Liposuction has its limitations as a cosmetic procedure, but it can do wonderful things to shape and contour a patient in different areas of the body. Some people think it will be their miracle solution for weight loss but that is not the case. Liposuction is the cosmetic tool to help a patient put the “finishing touches” on their appearance so they can love how they look. Liposuction, also called lipo, is a common cosmetic procedure to remove fat and contour certain areas that no longer respond to regular exercise or a healthy diet. With liposuction, you can remove that stubborn fat in order to reveal a slimmer, more fit look. Dr. Erick Sanchez is a board-certified plastic surgeon in the Baton Rouge area who offers this transforming procedure. He wants to provide helpful information on what liposuction can and can’t do so you can decide if this surgical procedure will help you or not.

Liposuction and what it can do…

Liposuction is a popular cosmetic procedure done today. More and more people in Baton Rouge and the surrounding areas are turning to liposuction to redefine their body and slim certain areas that can’t seem to change even with proactive efforts. If you are struggling to change a certain part of your body with diet and exercise and not seeing results, liposuction may be your answer. Liposuction can remove those stubborn pockets of excess fat in order to reshape your body in certain areas. Some common areas that liposuction CAN help include:

• Stomach: Liposuction can remove excess fatty tissue to leave a flatter, smoother abdominal area. Typically used in conjunction with a tummy tuck procedure in order to enhance a patient’s end results, it can produce a slimmer tummy that patients desire. The abdominal area is one of the most common places on the body where liposuction is used.

• Upper arms: This area of the body can be a pesky one for women, where the signs of aging often strikes early. With aging, fat begins to accumulate in the upper arm area. Liposuction can be utilized to remove excess fat in the upper arms leaving patients with a sleeker arm appearance.

• Under the chin: Liposuction with a smaller cannula instrument can target this area to help patients with a double chin by removing excess fat that has settled under the chin in order to reveal a more contoured jaw and neckline. This is known as neck liposuction and can make a huge difference in a patient’s profile.

• Flank area: Liposuction can help remove the appearance of “love handles” for patients that have exhausted all efforts to try and eliminate excess fat in their lower back or hip area.

• Thighs: Liposuction can also be utilized to remove excess fat on the inner or outer (‘saddle bags’) areas to reveal slimmer, more toned looking thighs.

• Back: Commonly called “bra bulge” but not exclusive to only women where fat accumulates on the back and creates back rolls. Liposuction can remove this excess fat and create a smoother, more contoured back for both women and men.

The aspects liposuction can’t help with…

Liposuction can help with a lot of different areas of the body but it is not a weight loss solution procedure. While small areas or pockets of unwanted fat can be eliminated with liposuction, the numbers on a scale will not drastically change. It is a great treatment to help get you over the finish line towards attaining a better figure, especially after you have done all the hard work with getting to an ideal weight. Liposuction also can’t help with loose or sagging skin. If you have loose skin in the areas where you desire liposuction, for example the thighs, the loose skin will likely become worse after the liposuction procedure. In this situation, skin tightening may be needed. Our skin changes due to factors such as pregnancy, aging, or fluctuations in weight, which can leave skin with poor elasticity. So it is important to remember that liposuction can’t tighten skin. The skin you’re in, prior to liposuction, will be your skin still when you are done with this cosmetic procedure.

Different types of liposuction help…

There are constantly new developments, with cosmetic procedures, along with new techniques evolving in the area of liposuction. There is still the traditional method of extracting fatty tissue or deposits with a special instrument called a cannula and is considered the most reliable form of lipo for patients. Today there are other options available for patients looking into liposuction. There are lipo techniques utilizing lasers to liquify fat before removing it from the body. There is ultrasound liposuction, which uses ultrasonic waves to emulsify the fat cells, to make them easier to remove, with either a cannula instrument or paddles passed over the area being treated. Consulting a qualified Baton Rouge plastic surgeon, like Dr. Sanchez, will help you determine which method of liposuction will be the best option for you to remove that unwanted fat so you can look and feel great again!

Whatever your area of concern is, liposuction can be the right choice to reshape and contour your way to a new look. Liposuction can target different areas of the body by removing that pesky, unwanted fat while leaving you with a more youthful, natural-looking appearance and feeling great! Dr. Erick Sanchez, of Sanchez Plastic Surgery, is a board-certified plastic surgeon that is medically and surgically qualified to provide liposuction to reshape and contour your body into a better you. To find out if liposuction is the right cosmetic procedure for you, we invite you to call or schedule your liposuction consult with Baton Rouge plastic surgeon, Dr. Erick Sanchez today.