Liposuction: When Diet & Exercise Just Aren’t Enough
Each year around this time, many of us may reflect on the year as it closes and optimistically plan a resolution for the New Year that we hope to succeed at. Often times getting in shape is a top resolution for patients because let’s be honest, winter months can be brutal on your waistline! To help you succeed in trimming down, even the best diet and exercise regimen simply won’t do the trick. For this reason, many patients seek liposuction as a way to rid themselves of the stubborn fat deposits that separate them from a better physique.
We can all sympathize with the notion that there are certain areas of our body that we would like to see more fit. Spending time in the gym or eating proper foods are great for keeping yourself active and healthy, but when it comes to targeting the fat cells trapped between the skin and muscle it’s likely body contouring procedures may be your answer. Many patients must agree as liposuction continues to rank as one of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures performed in the United States, with 200,000 performed in 2013 alone according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
Liposuction is performed through small, tiny incisions. I prefer to use the tumescent liposuction technique because the small micro-cannula inserted into the deeper layers of fat allows precise body contouring and predictably successful liposuction results. Exercise and diet resistant fat pockets can be removed permanently from many areas of the body including: the abdomen, thighs, ankles, inner knees and even under the chin. Many of my patients notice improvement in their body’s contours shortly after surgery, with continued improvement over several weeks or even months depending on how quickly each patient’s body heals.
Another added benefit of liposuction is that the removed unwanted fat can be used for fat transfer procedures. After I purify the donated fat, I am able to re-inject it into another area of the body for added volume. There has been much success for augmenting the breasts or face for additional fullness. The most important thing I like to remind my patients is that while liposuction can produce great results, it is certainly not a substitute for a healthy diet and regular exercise. Once the fat deposits are removed, they are gone for good; however, if weight gain increases and new fat deposits form from poor exercise and diet routines, your results can be reversed and may require additional procedures for maintain maintenance.
If you are interested in learning more about liposuction, body contouring or any other cosmetic plastic surgery procedure I perform, please contact us with any questions you may have. Don’t forget to connect with me, Dr. Franklyn Elliott, on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ for the latest news.