Everyone takes a different road on the journey to their ideal self. But that road doesn’t always go in the direction you expect.
For example, if you’ve worked hard to lose weight through traditional methods, you may feel surprised to see pockets of fat remaining in certain areas across the body, like your thighs or abdomen.
Fortunately, at Southwest Michigan Plastic Surgery & Med Spa, we have a solution. With a fat reduction treatment, either surgical or nonsurgical, we can break up stubborn fat layers and remove them from the body to create a more shapely figure you feel proud of.
In this blog, we’re going to take a look at liposuction and BodyTite, 2 effective choices for fat reduction. Whether you’re interested in a minimally invasive procedure or plastic surgery near Kalamazoo, we have fat reduction treatments to fit your goals.
The Benefits of Fat Removal
Fat removal treatments help patients who have not created their ideal physical results after weight loss through traditional methods alone.
The body doesn’t always respond to weight loss in the way you may expect. Even if two people maintain the exact same diet and exercise routine, one may lose more weight in the abdomen, while another may lose more weight in the buttocks.
These differences stem from a variety of factors, like hormones and genetics. But if a patient has reached their goal weight, and they still don’t have the silhouette they hoped for, they may consider a fat reduction procedure.
Our Methods of Fat Reduction
But finding the right fat reduction treatment may be difficult. Some might want a minimally invasive option, while others can commit to a more intensive procedure with plastic surgery near Kalamazoo.
Now, let’s examine the differences and similarities between 2 of our fat removal methods.
Liposuction
If you’re interested in a surgical fat reduction treatment, then we recommend liposuction. Liposuction works with the help of a specialized tool called a cannula, which allows us to disrupt and remove unwanted layers of fat.
During the consultation, we determine which areas of the body could benefit from fat removal. Then, we use the cannula to disrupt and extract stubborn fat. This plastic surgery near Kalamazoo is an effective choice for anyone interested in removing stubborn layers of fat, but depending on your goals, fat removal may only be the first step of the process.
If you want to enhance other areas of the body, we can transfer the extracted fat to add volume to another body part, like the buttocks or the legs.
Preparing for Liposuction
Before you undergo liposuction plastic surgery near Kalamazoo, you need to reach your ideal weight. This is not a weight-loss procedure—patients need to reach their goal weight for the best results.
To start the surgery process, you meet with our team for a consultation. Once we’ve familiarized ourselves with your medical history, concerns, and treatment expectations, we can give you the advice you need to prepare for your liposuction procedure.
If you smoke or consume nicotine regularly, you need to stop before your treatment. Nicotine can impede blood flow and negatively affect your results. We also recommend preparing your home for the recovery period.
Because liposuction is an invasive surgical procedure, you’ll need to take some downtime. You won’t want to worry about cleaning your house and cooking after your procedure, so tidy up and meal prep before your treatment. We also prescribe a pre-op supplement regimen to ease swelling and bruising during the recovery process, so be sure to follow that as well.
The Liposuction Procedure
You can expect the liposuction procedure to take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours, depending on your specific needs and treatment area. Because this intensive plastic surgery near Kalamazoo requires you to rest afterwards, bring someone to drive you home after the procedure is complete. You will not be able to drive yourself home.
Our board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Raghu Elluru, will perform your procedure. Dr. Elluru has performed countless liposuction procedures over the years, so rest assured—you’re in expert hands. After the procedure is complete, you can return home and begin the recovery process.
Recovering After Liposuction
Following liposuction, you may need to take up to a week of downtime to support proper healing.
For the first 1 to 2 days, rest and keep all physical activity to a minimum. Wear compression garments to facilitate the best results and help your body adjust to the new shape. As you start feeling better, you can slowly resume normal physical activity—but take it slow.
We recommend walking slowly to start out and increasing the intensity of your activities over time. Don’t rush things; we want to make sure you stay safe and healthy in the weeks following your procedure.
The Results of Your Liposuction Procedure
You may notice some results immediately following your treatment, but following plastic surgery near Kalamazoo, patients also notice swelling in the treatment area.
