Plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures are no longer considered just for women anymore. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ annual statistics, male cosmetic surgery has shot up by 28% since 2000. Southwest Michigan Plastic and Hand Surgery has also seen an increase in male patients, and we are proud to have office environments […]
Body Sculpting for Swimsuit Season
We’ve all seen these ads: beautiful, slim models wearing gorgeous, expensive swimsuits. The catalogs come in the mail; the TV weight-loss ads push swimsuit-clad women touting their amazing results; and women’s magazines, lined up in the candy aisle at the grocery check-out, are chock-a-block with stunning women in bikinis. Inside, we realize that these are hyped up images geared to motivate us to buy: the magazine, the swimsuit, the weight-loss program. But most women also feel a twinge of self-doubt looking at these photos. Perfection is not just offered—the subliminal message is clear: if you don’t have a body like this, you aren’t attractive. I think that’s a shame, as I’ve been working with thousands of men and women all over Michigan for many years, and not a single one of them were unattractive. Sure, they had features they wanted to change, but that was to make them happier with their appearance—not to make them supermodels. There isn’t a surgical procedure that I can perform to change your body into that of the Photoshopped images in the magazines, but there are several that we can think about that will improve your appearance a great deal. Here are some of them.
Inner Thigh Liposuction
Is Inner Thigh Liposuction Effective?
Liposuction to remove excess fat on the inner thighs is an excellent solution for patients who wish to have a space between the thighs, both for appearance and to eliminate rubbing of the thighs, which can be uncomfortable. My Southwest Michigan patients undergoing inner thigh liposuction often decide to also treat the inner knee area to ensure that the results are well proportioned and natural looking, although this is optional and something we’d discuss during your private consultation.
Limits and Satisfaction Rates of Liposuction
What Are the Limits of Liposuction?
Contrary to what you might think, liposuction is not a weight loss method. You will weigh less after liposuction, but you’ll get your best results if you are at—or near—normal weight. Furthermore, there are safety limits to the amount of fat that can be removed in one procedure, i.e., usually about 5 liters, which weighs about 10 lbs.
How Satisfied Are Patients After Liposuction?
According to several studies, 4 out of 5 patients are very satisfied with their appearance after recovering from liposuction. It stands to reason that having liposuction as a body sculpting method, your clothes will fit better, you’ll have a more balanced appearance and, consequently, you’ll feel happier and more self confident.
Liposuction Basics
Liposuction is a surgical procedure that removes fat in certain areas using suction connected to a hollow tube (called a cannula) inserted under the skin through very small incisions.
Liposuction is also called lipoplasty, liposculpture, lipectomy or just lipo.
How Many Types of Liposuction Are There?
- Tumescent liposuction is the “traditional” liposuction. After a local anesthetic is injected into the area(s) to be treated, a sterile solution is injected into the fatty tissue before fat is removed. This solution contains epinephrine to minimize bleeding/bruising, and Lidocaine, an anesthetic.
- Ultrasound-Assisted liposuction, sometimes called UAL, uses ultrasonic waves to liquefy the fat, making it easier to remove.
- Laser liposuction uses low-energy heat waves to liquefy the fat. It’s most often marketed under a brand name, such as SmartLipo® or CoolLipo®.
