Most of us know what it’s like to have a particular part of our body that isn’t as shapely or as toned as we’d like it to be. Sometimes, these problem areas can be stubbornly resistant to diet and exercise, meaning that even healthy people with ideal body weights can struggle with their physique. For decades, liposuction has been one of the top options for addressing these challenging areas; in fact, it’s the most commonly performed of all plastic surgeries.
As you think about liposuction, it’s only natural to wonder if it can be a remedy to your problem region. Let’s take a look at some of the top liposuction treatment areas.
How Does Liposuction Work?
First, it may be helpful to review what liposuction actually is, and how it works. Basically, liposuction is a surgical treatment that improves your shape and physique by removing unwanted fat cells from a certain part of the body.
The procedure begins with some small incisions, through which your plastic surgeon can insert a cannula, which is basically a thin, hollow tube. This tube targets and breaks down fat cells, sometimes with the help of saline solutions or even ultrasound energy.
Once unwanted fat cells are broken down and separated from muscle and tissue, they are vacuumed out of the body, again using the cannula.
What are the Top Liposuction Treatment Areas?
Liposuction provides many opportunities to gain a more contoured appearance. In fact, liposuction can be used almost anywhere you have unwanted fat.
Some of the top liposuction treatment areas include:
Abdomen
Excess fat can gather around your abdomen following pregnancy or weight gain. Additionally, you may find that you’re storing more fat around your abdomen simply as a result of the aging process. If this excess fat leads you to a pooched appearance, it may make you feel a little self-conscious when you remove your shirt or put on a bathing suit.
As such, the abdomen is one of the top liposuction treatment areas for men and women alike. Liposuction can remove fat cells from both the upper and lower parts of the abdomen, leading to a sleeker and more contoured midsection.
Waist
Men and women alike can develop “love handles,” or excess fat clustered around the waist. The love handles may protrude above the waistband and cause your clothing to appear ill-fitting. And they can certainly deprive you of the hourglass shape you desire.
Fortunately, liposuction can be highly effective in eliminating excess fat from around the waist. This is another very common area for patients to seek liposuction treatment.
Thighs
Women, in particular, tend to accumulate “saddlebags” around their upper thighs, sometimes due to the aging process but sometimes due to a sedentary lifestyle.
Liposuction can be used to target and eliminate fat cells in the upper and lower thighs alike, providing you with an improved figure and sense of self-esteem. Note that addressing fat in your thighs can also increase the range of clothing options available to you.
Neck
Whether due to age or weight fluctuations, you may find fat accumulation under your chin, sometimes resulting in what’s known as a “double chin.” The double chin can deprive you of a chiseled jawline, while also causing your face to appear too round or chubby.
For many patients, liposuction is the best way to address this excess fat around the neck, which can in turn improve your entire facial profile.
Back
Women, in particular, find extra back fat to be problematic, especially when it bulges out around the bra.
The so-called “bra roll” is another one of the top liposuction treatment areas. By removing some of this unwanted fat, liposuction can allow you to feel more confident in your figure, and more comfortable in your wardrobe options.
Arms
A final area to consider getting liposuction is the upper arms. Excess fat pockets can accumulate here and are particularly difficult to target with diet and exercise. This is still another area where women, in particular, see great results from liposuction, allowing them to feel more confident wearing their favorite sleeveless tops and dresses.
What if Liposuction Results in Loose Skin?
No matter where you decide to have liposuction performed, you may worry about fat removal leaving you with loose or sagging skin.
This is a realistic concern, and it’s certainly something that some patients experience. The good news is that there are many procedures you can pair with liposuction to eliminate this sagging skin, and to ensure a truly toned, flattering look.
In particular, we encourage patients to ask about the benefits of combining abdominal liposuction with a tummy tuck, which can remove some of that excess skin and tighten the muscles in the abdomen.
Who’s a Good Candidate for Liposuction?
One thing we tell our patients is that liposuction is not meant to help you lose weight. While it will provide notable changes to your physical appearance, it may not change the number on the scale very much at all. As such, we do not recommend liposuction for patients who have not already achieved a fairly healthy and sustainable body weight.
Additionally, the best candidates for liposuction:
- Do not smoke.
- Are in good physical health overall.
- Have talked with a plastic surgeon and have realistic expectations about the surgery, the recovery, and the potential results.
The best way to ensure that you are qualified for liposuction is to schedule a consultation with an experienced board-certified plastic surgeon. We are always happy to assist here at Charlotte Plastic Surgery.
Schedule a Consultation with Charlotte Plastic Surgery
Most of us know all too well what it’s like to have stubborn areas of fat or flab. Liposuction can help, especially when you target one of the top liposuction treatment areas. We’d love to tell you more about the procedure and about your eligibility. To schedule a consultation with one of our doctors, contact the office of Charlotte Plastic Surgery at your next convenience.
