Even as plastic surgery and other cosmetic treatments become increasingly common and accepted, certain attitudes persist. One of those is the idea that liposuction is a shortcut to weight loss. That’s not true and, in fact, it’s not a weight-loss procedure at all. On the contrary, women and men who get liposuction at our practice are often in excellent shape and maintain healthy lifestyles.
You Only Have So Much Control
Certain areas of the body tend to accumulate fat, and it can be difficult to get rid of those trouble spots, even if you spend hours at the gym. Your body may be holding onto the fat that is concealing your hard-earned six-pack. Making no progress while you’re working so hard can be frustrating and undermine your motivation for working out.
What Liposuction Can Do
And this is where liposuction comes in. Liposuction is an amazing, versatile procedure that can remove small pockets of fat from virtually all areas of the body where they tend to accumulate. It’s not just a flatter stomach that liposuction can produce. Other trouble areas include:
- Chin
- Neck
- Upper arms
- Abdomen
- Hips, thighs and knees
- Buttocks
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What Liposuction Cannot Do
But liposuction isn’t designed to help people lose weight, because there are limits to how much fatty tissue the procedure can safely remove. The best liposuction candidates are people who are at or near their desired weight and who want to contour specific areas of the body.
Liposuction can’t remove excess skin or meaningfully tighten significantly loose skin. Liposuction can also make existing muscle definition more visible, but it can’t build or strengthen the muscles underneath.
A Boost for Your Motivation
It’s not enough, though, to simply undergo liposuction and expect you’ll maintain the shape you desire. Exercise and eating a healthy diet are still necessary. One of the hidden benefits of liposuction is that after seeing their new body contours, many people are often more motivated to lead a healthy lifestyle because they want to keep the enhanced tone and muscle definition that liposuction can reveal.
Losing Weight vs. Liposuction
Understanding the difference between what liposuction does and what happens when someone loses weight will help clarify why liposuction appears to create muscle tone. When a person loses weight through dieting, for example, fat cells shrink. If that person goes off his or her diet, the cells increase in size. Liposuction actually removes fat cells from the body for good. Therefore, the results can last for years.
That doesn’t mean liposuction patients won’t gain weight, but future weight gain will tend to accumulate in other areas of the body unless the amount is significant. Some nonsurgical fat reduction procedures, such as CoolSculpting®, do destroy fat cells. But nonsurgical treatments can’t produce results that match liposuction.
Your Choice of Plastic Surgeon Is What Matters
If you’ve ever researched liposuction, you know multiple techniques are available. The bottom line is that the most important choice you’ll make isn’t the liposuction technique, but rather the plastic surgeon you select to perform the procedure. Traditional tumescent liposuction remains extremely effective when performed by an experienced and highly trained surgeon.
If you’re comparing plastic surgeons in Mississauga and Toronto, ask how often they perform liposuction and look at before-and-after photos of patients with concerns similar to yours. Review some of Dr. Weinberg’s amazing liposuction results in his online photo gallery.
Liposuction FAQs
How much fat can liposuction safely remove?
The amount of fat that can safely be removed in a single procedure varies from person to person. Your surgeon considers your body size, overall health, the areas being treated, and whether you’re having other procedures at the same time. If you’re hoping to lose 20 pounds, liposuction isn’t designed for that goal. It removes localized fat to reshape specific areas of the body.
Can I get liposuction after losing weight?
Liposuction may be an option if your weight has stabilized and you still have pockets of fat you’d like to address. Dr. Weinberg will also assess your skin elasticity. If loose skin is your main concern after weight loss, a procedure that removes excess skin, such as a tummy tuck or an arm lift, may be more suitable.
What BMI is too high for liposuction?
There’s no single body mass index (BMI) cutoff that applies to everyone, although some surgeons limit body contouring procedures to patients with a BMI of under 30. A higher BMI can increase the risk of complications, and some practices may have their own eligibility criteria. Dr. Weinberg considers your BMI along with your medical history, weight stability, and the extent of the procedure before determining whether liposuction is an option for you.
Can liposuction results last 10 years?
Liposuction results can last for many years, especially if you maintain a stable weight. The procedure removes fat cells from the treated areas, but the remaining fat cells can still enlarge if you gain weight. Aging can also change how your skin and body contours look over time.
You can learn more about liposuction and whether you’re a good candidate for the procedure at our plastic surgery practice. To request a consultation, contact us using the online form or call us at either (416) 207-9090 (Toronto) or (905) 273-3045 (Mississauga), and we’ll be happy to schedule an appointment.
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