Sometimes patients find that even with a consistent diet and exercise program, there are a few areas of their body that they’re having trouble toning naturally. Targeting certain areas during exercise is possible in some cases, but not everyone finds it effective. At Aesthetic Surgical Arts and Mia Bella Donna Medspa in Overland Park, KS, we offer liposuction to help our patients achieve their body shape goals. If you have questions about this process, you’re in the right place.
Is Liposuction Permanent?
Results Are Meant To Last
Your goals, body type, and health will all play a role in the results you can expect. That said, the benefits of liposuction are designed to be permanent, and most patients can notice immediate improvements.
It is important to remember that this treatment will help shape your body, but it doesn’t replace the effect of a healthy diet and active lifestyle. To encourage the best results, we recommend seeing this as an added bonus to your lifestyle. It’s a way to tackle “problem areas” and help you reach your goals, but maintaining your results is partly up to you.
Maintaining Your Results
So, how do you maintain your results? The first thing we recommend is to remind yourself that this treatment won’t stop you from gaining weight, so it’s important to invest in your results by eating mindfully and giving your body the exercise it needs. While it can be tempting to see this treatment as a weight loss solution, it’s much more accurate to consider it a way to sculpt your body.
That said, we understand that weight fluctuations are a part of life. The good news is that even though you can gain weight after treatment, the area should still look smoother than it would have without your treatment. For instance, if you have your abdomen treated, even if you gain weight your abdomen should be flatter than it would have been if you had never gotten liposuction. In that way, the benefits are permanent.
A Flexible Fit
If you’re wondering whether this could be a good fit for your needs, the best way to know for sure is to schedule a consultation. With that in mind, it can be a great option for patients of any gender and a wide age range. Whether you’re just over 18, or well into your golden years, as long as you’re in good health you can consider this treatment.
While it shouldn’t be seen as a primary method for weight loss, it can still help patients reach their goals, and hopefully, maintain them through diet and exercise. We would be happy to meet with you and help you get a better understanding of the treatment, so you’ll have a good idea of whether this or one of our other options may be a good fit.
How Does It Work?
Understanding the Treatment
This is an outpatient treatment. We will carry out the process using general anesthesia from the comfort of our Kansas facility. We will make carefully placed, small incisions to access the area of treatment. Then, the fat will be loosened and suctioned out with the help of a tool called a cannula.
We will be there for you throughout every step of the process. We know how important it is to feel comfortable with your treatment options, so please don’t hesitate to bring up any questions or concerns you have. We will also be providing personalized information so you have a clear idea of what you can expect.
What Can It Treat?
Subcutaneous Fat
Subcutaneous fat is what you’re able to pinch; it rests under the skin. It is also the type of fat that tends to jiggle during exercise. This is what we’ll be able to remove. If you’re looking to get rid of visceral fat, the best way to do that is through lifestyle changes. Visceral fat is the kind that is deeper in the body, and close to the organs.
The Abdomen
To start with, the abdomen is a very popular area to treat. While visceral fat will not be removed, this treatment is wonderfully effective at trimming off any subcutaneous fat you’ve been battling around your stomach.
The Ankles
Excess weight around the ankles can be frustrating since there aren’t many exercises designed specifically for ankles. If regular exercise hasn’t been enough to tone your ankles or legs, we can get rid of the fat cells in this area entirely.
The Face
Just like dermal fillers can be used to fill in certain areas, liposuction can also be used to tone and shape the face. This is a helpful way to create a sharper jawline.
The Neck
Weight can be carried all throughout the neck. Many patients want to target the back of their neck and under their chin.
The Hips
Love handles often appear above the hips, while saddlebags can show up just below the hips. Treating this area can help achieve a slimmer waistline and create the patient’s desired silhouette. Many patients who have been working their way through a weight loss journey find these areas are the final step in their process. We would be happy to help speed that step up for you.
The Thighs
Both inner and outer thighs can be treated to create a smoother overall appearance throughout the legs and hips.
