What Are the Different Types of Liposuction?

It would be difficult for someone to live in this age and not have heard of liposuction. We all get the general idea: melt fat away from stubborn areas of the body to improve your natural curves. But many people don’t understand how many different types of liposuction exist or that there are actually multiple surgical and nonsurgical options available.

Depending on your anatomy and unique needs, you might find that the type of liposuction you were considering isn’t the best fit for you. So here are a few of the most popular liposuction options that are at your disposal.

Surgical Options

As a general rule of thumb, surgical options will produce more substantial results at the cost of having a bit longer and intense recovery period. So if you are someone who is looking to remove a moderate or severe amount of fat, one of these surgical options might be your safest bet.

SenzaLipo

Because of the results it provides and how minimally invasive a procedure is, SenzaLipo is our go-to approach when someone is looking to melt away stubborn pockets of fat. SenzaLipo uses smaller tools than traditional liposuction, which means that the procedure causes less trauma, bleeding, swelling, bruising and general discomfort.
Since the tools used are so small, this procedure can be performed with only a local anesthetic, reducing the chances of complications developing from general anesthesia. No stitches are needed after the procedure, and the wounds are able to heal beautifully without scarring on their own.

Traditional Liposuction

While traditional liposuction is similar to the SenzaLipo technique, it does not go as far in reducing trauma to the body or minimizing the recovery period. Additionally, traditional liposuction also includes general anesthesia or IV sedation, which opens up the patient to further complications. The tools used are not as small, and stitches are needed in most cases since small incisions are required.

Traditional liposuction is the standard for most surgeons, and when SenzaLipo is not available, it is one of the most effective and safe approaches to fat reduction.

Nonsurgical Options

While these procedures will struggle to provide the same amount of fat removal that surgical options can provide, many patients continue to be impressed by how much they can offer without the need for surgery.

It’ll take about 12 to 16 weeks to see your final results after these procedures, and you can generally assume you’ll need about two to four treatments total to achieve optimal results. If you are experiencing mild to moderate fat accumulation, you might get everything you need from one of these nonsurgical options.

Laser (Heat) Liposuction

Laser liposuction, or laser lipolysis, is a fat reduction method that uses laser energy to blast away fat cells in a targeted area. In laser liposuction, a medical device that emits laser energy is applied to the skin as it releases a specific level of heat energy that can disrupt only fat cells. The fat cells dislodge and exit the body and are never able to return.

This procedure is performed without any anesthesia, making it much safer than some surgical options. The entire process takes only around 25 minutes, and patients often describe the procedure’s sensations as a cooling feeling, but warmth or tingling are also common. You can walk away with nothing more than mild and temporary redness, tenderness, and small amounts of swelling at the end of the process.

Cooling Liposuction

Another popular approach to nonsurgical fat removal is the use of cold treatments. There are a few different devices and treatments on the market, but the idea is to essentially kill fat cells with low temperatures without damaging your skin. This is done by suctioning skin into a device and applying concentrated cold to the targeted area.

This procedure can also take less than half an hour and offers the same minimal side effects like redness, tenderness and swelling. No anesthesia is required, and you can get back to your regular routine right away.

Ultrasound Liposuction

When people normally think about ultrasounds, they think about checking up on pregnancy or some variation of medical screening. While this is a good use for ultrasound technology, it has also become a popular method of fat reduction. The ultrasound waves are pushed into the body through a medical device, breaking up fat cells in the treated area. Those cells are then absorbed into the body, unable to return and accumulate more fat.

While ultrasound tech is widely understood and practiced, it has not been thoroughly researched or tested for efficacy at this point. This ultrasound procedure requires no anesthesia or downtime, and you can get back to your regular routine as soon as the 25-minute procedure is completed.

Radiofrequency Liposuction

Similar to laser liposuction, radiofrequency liposuction also used a small medical-grade device to emit appropriate levels of RF energy into your skin. However, the difference between laser liposuction and an RF treatment like BTL Vanquish ME is that the latter will never have to come into direct contact with your skin.

The same general guidelines apply: 25-minute procedure, no downtime, minimal recovery period, excellent results. RF liposuction is available for virtually every body type and condition.

Improve Your Contour With Liposuction in San Bernardino County

If you are interested in scheduling a consultation to learn more about how liposuction can help you improve your body contours, give Senza Aesthetic Medicine in Redlands a call at (909) 793-3563 or fill out our online contact form. We know you need a partner through this process, and we are happy to answer any questions you have.

You have many different liposuction options available to you, and after your consultation and examination, we can let you know which approach is best suited for your specific needs.