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What Liposuction Can and Can Not Do

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Liposuction has been among the most popular plastic surgeries in the country for decades, and this isn’t surprising considering how many of us look in the mirror every day and think, “If only I could get rid of this little bulge here…” But before any cosmetic surgery, it’s important to have accurate expectations for your results so that you can be sure you’re actually receiving the right procedure for your needs. There are many misconceptions about what liposuction will or will not do, so here is a handy guide that may be able to help:

What Liposuction Can and Can Not DoLiposuction Can…

  • …remove fat that is resistant to diet and exercise.

As simple as it seems that burning more calories than you need will make your body use the fat it’s stored, the fact is that we can’t choose whether that fat comes from our abdomen, our back, our legs, or other areas, and some areas just tend to hang onto fat more than others do. Instead of relying on your body chemistry, liposuction manually removes and breaks down fat cells directly—especially the stubborn fat cells that are difficult to lose naturally.

  • …produce specific, fairly predictable, and sculpted results.

In addition to removing fat that is stubborn, liposuction allows you to essentially sculpt your curves the way you want them. So if you want to maintain the volume of your abdomen, buttocks, and thighs but slim your hips down, liposuction offers the control that is necessary to do so. Of course, this must all be within reason—liposuction cannot change your genetics.

  • …remove fat from nearly any area.

When you think of liposuction, you probably think of the midsection, because that’s a particularly common “problem area” patients want to treat. However, liposuction is versatile enough to be used nearly anywhere, including particularly small pockets of fat like the “double chin,” the upper arms, and even the area above the knees.

  • …provide fat for you to use in other areas of the body.

Fat transfer is a process which involves removing unwanted fat with liposuction, purifying it, and then injecting it into an area where a patient wants to add volume, such as the face, breasts, or buttocks. Depending on your specific goals, this may be a way to address two cosmetic concerns at the same time.

  • …put the finishing touches on weight loss.

Even losing moderately small amounts of weight can be a long and difficult task, and when patients reach their goal weight, they want to be able to enjoy their ideal figure. In cases where patients have reached their weight loss goal but still have a troublesome bulge or two of excess fat, liposuction can provide the contouring to help them truly enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Liposuction Can Not…

  • …serve as a substitute for weight loss.

The goal of liposuction is to remove small amounts of fat in order to create more desirable contours—not to decrease the number on the scale or provide the health benefits that come from having a lower body mass index. If this is your goal, it’s generally advised to reach or get very near your goal weight before liposuction. The more stable you can keep your weight after surgery, the longer you will be able to enjoy your results.

  • …prevent weight gain.

The number of fat cells in your body actually stays rather stable throughout your life—weight gain and weight loss primarily happens when existing fat cells get larger or smaller. Liposuction actually removes a number of fat cells, which are not expected to return. However, if you do take in more calories than you burn in the future, your remaining fat cells (both in the liposuctioned area and in other areas) can still grow larger, causing you to gain weight.

  • …remove sagging skin, cellulite, or stretch marks.

Liposuction treats the fat underneath the skin—it does not affect the skin itself. If you want your skin to be firmer, this can be achieved through procedures like tummy tucks, arm lifts, thigh lifts, or similar surgeries.

  • …bring you from a size 20 to a size 2.

Liposuction can only safely remove small amounts of fat at one time—enough fat to produce noticeable and highly successful results, but not enough to simulate a weight loss of 30, 40, or 50 pounds or more. If you want to slim down overall, the best course of action is to lose the weight you want to lose first, then simply use liposuction or other cosmetic surgeries to put the finishing touches on your results.

When my patients come in to discuss liposuction (or any plastic surgery, for that matter), my main focus is to listen to the patient’s specific cosmetic concerns and then, based on over thirty years of experience, recommend the procedure or set of procedures which will best achieve their goals. In truth, the only way to know if liposuction is right for you is through a plastic surgery consultation. Call my Alpharetta or Atlanta plastic surgery offices to schedule your appointment. Or, for more plastic surgery tips and the latest health news, follow me, Dr. L. Franklyn Elliott on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.

What is Involved in a Neck Lift?

