If you’ve worked hard to lose your excess weight, you should be proud of your results. But unfortunately, many people don’t achieve their ideal body shape even when they lose a significant amount of weight. While their BMI might be healthy, they have stubborn pockets of fat that can’t be addressed with simple diet and exercise changes. At The Institute of Aesthetic Surgery in Celebration, FL, we can help you reach your goals with liposuction.
Because your fat cells can’t regrow once they are removed, this treatment is a one-off investment. Unlike many other cosmetic methods, it doesn’t require regular maintenance, and after your session at the clinic, you won’t have to come back for more. Today, we’ll have a closer look at how lipoplasty works and whether it could help make the results of your weight loss journey more visible.
Are the Results of Liposuction Permanent?
For the vast majority of patients, the results of lipoplasty are permanent because fat cells can no longer grow once people are out of puberty, so any tissue that is removed won’t reappear. However, your doctor can’t get rid of all the tissue from the target area, and the existing cells can still expand if you gain weight after your treatment.
Factors Affecting the Results
The main factor that affects the permanence of your results is how well you can maintain your new lifestyle habits. Ideally, you should remain at your post-lipoplasty weight for the rest of your life. For instance, if you weighed 150 lbs and your doctor removed 6 lbs, you should aim to stay at or below 146 lbs going forward.
If you are unable to do so and gain a significant amount of weight, the area that was treated might expand slightly as your remaining fat cells grow. However, the change won’t be as drastic as before lipoplasty. For this reason, many people who gain weight after treatment experience uneven body proportions, as the areas where no fat was removed grow larger. Your doctor will speak to you about how to maintain your body weight, so this doesn’t happen to you.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Lipoplasty?
While this method has worked wonders for a vast number of patients, it isn’t appropriate for everyone. If you have a severe physical or mental health condition or your skin is no longer firm, you might need to look for an alternative. Similarly, people who are still working on lifestyle changes to lose weight shouldn’t participate in Liposuction until they are very close to their ideal BMI.
You Have Excess Tissue on Your Body
The reason why patients come to the clinic asking about this treatment is that they have excess fat tissue on their bodies. This can be extremely distressing, especially if you have spent many months losing weight and are still not experiencing the results you hoped for. Fortunately, liposuction is a great method for a wide variety of patients.
No matter where your excess tissue is located, you can benefit from this treatment. We regularly remove fat from patients’ arms, legs, breasts, buttocks, abdomen, hips, back of the neck, and chin. While some people see us because of a very specific issue such as a double chin, others would like to have fat cells removed from several areas at once.
You Are at Your Target Weight
Most Liposuction patients have struggled with their weight for some time and have already worked for many months trying to optimize their body shape. If you’ve spent a lot of time improving your diet and exercise routine and you’re already close to your target weight, it’s likely that you are a great candidate for this treatment. Contrary to popular belief, your doctor won’t remove large quantities of fat from your body.
In fact, most patients only lose two to six pounds during their sessions. Lipoplasty is a very targeted treatment that aims to optimize the body’s shape, not replace a healthy diet and exercise routine. If you come to the clinic while you are still obese or seriously overweight, your doctor might recommend a more holistic program first and ask you to return once you’ve reduced your body weight.
You Don’t Have Severe Health Conditions
Often, this treatment is done under general anesthesia, and it might require an overnight stay at the hospital. This is usually the case in several areas of the body are targeted or if larger amounts of fat need to be removed. Because the process is quite invasive, people who suffer from medical conditions like severe heart disease, cancer, or kidney disease might not be eligible.
Similarly, those who have a mental health issue or an active infection at the treatment site can’t participate in elective surgery until they feel better. Patients who would like to find out whether they are good candidates for lipoplasty should speak to their local clinic. Make sure to bring all your medical records, so we can evaluate whether this treatment is safe for you.
You Have Good Skin Tone
During your lipoplasty session, your doctor removes fat from under your skin, but the skin itself won’t be cut away. Therefore, patients who have youthful, elastic tissues are the best candidates because they are unlikely to suffer from loose skin after their fat is removed. Many doctors suggest that having lipoplasty in your 30s and 40s can prevent any issues with skin laxity.
If you’re currently in your 50s or beyond, you should still get assessed at the clinic. Your skin might be elastic enough for liposuction, or we could combine this treatment with another surgical procedure that removes the loose skin after lipoplasty.
What to Expect from Treatment
Now you know that lipoplasty is permanent and you’ve determined whether you could be a good candidate, you might wonder what to expect from your session. Some people are fully anesthetized during their surgery, while others only require a local anesthetic. The treatment involves making an incision in your skin and removing your fat with a thin tube called a cannula.
Everyone’s experience is different, but you can expect your lipoplasty to last around one to three hours. You’ll require some time to recover afterward, so you shouldn’t schedule anything else on the same day. In fact, some patients remain at the hospital overnight.
Preparation
Before allowing you to participate, we will always invite you to an initial consultation to discuss your cosmetic concerns, medical history, and goals. If we determine that you are a good candidate, we will let you know how you can get ready for your session. You might need to stop smoking and taking certain medications or supplements several weeks prior to your treatment.
The night before, you should shower and wash your hair, since you might not be able to do so for several days in order to keep your bandages dry. Additionally, you should avoid eating or drinking anything, including water, for eight to twelve hours before your appointment.
The Recovery Process
Most people recover from this treatment within a few days. If you have a desk job, you might only need to take off two to three days, especially if you schedule your surgery before the weekend. However, those who do physically taxing work that involves cardio or heavy lifting shouldn’t return for at least one week.
You might be required to wear a special bandage on your treatment site for several days. This improves your recovery time and keeps the tissue in the desired shape. Additionally, many patients need to adjust their sleeping and sitting positions. Your doctor will let you know which measures apply in your case and how to make sure your recovery process is smooth.
Get Rid of Stubborn Fat and Achieve Your Dream Shape Now
Every year, thousands of Americans lose a significant amount of weight. This allows them to be more active, live a longer and healthier life, and enjoy greater self-confidence. But unfortunately, simple diet and exercise changes aren’t always enough for patients to achieve their dream figure. They might have stubborn pockets of fat on their thighs, belly, buttocks, hips, or arms that can’t be removed without medical intervention.
Liposuction is a great option because it is a permanent treatment. Therefore, patients don’t have to come back for maintenance sessions, and they can enjoy great results for the rest of their lives. Contact us now at The Institute of Aesthetic Surgery in Celebration, FL if you believe that you could be a good candidate for lipoplasty. During your initial consultation, we can come up with a treatment plan that helps you achieve your goals.