How Does Liposuction Work?

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, there were more than 265,000 liposuctions performed throughout 2019. That makes it the second most popular surgical cosmetic procedure that year, beaten out only by breast augmentation surgery. Considering how safe and effective liposuction is, it’s no surprise that people are coming in by the hundreds of thousands to have the minimally invasive procedure done.

But, how does liposuction actually work? We know that it slims contours and trims away fat, but what is going on during the surgery that allows for such long-lasting results? And what kind of impact can you expect it to have on your body if you go through weight fluctuations later in life?

How Is Liposuction Performed?

Liposuction uses a set of medical-grade tools called cannulas. These cannulas function essentially like a vacuum hose, using suction to remove unwanted fat cells from a specific area of the body. There is some variation of these fat removal tools and approaches; some use heat or concentrated light in the cannula to loosen and liquify fat, and some physicians inject a solution into the fat to make it more swollen and accessible. 

At Senza Aesthetic Medicine, you can have SenzaLipo performed for fat reduction, which uses a much smaller cannula for precision sculpting. Not only does this result in less trauma and recovery, but it also means your scarring will become virtually invisible as it heals. 

How Does Liposuction Affect Weight Gain?

Many people think when they gain weight they are adding fat cells to their bodies. It is a reasonable assumption, but it isn’t necessarily the way our bodies work. A 2008 study found that adults do not gain or lose fat cells throughout their lives regardless of weight. Instead, fat cells grow or shrink in size with weight fluctuation. This is why weight gain in particular areas of the body tends to be pretty consistent. If you are someone who holds fat in their bellies, it probably has something to do with your body having a higher concentration of fat cells in that area.

But how does this affect patients who have liposuction performed? Many patients who undergo liposuction notice that if they do end up gaining weight again after their procedure, it often manifests in different ways than before the surgery. Someone who previously stored fat in their thighs or buttocks might notice a larger concentration in their stomachs or love handles.

This happens because the body can’t produce new fat cells or even move old ones, so the cells left behind after liposuction are forced into taking on more of the excess fat than they were in the past. It’s a phenomenon that has been well observed by liposuction patients who have eventually put on excess weight, and since the 2008 study, we now understand why it was occurring.

Where Can Liposuction Be Performed?

The short answer is virtually anywhere on the body. Liposuction is a relatively simple, minimally invasive procedure that only requires a targeted location with a bit of extra fat. Liposuction is most commonly used to improve:

• Abs
• Love handles
• Bra bulges
• Double chins
• Buttocks
• Neck
• Arms
• Thighs
• Calves

If you are unsure whether your excess fat can be addressed, it is best to schedule a consultation with Senza Aesthetic Medicine. 

What Is Fat Transfer?

During liposuction, some patients are removing up to 10 or 11 pounds of fat from their bodies. While that removal alone is enough to drastically shift an appearance, it is possible to use that fat to create an even more drastic improvement to your contours through a procedure called fat transfer. 

Fat transfer can be performed on any part of the body, but it is generally used in places that would help improve your figure’s overall aesthetic, like the buttocks, hips, breasts, or even the lips. These procedures are often referred to as natural augmentations since they use only material harvested from your own body.

Using your own bodily material comes with certain advantages, like a more natural appearance and no chance of rejection. Unfortunately, it can also mean that the extent of improvement is reduced when compared to implants. Overall, natural augmentations through fat transfer are great options for people looking to improve lacking areas and remove fat from unwanted body parts.

How Does Liposuction Compare to Other Procedures?

If you are only experiencing a minor amount of excess fat, you might not be the right candidate for liposuction, which was developed specifically to combat moderate or severe pockets of stubborn fat. Non-invasive fat reduction is available in these cases. However, you should keep in mind that the kind of results that SenzaLipo can provide are much more drastic than the non-invasive alternatives, so you should check with your medical professional to see which is better suited for your conditions. 

Where Can I Get Liposuction?

If you are in San Bernardino County or live in the Inland Empire, Orange County, Los Angeles or even the greater Southern California area, Senza Aesthetic Medicine in Redlands is the best place to have liposuction performed. Through our unique approach to this procedure, called SenzaLipo, we can provide you with precision body sculpting that will accentuate all the right aspects of your appearance. 

If you are ready to get started with SenzaLipo, give our office a call at (909) 793-3563. You can also fill out our online contact form and someone from our office will get back to you as soon as possible. We look forward to helping you through your entire aesthetic journey.