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When men and women want to look younger, they have a tendency to focus much of their effort on facial rejuvenation. It’s understandable, considering that our face is typically the first aspect of our appearance that others notice. But unfortunately, while focusing on the face, patients often overlook another area which is just as visible and can age just as quickly: the neck. If you’re unhappy with sagging skin throughout your neck, excess fat under your chin, or both, a neck lift might be the ideal solution.

What is Involved in a Neck LiftLike any plastic surgery, neck lifts must be tailored to each individual patient. As a result, they can consist of any or all of the elements below:

  1. Skin Tightening

Typically the most noticeable sign of aging on the neck is sagging, wrinkled skin, sometimes referred to as a “turkey wattle.” Fortunately, a neck lift can address this problem directly. Using subtle incisions either under the chin, behind the ears, or both, the surgery involves removing excess skin and giving the remaining skin a firmer, smoother, and younger-looking appearance.

  1. Muscle Tightening

Aging might be most visible in the skin, but it certainly doesn’t stop there. The muscle in your neck (called the platysma muscle) also loosens and weakens with age, contributing to the appearance of an unflattering neck where obvious banding is present. To create a more satisfying and natural-looking result, most neck lifts include tightening the platysma muscle in addition to skin tightening, creating an overall smoother look.

  1. Liposuction

While most people think of liposuction as a way to flatten their abdomen, it’s also highly effective for the area under the chin (sometimes called a “double chin”). Fat in this area is often genetic and can be very difficult to burn off with diet and exercise, and it can play a large role in the appearance of the neck. For this reason, liposuction under the chin is commonly used in a neck lift to offer not only a younger but a slimmer, more contoured appearance as well.

Knowing whether or not a neck lift is the right choice for you can be a bit complicated. Some patients who think they need a neck lift are actually ideally suited for a facelift or liposuction alone, while others can actually achieve the best result with a combination of a neck lift and another cosmetic surgery. To receive an evaluation and recommendation from a double board-certified plastic surgeon, schedule a consultation with me, Dr. Franklyn Elliott. Or, for more plastic surgery tips, health news, and more, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Chest Liposuction or Male Breast Reduction?

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Many people see plastic surgery as holding more appeal for women than for men, with the assumption that women are more concerned about their appearance. While this is often the case, I have been seeing more and more male patients as men begin to recognize the benefits of a masculine, natural-looking cosmetic surgery result. One of the most common concerns these men want to address is chest enlargement, or male breasts. This condition, referred to as either gynecomastia (excess breast tissue) or pseudogynecomastia (excess fat), can typically be treated with great success and minimal scarring by a board-certified plastic surgeon.

chest-liposuction-or-male-breast-reductionWhile all men have some degree of glandular breast tissue, some men develop enough to form enlarged, female-like breasts. This can be caused by hormonal changes, weight fluctuations, the use of certain drugs or medications, and even heredity. But whatever the culprit may be, gynecomastia can make men feel highly self-conscious both with and without a shirt on. The condition typically doesn’t resolve on its own without cosmetic surgery, so many patients ask, “how do I know if I can just have liposuction to remove the fat or if I need to have breast tissue removed, too?”

It’s understandable for patients to prefer liposuction to male breast reduction, because the scars liposuction causes are extremely small—just a few millimeters long. This makes them particularly discreet and difficult to see. Breast tissue, on the other hand, is more dense than fat, so it cannot be removed through the narrow tube we use for liposuction. The fact is that most men will need some degree of breast tissue removed in addition to the fat, but the good news is that this can actually be done with less scarring than patients generally expect. I often begin with liposuction throughout the chest area, then simply make a small incision across the bottom of each areola to remove the breast tissue from each side. In severe cases of gynecomastia in which the skin has become stretched (particularly in older men or those who have lost extreme amounts of weight), some skin removal may be required in order to achieve the results the patient is looking for, but the majority of men can attain the masculine contours they want with liposuction and breast tissue removal alone.

Whether your chest enlargement is primarily caused by excess fat or glandular breast tissue, it’s crucial that you take steps to prevent the gynecomastia from returning after surgery. This means maintaining a stable weight, keeping alcohol consumption moderate, and avoiding certain drugs like anabolic steroids and marijuana. If your chest has stabilized in size and you’re ready to regain a firmer and more masculine shape, schedule your pre-surgical consultation with me today. Or, for more plastic surgery tips and helpful information, follow me, Dr. Franklyn Elliott, on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

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