Patients often ask me about whether or not it’s realistic to expect to reduce a dress size with liposuction. While liposuction can be a very effective method of sculpting specific areas of the body, there’s no straightforward answer to that question. Understanding how liposuction works and what it can accomplish can help patients decide if liposuction will help them achieve their aesthetic goals.
Most liposuction patients are average weight and size, but report that despite targeted exercise and dieting, they are unable to tone areas such as the waist, abdomen, upper arms, thighs, male chest, or neck. While liposuction is not a weight loss tool, it can be very effective for reducing fat in these problem areas. (Liposuction does not tighten loose skin, either.) The liposuction procedure is performed on an outpatient basis. After a tiny incision is made, a small suction tube called a cannula is inserted under the skin and the fat is removed. Post-procedure, the patient wears a compression garment for about a month, and bruising and swelling decrease over the course of the few weeks. When performed by an experienced board certified plastic surgeon, liposuction is relatively low risk and requires minimal downtime.
So yes—liposuction improves the silhouette because it allows the surgeon to sculpt certain areas of the body. (Liposuction is sometimes referred to as “liposculpture” for this reason.) Many times we can focus on the area that is out of proportion with the rest of your body and you can then fit into a size that better suits your overall figure. Whether or not the reduction will always result in a smaller dress size depends on many factors, such as the proportion between hips and waist. Although many patients do report a reduction in dress size, there are too many variables to be able to offer a guarantee.
Liposuction can also help patients achieve their desired results when one procedure alone doesn’t meet their goals, as it can be combined with a breast reduction or a tummy tuck, for example.
Can patients achieve long-lasting results from liposuction? Absolutely. And yes—you may just lose a dress size in the process. Many patients are able to maintain the fat reduction achieved through liposuction over the long term. However, other factors—such as lifestyle, diet, and exercise—can affect the outcome. With proper attention to these considerations, there’s no reason not to expect a long-lasting result from a liposuction procedure.
You might also consider a non-invasive procedure, like Eugene coolsculpting, if you are hoping for a more subtle improvement to your silhouette. Liposuction and coolsculpting are very different procedures and we are happy to discuss which procedure is most likely to provide the results that are right for you.
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