All Powerful Liposuction
In this country, it’s estimated that 45 million people go on a diet annually. Unfortunately, for most, any weight loss is short lived. Obesity is at all time high, and people are understandably frustrated. Some patients wind up looking to liposuction as a solution. I pride myself on always be honest with my Long Island patients about what they can realistically expect to achieve with any aesthetic procedure that I perform. Liposuction or, in my hands, liposculpture, is one of my areas of expertise. So, believe me when I say that it can be a transformative procedure. It is not, however, a weight loss procedure. The actual drop in pounds reflected on your scale will be minimal. Instead, the power of liposculpture lies in its ability to improve your body proportion.
Body Contouring vs. Weight Loss
The first step in understanding liposuction is realizing that it is a body contouring procedure, not a weight loss procedure. What’s the difference? Your body contour is the line that would be created if an artist outlined your torso in 3-D. Since the human eye perceives harmony as looking more youthful, vital and attractive, any lumps or bumps in your body contour can be distracting. Furthermore, achieving a balance between your breasts, for example, and your hips may make your waist look narrower, and your abdomen appear longer and leaner. This “length” can contribute to an overall sense of elevation both physically and emotionally.
Liposuction is such an effective body contouring technique because it allows me to precisely target any areas of unwanted fat, literally re-sculpting your body into its ideal proportion. This is why I call the procedure liposculpture. While the end result can pack a powerful “wow” punch, the actual weight of the fat removed may be minimal.
Are You a Good Candidate for Liposuction?
The best candidate for liposuction is any man or woman, in good overall health, who is bothered by excess pockets of fat that can be grabbed and pulled away from the body. This is an important distinction as we all have two kinds of fat:
- “Pinchable” fat
- Visceral fat
Liposuction can only address the former. Visceral fat, on the other hand, wraps around your organs and must be addressed through diet and exercise. Many of my liposuction patients lead a healthful life already. Removing these fat pockets will just give them a better contour and/or restore a contour that has been altered by:
- Pregnancy
- Breastfeeding
- Hormonal changes
- Age
Most Common Treatment Areas with Liposuction
One of the things that I like best about liposuction is that it is an incredibly versatile procedure. I can basically remove fat from anywhere on your body. The most common treatment areas for women are the:
- Abdomen
- Flanks
- Back
- Upper arms
- Thighs
For men, the most requested areas for liposuction include the:
- Abdomen
- Flanks
- Chest
Why Hi-Definition Liposuction is Superior
I practice a technique called hi-definition liposuction. It’s a combination of Vaser Liposuction and Power Assisted Liposuction. The vaser part of the procedure uses ultrasound to liquify the fat in your treatment area. This fat is typically removed via a cannula, which is a narrow, hallow tube. The power assisted part of the procedure is an additional hand piece that makes the cannula vibrate very quickly, back and forth over a short distance. Hi-definition liposuction delivers a superior result as it allows me to more evenly, smoothly and efficiently remove the fat. Furthermore, with hi-definition liposuction, I also have the option to perform etching. For example, we can create those 6 or 8 pack lines that so many men desire. In general, men like more etching than women, but it really comes down to the individual result that you are looking to achieve.
Fat Removed is “Liquid Gold”
One of the most exciting things about liposuction is that the fat removed is what I like to call: “liquid gold”. This is because it can be placed into any area of the body where you would like some more volume. The two most common fat grafting target areas for women are the:
- Buttocks
- Breasts
Fat grafting to the buttocks does not need to be a Kardashian-like transformation. I will often place a subtle amount of fat in the top of the buttocks, an area that typically deflates with age, in order to restore your youthful looking curves. In the breasts, fat grafting can be a stand-alone procedure if you are only looking for a small bump-up in volume, or as an addendum to a breast augmentation to provide upper pole fullness and/or camouflage the edges of an implant if you are very thin. Men also often request fat grafting to the buttocks although the most popular area for this procedure in my practice is to accentuate the pectoral or deltoid muscle.
To find out more about 4-D VASER/PAL Hi-Definition Liposuction, or any surgical or non-surgical procedure with Dr. Mark Epstein in Hauppauge, Long Island, contact us today or call 631-689-1100 to schedule a consultation.
