Image Source: Pixabay
Plenty of people these days are concerned about their looks. This explains the current surge in cosmetic procedures, such as liposuction. Most of these unique procedures entail removal of fat pockets to enhance one’s appearance. Liposuction is a common cosmetic surgical procedure which involves removing fat from areas of the body. However, there are different names for liposuction procedures based on the techniques used. A common derivative of liposuction is liposculpture, but people sometimes use the terms Interchangeably.
What is liposculpture? This article highlights what it is, how it compares with liposuction, and things you should know about it.
Quick Navigation
10 Things You Should Know About Liposculpture
1. How It Relates To Traditional Lipo
4. How Much Fat Does “sculpturing” Remove?
What Is Liposculpture?
This is a surgical procedure that improves body contours through the removal of fat cells between the skin and the underlying muscles. The procedure mainly entails removing or leaving fat to “sculpt” specific body areas to create an appearance of muscle definition.
The procedure is in the same cosmetic family as liposuction, but is a more advanced surgical procedure. Surgeons offering this “sculpting” procedure perform body contouring to a greater extent by removing or reshaping fat deposits, which leads to a more defined look. Surgeons recommend this procedure for areas such as the chin, neck, and stomach.
Image Source: Pixabay
Liposculpture vs. Liposuction
https://youtube.com/watch?v=1I22WBBvwU8%3Frel%3D0%26modestbranding%3D0%26controls%3D1%26showinfo%3D1%26fs%3D1%26wmode%3Dtransparent
Liposuction is a surgical procedure for individuals who have tried dieting and exercise but have not achieved the results they want. Doctors recommend liposuction to achieve more aesthetically pleasing body contours. The most popular plastic surgery technique in the US, it is a safe and proven procedure that allows patients to improve their figures through precise targeting and removal of isolated fat deposits.
Doctors sometimes combine liposuction with other plastic surgery procedures, such as abdominoplasty and breast augmentation. Essentially, it is an ideal solution for those wanting to refine and rejuvenate their body contours.
Liposculpture is liposuction done to enhance muscles. It entails the removal of subcutaneous fat, which results in a more contoured appearance. It is an invasive procedure because it is surgical. Your surgeon makes an incision in the targeted area and then removes the excess fat beneath the skin. Both procedures involve a surgeon using a hollow metal tube called a cannula to suction fat deposits.
Liposculpture is a derivative of liposuction. Although they sound alike, there are important differences. Liposuction means removal of fatty cells from specific body areas, ridding the area of fat deposits. In contrast, “sculpturing” aims to remove fat to sculpt the body. An example of the procedure is the Vaser Hi Def procedure in which surgeons carve out and define the existing rectus abdominis muscle to reveal a “6 pack,” or washboard abs.
The difference between the two procedures is also the level of surgical involvement. Liposuction involves the use of a cannula. This is a metal rod with holes at the end, attached to a vacuum. It’s used to suction fat from deep areas of the body. Liposculpture is more involving. It involves a combination of procedures, including removal of fat and skin from different body areas, such as the tummy tuck, breast augmentation, breast reduction, and/or breast lift.
Regardless of the differences, whenever surgeons perform either of these procedures, the overall aesthetic outcome should be the doctor’s and the patient’s priority. Just taking out excess fat doesn’t equate to maximal aesthetic results.
10 Things You Should Know About Liposculpture
The popularity of plastic surgery procedures continues to increase. For instance, in 2017, there were approximately 17.5 million procedures performed, a 2% increase over the total number of procedures performed in 2016. Considering these statistics, liposuction represents close to a quarter million instances, a 5% increase over 2016. With the popularity of these procedures on the rise, we have compiled a list of 10 most vital things you should know about liposculpture.
1. How It Relates To Traditional Lipo
Image by Deepak Singh from Flickr
As stated previously, these procedures are similar with a few differences. They are similar in that both break down and remove fat in parts of the body that are stubborn and notoriously resistant to exercise and diet. These are not weight-loss procedures. Rather, each procedure is a way to remove fat pockets that don’t respond to other weight-loss methods.
