Which Parts of the Body Can Be Treated with Liposuction?

Liposuction continues to be one of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures in Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill and nationwide. Naturally, a common question we get asked in our clinic is “Which parts of the body can be treated with Liposuction?” The short answer is simple. If you can pinch it, chances are good we can suck the fat out safely.

Liposuction is a common surgical technique performed by board-certified plastic surgeons. During a Lipo procedure, we remove the deep layers of fat while leaving behind a thin carpet of fat under the skin. This reveals your natural figure and highlights what lies beneath. Additionally, stubborn fat deposits that persist in spite of diet and exercise could benefit from Lipo treatment.

Liposuction can be done under local anesthesia with light sedation or under general anesthesia in our certified operating room. Sometimes we do Liposuction combined with other plastic surgery procedures in Raleigh at our on-site operating room, including a Mommy Makeover, a Breast Reduction, a Breast Lift or a Tummy Tuck

In this post we will discuss the areas we can treat with Liposuction and go over some of the basics. To get the full answer as it pertains to your body, you should see a board-certified plastic surgeon for a medical opinion.

Am I A Good Candidate For Liposuction?

During your consultation, you should show us your areas of concern. Is it a “muffin top”, “belly pooch” or that annoying “bra fat” that peeks out when you wear tank tops and sleeveless dresses? We can share our expertise as it pertains to each area and make sure that we can realistically achieve your goals.

We also discuss whether Liposuction is the answer, or if you are better suited for Coolsculpting (see our post on Lipo vs CoolSculpting). For example, is there a belly pooch because your muscles are weak and separated? In that case, we might recommend a Tummy Tuck. This procedure can treat the separated muscles, remove the skin and fat and contour your waist and hips. With any plastic surgery procedure, we recommend calculating your BMI to make sure you are in a safe range for surgery.

The right time to consider Liposuction is after you have lost all the weight you can on your own through diet and exercise. At that point, we are here for the finishing touches. Keep in mind that Liposuction is not a weight loss procedure – that is a common misconception. Rather, weight loss surgery is done by general surgeons who perform procedures like sleeve gastrectomy, or gastric bypass to help people lose 50 to 100 lbs or even more. In contrast, Liposuction is done by plastic surgeons to improve contour and shape by removing the deeper fat in your skin.

Which Parts of the Body Can Be Treated with Liposuction?

So without further ado, let’s discuss which parts of the body can be treated with Liposuction, from the top to the bottom.

Face and Neck

Liposuction is very effective for sharpening the facial features. Liposuction under the chin can define a jawline that was once lost in a heavy neck with sagging fat.

Arms and Bra Roll

The arms, back and bra roll fat might be where everyone in your family stores extra pounds.The good news is we can remove the fat that hangs over your bra and spills out when you were sleeveless or strapless tops. Lipo also targets the fat that makes your arm jiggle when you hold it out.

Belly and Back

Plastic surgeons use Liposuction to remove stubborn fat deposits from your love handles, the belly pooch, above and below your belly button. This procedure treats an unsightly muffin top as well.

Buttocks and Thighs

Liposuction is typically the first step during a Butt Lift. We make the mountain look bigger by making the surrounding valleys deeper. More specifically, we take the fat out of your flanks above your buttock to improve the contours. Sometimes this is enough to restore a youthful shape, and other times we redistribute the fat with fat grafting to the buttocks. The inner and outer thighs are another popular area for Liposuction, and this approach can be combined with other procedures like a Mommy Makeover.

Ready to discuss parts of the body that can be treated with Liposuction? Call (919) 797-0996 now to schedule a consultation with Dr. Tannan.