October 2023

Avoiding Trendy Lipo:
Why Elegant Lipo Is Better

Elegant Lipo

Basic Lipo Involves A Couple of Steps

• Adding wetting or tumescent solution to the fat, and
• suctioning out the fat with a cannula.

Modern Day Liposuction Technology

Technology innovators discovered that adding an energy source to lipo devices would serve lipo patients with additional benefits. Modern-day technologies include ultrasound and laser. Innovative liposuction devices like Slim Lipo, or Smart Lipo, and VASER® utilize these technologies to provide more cosmetically elegant results than traditional lipo devices.

Laser and Ultrasound-Assisted Liposculpting

VASER lipo is the most sought-after by body sculpting patients and is the most frequently used lipo device by board-certified plastic surgeons on the market today. The mode of operation is similar: tumescent fluid prepares the fat for smooth extraction while a smaller cannula is inserted to remove fat. The laser or ultrasound energy targets liquefy the fat cells, making for smoother and more even removal of fat.

The energy component also addresses what older lipo methods could not address quite so elegantly. Areas where fat is more fibrous or dense like the back fat and bra bulge area, and a man's chest are now able to be treated more thoroughly and evenly thanks to the energy component. The energy component is also enormously successful in revision lipo patients where either:

• The final result was uneven and lumpy,
• scar tissue formation was apparent, and/or
• not enough fat was removed to contour the area beautifully.
Tighter Skin with Newer Technology

Laser and ultrasound liposuction provide an additional benefit that its older counterparts do not: the benefit of skin retraction and contraction. The heat generated by the energy source stimulates collagen and elastin to create a firmer and more taut result once healed. And because there is more delicate movement and less force in extracting emulsified fat, swelling and bruising are also significantly less for liposuction patients.

Advanced Abdominal and Chest Etching

Etching refers to a common practice where liposuction is performed superficially to highlight the underlying muscles. In the abdomen, this is typically done to define the 6-pack muscles. The washboard look can be achieved by micro-sculpting vertical and horizontal lines in the superficial fat to outline and define a chiseled look for men and women.

Avoid over-etching

While many patients desire an over-the-top etched appearance, care should be taken as these changes might not age well. For example, vertical etching ages well while horizontal etching does not. Creating subtle highlights in the midline and sides creates an athletic abdomen. Horizontal etching over time will “accordion” or become mismatched to the underlying muscles. The horizontal lines will sag over time leaving them closer together like a collapsed ladder.

Don't Use Fat to Enhance Muscle

Some surgeons are taking an additional step by adding fat to muscles to make the muscles more evident. Again, this is likely a short-lived enhancement that does not age well. One of the fundamental principles of plastic surgery is to replace “like with like” and adding fat to enhance a muscle certainly won’t age well. Muscles are also encased in fibrous tissue making them susceptible to increased pressure. Injecting fat into muscles increases pressure in this closed space and likely damages the muscles long term.

Pay Attention To What Your Plastic Surgeon Is Saying

When evaluating liposuction technology make sure you understand what is being offered and the advantages of using that technology. You will likely pay more for the technology which may or may not be necessary or effective.

Would Your Future Self Thank You?

More importantly, take your long-term results into consideration when going into procedures like aggressive lipo body contouring. Most of my patients steer away from having surgeries that appear unnatural or violate normal anatomy.

In my opinion, the best liposuction result is natural and highlights your natural curves and assets. Good liposuction, and good plastic surgery for that matter, leaves no marks of having had any work done. You should look revitalized, fit, healthier, and refreshed. No extensive, visible scarring, no lumpiness or asymmetry.

Here Are A Few Rules of Liposuction That I Always Follow:

Less is more

Knowing when to stop is more important than pushing the envelope. There should always be a layer of fat below the skin so that the skin is not in direct contact with the underlying muscle. This prevents contour irregularity.

Use the smallest cannula possible to do the job. Large caliper cannulas take our fat rapidly and often leave unevenness. Smaller cannulas extract fat slowly leaving ample time for correction.

Safe And Long-lasting Results

If you've got questions about how to get beautiful and safe results, we welcome you to schedule your complimentary consult with Dr. Burns. Our team offers both in-office and virtual consults for women and men across Texas, the U.S., and the world.

READ THE BLOG

Optimize Your Liposuction Results

Before and After Liposuction by Dallas Plastic Surgeon, Dr. John Burns

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