We have come to realize over time and personal experience that if fat wants to stick around, it will. Managing fat stores becomes more challenging with age, and many men and women live with the frustration of having bulges in places they’d rather not. For many years, liposuction has been regarded as one of the best ways to sculpt the body. That is, until recently. Because innovation has brought us a few proven ways to melt away fat without surgery, there are some who say that liposuction is outdated.
We disagree.
Despite advances in aesthetic medicine and awareness of necessary lifestyle habits for weight management, there is still a place for liposuction at the table of body sculpting. In fact, when liposuction is one tool in a well-stocked toolbox of health and wellness, the results that come from this procedure can last a lifetime.
Important Points about Liposuction
Perhaps the most important point about liposuction that needs to be understood is that this is a cosmetic surgery intended to sculpt the body. There is no weight-loss objective behind liposuction procedures. The entire purpose of surgery is to refine a particular part of the body as a way to improve overall proportions. For example, if saddlebags are enlarging the outer thigh area, fat can be removed to reduce circumference. Having liposuction to reduce abdominal circumference may put you in a different pants-size, but it probably won’t move the scale very much, if at all.
Another important detail about liposuction that is especially relevant to older adults is that this cosmetic procedure targets fat only. There is no way to precisely predict how skin will retract after fat has been removed. In some cases, there is a risk that skin laxity will appear more pronounced due to fat-removal. To offset this risk, Dr. Dahan may suggest ThermiTight treatment as a follow-up to liposuction. ThermiTight is a high-tech, non-surgical treatment that stimulates collagen retraction for tighter, smoother skin.
Finally, it is important to know that, despite findings in certain studies, liposuction can be the starting point to a lifetime of results. Some studies seem to suggest that fat “returns” after liposuction. This isn’t the case. Weight gain is possible after liposuction or any other form of fat-reduction if healthy eating habits are not developed. It doesn’t take much to maintain the results of liposuction, but it does take some effort, just as it would if you were to reach a physical goal through diet and exercise alone.
There is still time to be ready for summer. Contact us online or call our Reno office at (775) 826-4477 to schedule your liposuction consultation.