As such, you need to wait for your body to heal completely before you experience the best results. Many patients see their full improvements after about 4 to 6 months, but we can give you a better idea of what to expect after we develop your custom treatment plan.
If you want to boost your results even further, we may recommend pairing your liposuction procedure with EvolveX body sculpting. This treatment uses radiofrequency to melt fat and boost collagen for a slimmer silhouette.
BodyTite
Another option we offer for fat reduction at Southwest Michigan Plastic Surgery & Med Spa is BodyTite.
BodyTite, while not technically plastic surgery near Kalamazoo, is a minimally invasive treatment that can reduce unwanted fat. In many ways, BodyTite works like liposuction, but each treatment has its own advantages. BodyTite uses radiofrequency energy to heat and melt away fat cells.
Radiofrequency can also stimulate the production of collagen in the treatment area. Collagen is a healing protein that can tighten and firm loose skin. This provides noticeable and natural-looking results. For patients interested in permanent fat removal results without invasive surgery, BodyTite makes an ideal choice.
Preparing for BodyTite
You should prepare for your BodyTite procedure in many of the same ways you might prepare for liposuction.
Like liposuction, BodyTite requires a consultation with our providers, so we can develop a plan for you. During this meeting, be honest with our team about any medications you take, as some may thin the blood and affect your treatment. We also recommend coming to your treatment session with clean skin that’s free of lotion or sunscreen.
You should eat a normal meal before your procedure, and although this is a nonsurgical procedure, you won’t be fit to drive after BodyTite, so bring someone with you to take you home.
The BodyTite Procedure
The length of this procedure varies depending on the number of areas you’d like to treat, but in many cases, it takes anywhere from 1 to 2 hours to complete.
During your treatment, Dr. Elluru applies a numbing agent to the treatment area and makes a small incision. Then, he inserts a probe beneath the skin to treat the fat directly. This probe stimulates unwanted fat with radiofrequency energy, heating and breaking up the problematic layer.
After the RF energy melts the fat, the body can process it and flush it away. The radiofrequency also tightens the skin for enhanced aesthetic results.
Recovering After BodyTite
Following your BodyTite treatment, you should be able to resume your daily activities in a few days. You won’t have any stitches in the treatment area after your procedure, but you may notice some skin flaking and swelling.
Refrain from touching the treatment area as it heals. You don’t want to irritate the skin and impact the healing process. For this reason, you should avoid any strenuous activities while you recover.
Any serious physical activity may cause sweat to enter the treatment area. Sweat contains bacteria, which can infect the incision site and interrupt healing.
Boosting Your Results
You can see results following BodyTite after a couple of weeks, but these results only continue to improve as your body produces additional healing proteins in the treatment area.
Many patients notice improvements continuing for anywhere from 3 to 6 months. If you want to get the most out of your BodyTite results, pair it with Morpheus in Kalamazoo County.
Morpheus8 RF microneedling uses a treatment applicator tipped with needles to create shallow micro-injuries in the skin. This triggers the body’s healing response to tighten skin and rejuvenate its appearance.
Morpehus8 also stimulates these micro-injuries with radiofrequency energy for tighter, healthier-looking skin in the BodyTite treatment area.
Which Is the Right Treatment for You?
Either BodyTite or liposuction could be the ideal choice for your fat reduction goals, but how should you decide? Since BodyTite is a nonsurgical procedure, we typically recommend it for patients with goals of minor improvements and natural-looking results.
If you want to reduce more significant pockets of fat, then consider liposuction plastic surgery near Kalamazoo. Our team can make a recommendation when you meet with us for your consultation.
Receive a Fat Reduction Recommendation
You have your own aesthetic goals, so we cater every detail of your treatment to you. To receive a free digital recommendation, try our online treatment planner.
All you need to do is fill out a short questionnaire, and our team will send over a recommendation based on your answers. You’ve worked hard to lose weight. Come to Southwest Plastic Surgery & Med Spa and experience your ideal results.