3. Who Is the Best Candidate?
The “sculpturing” procedure is performed in common trouble areas, including:
- Back of neck
- Double chin
- Bottom of upper arms
- Outer thighs or saddlebags
- Female breasts
- Male breasts
- Bra strap area
- Muffin top
- Abdomen or belly pooch
- Love handles
Less common areas include upper back, inner thigh, and ankles. The optimal areas for each person differ and are unique. Consult an experienced and qualified plastic surgeon to determine areas of your body where sculpturing makes sense.
3. Who Is the Best Candidate?
Image from Pixabay
The best candidate for the procedure is a healthy individual at or close to his or her goal weight. You should also be a non-smoker. The ideal candidate should have stubborn subcutaneous fat residues between skin and muscles, and not visceral fat where the fat layer is beneath a muscle layer around abdominal organs. The surgeon will assess the condition of your skin before recommending the procedure. Patients with good skin elasticity are the best candidates as opposed to those with loose skin.
4. How Much Fat Does “sculpturing” Remove?
The procedure is not a weight-loss treatment. Rather, it is a fat reduction procedure. The amount of fat surgeons can remove from an area during a single procedure varies based on several factors. The surgeon will assess each patient’s health and aesthetic goals.
5. Where Does All the Fat Go?
In certain scenarios, your plastic surgeon may transplant fat removed from one body area to another, such as a buttock enhancer or face filler.
6. How Is It Performed?
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ufk4S4u5vhs%3Frel%3D0%26modestbranding%3D0%26controls%3D1%26showinfo%3D1%26fs%3D1%26wmode%3Dtransparent
The surgeon provides instructions days before the procedure, but it is vital you enlist a family member or a friend who can help drive you to and from the center and help in postsurgical care. You may need to pause medications, including blood thinners and aspirin before the procedure. Doctors conduct blood tests before the procedure to ensure the patient is a candidate for anesthesia. On the day of surgery, you should not take foods or drinks for at least 12 hours before the appointment.
7. Scarring Expectations
A cannula is inserted beneath the skin, which entails making incisions which will cause small scars. However, scarring will depend on the number of incisions made and on skin quality. You can discuss with your surgeon location and best ways to minimize scarring.
8. Recovery
In most instances, you will return to work in a few days and resume all day-to-day activities, including exercise, within 2-4 weeks. However, this depends on post-surgical care, which varies based on the area treated and the amount of fat removed. The surgeon provides recovery instructions, which you need to follow. You may feel discomfort, but it is only temporary. Healthy lifestyle choices, including hydration and rest, will hasten healing.
9. Potential Adverse Effects
Common postsurgical effects include tenderness, swelling, and bruising in the area of the procedure. The surgeon offers options for pain relief and a list of pain relievers to avoid. Your surgeon will inform you not to wear compression garments in treatment areas. You may also need to change activities for a few weeks to reduce potential stress on the treatment area.
10. Expected Results
Image from Pixabay
The surgeon will help you visualize realistic results. After surgery, you might experience swelling and a loose skin. This means it can take a few weeks or months to see the full extent of the results. While liposuction permanently eliminates fat cells, patients can still gain new fat cells. That means following a healthy diet and lifestyle and adding an exercise routine after treatment, can help prevent new fat gain.
Conclusion
Liposculpture improves body contours by removing fat cells between the skin and the underlying muscles to enhance the muscle definition. It is a derivative of liposuction. The difference is liposuction refers to the removal of fatty cells from specific body areas, which is like sucking out fat deposits, but liposculpture aims at removing excess fat in body areas to sculpt the body.
Candidates should be non-smokers, healthy, and close to achieving their aspired body weight. However, this is is not a weight-loss treatment procedure. Also, surgeons can transplant the fat that’s removed to other body parts. Scarring is possible too since the procedure requires incisions. Your surgeon should provide instructions days before the procedure. After the procedure, there will be a significant downtime and you will need a friend or family member for postsurgical care. You will resume all former activities within 2-4 weeks.
After the procedure, you might experience swelling and a loose skin, and it may take weeks or months to see the full extent of the results. You will need to adopt a healthy diet and lifestyle to eliminate chances of gaining weight.
We hope this article has adequately addressed what liposculpture is, how it compares with liposuction, and things you should know about it before undergoing the procedure.
Leave a Reply