The Knees
Patients who want to treat their knees often target the inner knee, or above the knee where folds can start to develop. This can help make patients feel more comfortable when they’re showing off their legs.
Ultimately, we can treat many different areas. In fact, there are many patients who have more than one area they want to address. If you don’t see the area you’d like to treat listed here, feel free to drop us a line and we’d gladly tell you whether or not we can meet your needs.
Other Commonly Asked Questions
1. How Much Fat Can Liposuction Remove?
The area of treatment, your body type, and your goals can all factor into how much material is removed during your treatment. We will also be using our professional experience to assess your needs, so we know how much fat can be safely removed while giving you the results you want.
Most patients can expect to have one or two pounds removed, although some patients may have more extracted. When it comes to body sculpting, it doesn’t take much to see a very noticeable difference. We recommend not paying too much attention to whether your weight drops, since the goal is to shape your body, not necessarily to lose weight.
2. Is a Tummy Tuck the Same Thing?
A tummy tuck is another way to sculpt the body, but the approach to this treatment is different. While the incision necessary with a tummy tuck may be larger, it can be used to get rid of excess skin as well as fat. On the other hand, liposuction requires smaller incisions but will not remove excess skin.
It all boils down to your needs. If you have gone through significant weight loss and have excess skin and a little extra fat to get rid of, you may want to consider a tummy tuck. During your exam, we can discuss these two treatments and let you know which one we believe would work best for you. We are pleased to offer both options for our patients.
3. What Benefits Can I Expect?
Remove Fat Cells
This treatment completely eliminates the fat cells in the treated area. This permanent removal makes it possible for the patient to shape their body and target areas that they’ve had trouble toning on their own. While you will still be able to gain weight in other areas, you should be able to enjoy permanent benefits throughout the treated location.
Improve Your Health
While this is not a weight loss treatment, many patients find themselves encouraged by their results. When you’re trying to get in shape and have an area that just isn’t responding to diet and exercise, it’s easy to become discouraged. Discouragement could lead to giving up entirely or backtracking on progress.
This treatment can give a helping hand to patients who want to see more progress in a certain area. This could help motivate them to stay on track with their health program.
Boost Confidence
This treatment can be very empowering, especially for patients who have been struggling to tone their bodies for years with little to no success. To finally see the results they wanted in the mirror can offer a major confidence boost. It can help our patients feel more confident in their favorite clothes while hitting the beach, or even in daily interactions. This increase in self-esteem can help a patient both look and feel their best.
Consistent Results
Some patients can go home and notice results almost immediately. For others, it may take a bit more time. As time goes on, the results you noticed at first should continue to improve for several months until you reach the point of full effect. All throughout this time, you can enjoy knowing that the area has been permanently treated, and you’ll be able to enjoy your new shape for the long run.
Improve Comfort
There are some practical reasons to seek out treatment too. Depending on the area you treat, it could improve your posture and mobility. Sometimes there are pockets of fat that can get in the way of certain movements. The inner thighs, for instance, are known for chafing. This can be reduced by targeting the area for treatment, which can make exercise and even wearing your favorite clothes more comfortable, especially in the summer.
If you struggle with excessive sweat under your armpits, there’s a bit of extra good news. This treatment’s versatility could help tone your arm and reduce the function of your overactive sweat glands at the same time.
Handle Tough Areas
This treatment is regularly utilized by patients who are confident in their eating and exercise habits but are having a hard time toning certain areas. Love handles and rolls can be especially hard to get rid of, no matter how well you’re eating or how regularly you exercise.
Just because there’s an area you haven’t been able to shape on your own doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. The body sometimes holds weight in unpredictable ways. We would be happy to discuss your goals and your treatment options so we can reward your hard work and finally help you shape some of these more difficult locations.
Do You Have More Questions for Us?
Reading about different treatments can be helpful, but a consultation can give you much more personalized information by giving us the opportunity to talk about your goals and expectations. Contact us at Aesthetic Surgical Arts and Mia Bella Donna Medspa in Overland Park, KS, today to get your consultation scheduled!
