Fact or fiction? There’s a lot of misinformation out there when it comes to liposuction, from who it’s designed for, to the type of the results it can provide. If you are considering the surgery, it’s important to be able to separate liposuction myths from reality before you decide to move forward.
Liposuction Myth: It’s for Weight Loss
One of the biggest, most persistent liposuction myths is the belief that the surgery helps you lose weight or that it’s intended for people who are overweight or obese. If you’re trying to lose weight, whether it’s 20 pounds or 100 pounds, liposuction shouldn’t be your starting point. Instead, you want to start with either the old standbys, making changes to your diet or exercise, or an actual weight loss surgery. Once the weight is gone and you’re at or near your goal weight, then you can start thinking about liposuction.
Think of liposuction as the icing on the cake. It can help remove those stubborn fat deposits after you’ve lost a significant amount of weight. Alternatively, if you’ve always been at your goal weight, it can help get rid of unwanted fat bulges from a number of areas of the body.
Liposuction Fact: It’s a Type of Surgery
Liposuction is often performed on an outpatient basis and many people are able to return home the same day as their treatment. For that reason, many people overlook the fact that it’s actually a surgical procedure. Your surgeon will most likely give you general anesthesia before it starts and will make several incisions in the treatment area. Those incisions will be small, but they will still be there.
Usually, liposuction takes between an hour and two hours to perform. The length of the surgery depends on how many areas you’re having treated and how much fat you want to have removed.
As with other surgeries, you’ll need to set aside some time for recovery after liposuction. Usually, people take a few days to a week off from work and avoid exercise for about two weeks. Your surgeon will give you more detailed instructions on what you can and can’t do during your recovery.
Liposuction Myth: You Get the Same Results from Non-Surgical Treatments
Liposuction isn’t the only fat removal option out there. Treatments such as UltraShape and Kybella remove fat without the need for surgery. But these options only work on some areas of the body. Kybella, for example, works by dissolving fat cells that create a double chin. At the moment, the FDA has approved it for use on the chin only.
UltraShape helps to remove fat from the waistline or abdominal area using ultrasound energy. Depending on the number of treatments you have, the procedure can remove up to 2.5 inches from the waist.
Liposuction Fact: Results Can Be Long Lasting
Liposuction not only removes fat from a wide range of body areas, such as the hips, thighs, abdomen and buttocks, it also removes that fat for good. The fat that liposuction takes away won’t come back in a different area of the body.
That said, liposuction won’t magically keep you from gaining weight in the future. The fat cells that remain can expand. So if you have liposuction, that doesn’t mean you can stop exercising or live on a diet of sweets and salty snacks. To maintain your results for the long term, it’s important to keep up an exercise routine and to stick to a healthy diet.
Liposuction Myth: Results Appear Instantly
While liposuction does take the unwanted fat away, right away, you might not see the full results of the surgery for a while. That’s because your body needs some time to heal and restore itself after the treatment. For the first few months following liposuction, it’s common to have some swelling in the area, for example.
It’s a good idea to be patient after liposuction. You might not be ready for a two-piece swimsuit or a crop top immediately after your surgery. But within a few weeks or months, you’ll most likely be ready to show off your new shape to the world.
Liposuction Fact: Compression Garments Can Help Improve Results
One thing you don’t want to skip after liposuction is wearing a compression garment around the treated area. Compression garments not only help minimize swelling, they also help to speed up the appearance of your results. A compression garment will help shape and smooth the treated area, allowing you to see the new, improved contour more quickly. Usually, your surgeon will recommend wearing a compression garment for about two weeks after surgery.
Schedule Your Consultation Today
If you’re at a healthy weight and are ready to say good-bye to stubborn, unwanted fat, contact the Aesthetic Surgery Center to learn more about liposuction and other fat removal options and to book an appointment with Dr. Ross. Dr. Ross believes that educating and communicating with patients are key to helping them achieve successful, natural-looking results. Schedule your appointment at the Aesthetic Surgery Center, located at 1175 Creekside Parkway #100 in Naples, FL, by calling 239-594-9100.