Watching the trends change in plastic surgery can be fascinating—one year may see a surge in facial rejuvenation procedures like the facelift, while another year may have record numbers of post-weight loss procedures. But through the years, liposuction has held steady as one of the most popular cosmetic surgical procedures available. Given that every plastic surgery patient has very unique aesthetic concerns and goals, how has the same procedure continued to top the charts year after year?
Liposuction is versatile and can target specific problem areas.
One of the most important points that any liposuction patient must understand is that the procedure is not a substitute for weight loss. A healthy diet and exercise regimen are important for overall health, as is maintaining a healthy weight. However, natural weight loss measures cannot target specific areas of fat; you may be shedding pounds, but you have no control over whether those pounds come off your waist, legs, arms, etc. For patients who only have a small amount of excess fat in a particular area, liposuction can slim down the treatment area with precision. The versatility that this offers means that the procedure can be a great fit for many patients, whether they want a thinner waistline, firmer arms, a slimmer neck, or improved contours on other areas of the body.
Liposuction results can be long-lasting.
For some cosmetic procedures, results will naturally fade over time. Facelift patients, for instance, will see years taken off their face but will continue to age, so over the years, their skin will once again become lax. Liposuction results, on their other hand, do not inevitably fade. If a patient gains weight, the fat cells that were removed will not grow back, but the remaining cells can expand and make the patient look similar to the way they did before liposuction. However, patients who practice a healthy diet and exercise and maintain their post-procedure weight can see their results last for the rest of their lives.
Liposuction has existed long enough for some surgeons to become highly skilled in performing it.
Like most aesthetic procedures, the success of liposuction depends largely on the skill and experience of the surgeon. Board-certified Atlanta plastic surgeon Dr. Franklyn Elliott has been performing liposuction since it was introduced in the United States in the 1980s. His decades of experience have allowed him to develop a strong skill for removing fat effectively and contouring the patient’s body to best fit their cosmetic goals.
Liposuction allows weight loss patients to put the finishing touches on their success.
It’s always cause for celebration when a patient becomes healthier and loses extra pounds that they’ve been unhappy with for years, but for many patients, the results they see in the mirror are a bit disappointing. They’ve worked hard to reach or come close to their goal weight, but they still have one or two areas of stubborn fat that holds them back from enjoying the physique they’ve worked so hard for. For these patients, particularly those who are within 30% of their goal weight, liposuction can be the key to helping their success shine through.
Liposuction certainly has benefits that make it a perfect fit for many patients. However, choosing the right procedure to meet your needs is an important part of having a rewarding plastic surgery experience, and there’s no need to make your decision alone. To start discussing whether liposuction or another cosmetic procedure can help you feel more confident in your appearance, schedule a consultation with Dr. Franklyn Elliott. Or, to learn more about other procedures and stay up-to-date on the latest plastic surgery news, join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.
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