People tend to carry fat in different areas of their body. While one person’s problem area might be the tummy, another person might carry extra fat on her thighs or hips. The good news is that there are many liposuction treatment areas.
If you’re carrying excess fat in one part or in several parts of your body and it doesn’t seem to go away with exercise and dietary changes, liposuction can be able to help. Learn more about the various liposuction treatment areas and what to expect from each.
Arms
As you get older, it’s fairly common for excess fat to build up in the upper arm area. Oftentimes, the fat is combined with loose skin, creating a flappy, batwing appearance. For patients with both extra fat and extra skin in the upper arm area, a procedure know as brachioplasty (or arm lift) might be ideal.
Brachioplasty removes the extra loose skin and extra fat from the upper arm. It also tends to leave a long scar down the back of the arm. If you don’t have a considerable amount of loose skin in your arms, liposuction can be a good alternative to the full arm lift. Since the incisions made during liposuction are very small, any scars will be barely noticeable.
You can also combine brachioplasty and liposuction to provide all over shaping and sculpting of the upper arm area. Your surgeon can help you decide whether lipo on its own or with an arm lift is the right option for you.
Chin
One of the first areas to show signs of aging is often the neck and chin area. The skin of the neck becomes loose and flabby. Fat deposits form under the chin, creating a double chin. Since a double chin is often caused by genes, not extra weight, even people who are otherwise very slim can have one.
A number of options are available for a patient who wants to remove fat from the chin and neck area. One of those options is neck liposuction, which is often performed with a neck lift. If the skin in the area is still very elastic and smooth, liposuction might be all that is needed.
Tummy
When people think of liposuction, one of the first areas they think of is the tummy or abdomen. That’s most likely because the tummy is one of the most popular liposuction treatment areas.
Many people store or carry extra fat around their abdominal area. The extra fat can be there even if a person is at an otherwise healthy weight. In some cases, women find that they have an extra layer of fat in the tummy area after pregnancy, even after they’ve gone back to their pre-baby weight.
The abdominal area is actually two separate areas. Depending on a patient’s needs, just one or both areas might be treated. The lower abdomen is beneath the belly button while the upper abdomen is between the belly button and rib cage.
Some patients might be better suited for a tummy tuck along with liposuction, rather than liposuction alone. A tummy tuck removes extra loose skin from the area, along with extra fat.
Thighs
Another popular spot for liposuction is the thigh area. Like the abdomen, the thigh area is actually several separate areas. You can have all areas treated with liposuction or just one, depending on your preference. Some patients want to have liposuction on the inner thighs because they do not want their thighs to touch when they are standing.
Patients who want liposuction on the outer thighs are often concerned about the appearance of “saddle bags,” or deposits of fat on the sides of the legs. Although liposuction can reduce or remove saddle bags, the surgery won’t completely remove curves from the leg.
Chest
Men suffering from gynecomastia, or male breasts, might be able to treat the issue with liposuction. Depending on the size and nature of the issue, liposuction might be enough to reduce the size of the breasts. If there is a considerable amount of breast tissue in the area, the surgeon will most likely also have to perform a male breast reduction procedure to remove the extra breast tissue.
Hips
Some people carry their extra weight and fat in the hip area. Liposuction of the hip area can only remove unwanted fat. It can also help make the body look curvier. For example, removing fat from the upper back area of the hips can make the buttocks look rounder and curvier.
Combining Liposuction Treatment Areas
While some people only have one area of concern, others might want to treat several areas with liposuction. The good news is that it’s possible to treat several areas during the same procedure.
Treating more than one area at once will make the surgery take longer. But combining procedures eliminates the need for an additional surgery. It also means a combined recovery period.
Whether you want a slimmer chin, a less prominent tummy or slender but still shapely thighs, liposuction can be the right option for you. To learn more about the surgery, schedule a consultation with Dr. Paul Vitenas, a board certified plastic surgeon in Houston, Texas. To make an appointment, call 281-484-0088 today.