How To Choose Between Liposuction And Noninvasive Fat Reduction Procedures

Areas of unwanted, diet- and exercise-resistant fat are a common concern for many cosmetic surgery patients. Whether it comes in the form of a persistent stomach “pooch” after pregnancy, areas of fat around the thighs that won’t budge, or bulges along the flanks and back, localized fat can be difficult to get rid of permanently. 

Liposuction has been one of the most popular and top performed cosmetic procedures for many years, with good reason. This surgical procedure safely, effectively, and permanently reduces fat and refines the body contour.

In recent years, nonsurgical or minimally invasive alternatives to liposuction have been gaining popularity. These body contouring treatments typically do not require an incision or anesthesia, and they often come with less downtime.

We all have our share of them those spots on our bodies where fat loves to hang out. For some, it might be areas in the lower body with lovely nicknames like “bubble butt,” “thunder thighs,” “cankles,” “saddlebags,” “love handles” or “FUPA” (you’ll have to look that one up). Then there’s that fat which accumulates in areas above the belly, known affectionately as “bat wings” or “turkey neck.

Not. Funny.

Despite eating proportionally fewer calories than our male counterparts, it’s a fact that women store fat more efficiently than do men. It’s quite the paradox: Despite burning off more fat than men during exercise, women have more body fat than men—6 percent to 11 percent more.

Yay, us!

One likely culprit: estrogen, finds a study from the University of New South Wales. The likely reason is to prime women for childbearing, the review suggests.” (Another thing you can say to your child the next time you want to lay on some good old mommy-guilt.)

In a perfect world, we’d go to the gym, do some targeted work aimed at blasting those bulges away and whittle away all the extra fat on our (choose your dream) abs, thighs, butts, triceps, chins. But contrary to common belief, you cannot spot reduce. While fats do get broken down during exercise, those fats get broken down throughout the body not just in the spot you wish for.

But and here’s a bit of encouraging news usually the spot where you gain weight first will be the same spot where you’ll lose it first.

Every little bit helps, no?

What all of this means is that sometimes exercise is not enough; you might want a little extra assistance.

There are surgical ways, but those require things like anesthesia, sutures, bruising, healing and risk of infection, as most surgeries do.

What if you want to reduce your fat, but don’t want surgery? You’re not alone: Nonsurgical fat-reduction procedures rate among the fastest-growing categories in the aesthetics market. There’s been a 42 percent increase in procedures performed between 2013 and 2014, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. There are things like liposuction(which, like it sounds, suctions excess fat from under the skin) and CoolSculpting (a technique that freezes the fat away). Read More....