To look good is everyone’s goal. Exercising and dieting are mantras of our society. However, neither of these things can alter our genetically determined body shape. Dieting can make us smaller and workouts can make us firmer, and liposuction can make us proportional. Liposuction is the most common cosmetic surgical procedure in both men and women in the United States.

After puberty, the number of fat cells in the body remain the same for life, with weight gain and loss making the cells larger or smaller. When these cells are removed by liposuction, it is believed that new cells will not take their place.

The Procedure

Body contouring procedures can take as little as 45 minutes or as long as few hours if multiple areas are sculpted. Many patients opt to have the stomach, hip, thighs, and back operated on during one session. During the procedure, a hollow tube called a cannula is used to break up fat. At the same time, a liposuction machine vacuums out the fat. Incisions for this procedure are generally hidden in creases of the body and are usually less than 4 millimeters in length.

Different areas of the body react differently to liposuction. To look good, the skin must shrink after the procedure. Before pregnancy, in a person who has never been overweight, most areas of the body will shrink following fat removal. The inner thighs are limited in their ability to retract after liposuction, whereas the outer thighs and hips have an excellent ability to shrink.

The ideal candidate for liposuction is relatively young, has good skin tone that is not too loose, and has isolated fat bulges. Liposuction is not a good idea for people with loose skin as removing too much fat from these areas would cause the skin to sag even more. Traditional liposuction does not address textural problems such as cellulite.

Results

Very few cosmetic surgery procedures will provide immediate results, and liposuction is no exception. In the first few months, the skin will feel doughy or stiff due to deep swelling. In some people, this swelling may make the body appear larger for a few weeks. You may also notice a few skin indentations, but these will smooth out in the coming months. In general, within four to six months, you will notice desired results as the contour and proportion of the body improves. For more information on liposuction procedures in Melbourne, Victoria please contact our office today for a consultation.