Year after year, Liposuction continues to rank in the top three most popular plastic surgeries worldwide. Why? When performed by a skilled surgeon, Liposuction can completely reshape your body’s contours by removing stubborn pockets of fat and restoring youthful definition to your midsection, thighs, flanks, and arms. But, Liposuction surgery is often misunderstood and sometimes perceived as more rudimentary than it really is. For best results, the plastic surgeon performing your surgery must have excellent surgical skills, as well as an exceptionally artistic eye that can envision the future shape of your body. They must also have a heightened knowledge of the dynamic between skin and fat and which patients will respond well to body contouring. When assessing the outcomes of Liposuction surgery, here are four common factors present in the best results.
#1 –Tight, healthy skin is present before your surgery.
“The best Liposuction results come from the best candidates for Liposuction surgery,” says Dr. Michael Philbin, a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon with Edina Plastic Surgery. “The skin quality of the ideal candidates is strong, resilient, and still has the ability to snap back into place when pinched. Younger patients tend to have better Liposuction results because their skin quality is simply more youthful. If you have hanging folds of skin, crepey texture, or stretch marks, you may be a better candidate for surgeries like Tummy Tuck, Thigh Lift, or Arm Lift. Remember, Liposuction’s focus is to remove fat and reshape the body, not remove excess skin. That being said, it is commonly performed with procedures that do just that.”
#2 – Smooth contours that compliment your body shape.
Lumps and bumps have no place in great Liposuction results, but they are among the most common complications from the procedure. Certain areas of our bodies, like the outer thighs, are more prone to divots and dents from Liposuction than others due to the fascia and connective tissues present there, especially if too much fat is removed.
“Fat is present in different planes of the skin, and it must be removed from the right one during Liposuction,” explains Dr. Philbin. “Our skin has a network of fascia and connective tissue with fat residing above it and below it in certain areas. Furthermore, this will vary from patient to patient. To achieve the most natural-looking results that follow the unique contours of your body, your surgeon needs to correctly identify which plane to remove fat from to create the smoothest outcome.”
Smooth transitions that flow naturally from one treatment zone of the body to the next are also essential to excellent Liposuction surgery results. For example, suppose Liposuction is performed on the abdominals. In that case, most surgeons will recommend that the treatment also extend slightly into the flanks to avoid a flat or boxy looking appearance to your midsection. In fact, you may be encouraged to consider Liposuction in multiple areas to make sure your results look complete and natural.
“There are very few patients with one small localized pocket of fat,” says Dr. Philbin. “You need to see the body in three dimensions to appreciate what your end result will look like. If you are removing fat from the anterior, or front of the abdominals, this is almost always complemented by removing fat along the flanks as well. This approach offers much more natural-looking results. Plus, reducing the fat in one problem spot may exaggerate another area in the end. Our bodies aren’t put together like a Lego® set with individual pieces that snap together. We have smooth transitions that need to be blended for superior Liposuction results.”
#3 – Natural definition that doesn’t appear fake or abnormal.
Great Liposuction results respect the natural shape of YOUR body and the natural shape of the human body in general. Although you may have seen high-definition sculpted abs in a celebrity magazine, this does not mean that this style of surgery will look appropriate on your body.
“During Liposuction surgery to the abdominals, your surgeons’ goal is to subtly define the natural peaks and valleys of your underlying musculature,” explains Dr. Philbin. “We want to respect that certain regions of the body are never really totally flat, and adding too much contour to these areas can make results appear un-natural or even masculine on the female body.”
#4 – Discreet scarring that is easy to hide.
Post-surgical scarring is always a significant consideration in any plastic surgery. For this reason, plastic surgeons strive to make scars as discreet as possible.
“Unlike some surgical procedures, Liposuction surgery does not require long incisions,” says Dr. Philbin. “Your surgeon gains access to pockets of fat by making multiple, small incisions to insert the cannula under your skin. We attempt to place these incisions along natural lines of your body that have tension or shadows or are easily concealed by clothing. Incision points for abdominal Liposuction surgery may include the belly button, while the incision for outer thigh Liposuction may be hidden in the crease of skin below your buttocks. In all cases, your plastic surgeon will attempt to keep scarring to a minimum and make any necessary scarring easy to camouflage. After all, we want you to enjoy showing off your beautiful new shape!”
Have you been considering reshaping your body with Liposuction surgery? Schedule a complimentary in-person consultation with an Edina Plastic Surgery Plastic Surgeon by calling (612) 688-3177 or by CLICKING HERE!
