work for everyone. Men tend to struggle with belly fat and love handles, while women often face challenges in the belly, hips, and thigh areas.

After spending countless hours on the treadmill, it can be frustrating to still see that unwanted fat on your body. This is where Liposuction, specifically Lipo 360, can be a game changer. Liposuction is a surgical procedure that can remove stubborn pockets of fat that have resisted diet and exercise. Imagine achieving the flat belly or shapely thighs you’ve always dreamed of with a relatively straightforward surgery!

If you’re considering liposuction, the information below will help you decide if it’s the right choice for you.

WHY PEOPLE GET LIPOSUCTION

Many good reasons. Below are seven of them.

It’s an efficient way to get rid of fat you can’t lose with diet and exercise.
You’ll notice an improvement in your skin laxity, which will boost your self-esteem.
Fantastic for cosmetic body shaping.
Your surgeon can suck fat away in more than one site in one day.
Men use it to reduce their breast size.
Eliminates annoying fat and skin from losing weight, aging, and pregnancy.
Boosts your self-confidence, so you love looking in the mirror at your sleek, contoured shape.

Different TYPES OF LIPOSUCTION PROCEDURES

So you think you may want traditional liposuction to suck that fat away. However, there are several types of liposuction available. You’ll need to talk to your plastic surgeon to figure out your best option.

Suction-Assisted Liposuction

This is considered traditional liposuction in Houston. In this medical procedure, small cuts are made over the part of the body that is to be sanctioned. A cannula is inserted to suck out that annoying fat bubble.

Recovery time for this procedure can range from 30 to 90 days, depending on how much fat is sucked out and how fast you heal. It also can take up to six months for you to see the final results.

This form of liposuction surgery can work on these areas:

Bottom
Thighs
Legs
Abdomen
Back
Arms

It’s not recommended for small areas, such as beneath the chin, because it’s not a very precise form of lipo.

The most significant advantage is it’s the most affordable liposuction surgery out there. It also has been used for decades and is a procedure most cosmetic surgeons can handle.

Some of the disadvantages are:

More bleeding and bruising than other types
Harder to control fat removal, so there is a higher level of lumpiness in some patients
Some people need more than one treatment for optimal liposuction results

Tumescent Liposuction

Tumescent liposuction is another word for ‘swollen.’ This form of liposuction is similar to regular lipo. The only difference is that epinephrine and lidocaine are injected into your fat pockets to make it swollen, so it’s easier for your surgeon to see and remove it.

Lidocaine is an anesthetic that also can make fat cells swell. Furthermore, epinephrine is often added because it shrinks your blood vessels, which eliminates most bleeding.

Your surgeon injects an anesthetic into your annoying fat pockets, and they swell. A cannula is hooked up to a suction device, and your fat is sucked away.

This type of lipo can be used on just about any body part. Good news – most pain and swelling from tumescent liposuction disappears in a few weeks. But it can take up to six months to see the ‘final you’ in the mirror.

Tumescent lipo is a good choice for many because there is reduced bruising and bleeding. It’s also relatively light on the wallet. But it lacks some technological advancements of other forms of lipo outlined below.

Ultrasound-Assisted Liposuction (UAL)

Ultrasound uses sound waves to create high levels of energy in tissues where the surgeon focuses them. Ultrasound waves can break up fat cells and make them easier to suck out with a cannula.

UAL may be the choice in body parts with ‘tougher’ fat, such as the male chest and those irritating saddlebags.

A big plus of UAL is that it can more easily remove stubborn fat that could require several treatments. However, ultrasound waves can give you burns and blisters, so talk to your surgeon if you think this is what you want.

Laser Assisted Liposuction (LAL)

This form of lipo is similar to ultrasound, except the surgeon wields a laser to break up your fat. The surgeon inserts a laser probe through the cannula, and epinephrine and anesthetic are shot into the area to reduce bleeding and pain.

Laser Assisted Liposuction can break down fat fast so that it can be sucked out as liquid oil. Your body absorbs any liquid fat that isn’t sucked out.

On the upside, the laser is small, and a tiny cannula is used to suck out the fat. Laser Assisted Liposuction only needs tiny incisions, so there is almost no scarring.

But recovery time can be longer, and a few people may suffer burns from the procedure.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

So you’ve decided to talk to your surgeon and think you want liposuction. Liposuction is pretty straightforward, but it’s vital to understand everything (how liposuction works) before you get that annoying blubber sucked away or liquified.

Consultation: The consultation with your surgeon gives you the chance to learn about liposuction risks and benefits. You also can ask her any questions you have. You should take this opportunity to tell the surgeon which areas of your body concern you. She’ll discuss your liposuction options and anesthesia choices.
Procedure: The procedure depends on which type of liposuction you’re having. Most often, your surgeon makes two or three small incisions over the area of fat. Then epinephrine and lidocaine are injected into your fat pockets, which swell the fat tissue. Then your surgeon sucks the fat out with a cannula.
Aftermath: After liposuction, your surgeon will probably give you a compression garment to wear to compress the skin to your new shape. Drains might be inserted in the incisions to eliminate extra fluid or blood.
Recovery: Most people recover from liposuction fully within one or two months. However, it can take up to six months before you see the new you in the mirror. But don’t worry, you’ll love the results!

REQUEST A LIPOSUCTION Surgery CONSULTATION

If you’re intrigued by the possibility of having your impossible-to-lose fat pockets sucked clean, set up a Houston liposuction consultation with Dr. Ashley Steinberg today.

She’ll cover the risks, benefits and different types of liposuction and help you decide if liposuction is for you. Dr. Steinberg is a specialist in liposuction and chin liposuction in Houston.

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