Will I Lose Weight After Smart Lipo?
So you've been hitting the gym regularly, eating right, and you've even lost a few pounds. But you're struggling with some problem areas: places where stubborn pockets of fat simply won't go away. Smart Lipo, a minimally invasive treatment with a short recovery time, can resolve those trouble spots and help you achieve the body you've been working toward. It's one of the many cosmetic treatments offered by plastic surgeons around the country.
How Does Smart Lipo Work?
Smart Lipo, which is sometimes called laser lipo, is a gentler and less invasive version of traditional liposuction. This treatment eliminates fat, smooths and tightens skin in the treatment area, and in some cases, reduces the appearance of cellulite.
During treatment, a 1 mm tube known as a cannula is inserted through the skin and into the layers of fat. The tip of the tube is equipped with a fiber that emits laser light and a small amount of heat. As it is gently moved under the surface of the skin, the laser heat liquefies fat cells, making them easy to remove. The laser's heat also smooths and tightens the skin.
How Is It Different From Regular Liposuction?
Traditional liposuction and Smart Lipo both remove fat from the body, but they do it in different ways. Traditional liposuction relies on physical manipulation and the cannula to suction away the fat. With Smart Lipo, laser heat is used to melt the fat, making it easy to siphon off. Laser lipo is also distinctive for its skin tightening benefit, something traditional liposuction does not offer. And because the cannula used in laser lipo is much smaller than the ones used in traditional liposuction, laser lipo is also much less invasive and involves a shorter recovery time -- generally just a couple of days.
How Is It Different From Other Body Contouring Treatments?
Smart Lipo is part of a class of body contouring treatments that get rid of unwanted fat deposits using non-invasive or minimally invasive techniques. These treatments rely on suction, lasers, ultrasound, and more to zap fat. Unlike the other body contouring treatments, which melt, freeze, or otherwise manipulate fat in ways that cause it to gradually fade away, Smart Lipo removes a specific, measurable amount of fat from the body.
Will I Lose Weight After Smart Lipo?
Laser lipo should primarily be viewed as a body contouring treatment. It's ideal for targeting stubborn areas of flab -- like love handles, abdominal fat, and heavy thighs -- that haven't responded to diet and exercise. In fact, the patients who see the best results are usually those who are no more than 30 pounds overweight, who have maintained a stable weight for at least a year, and who are looking to 'tune up' problem spots.
Because the treatment does zap fat cells and remove them from the body, you likely will lose a little weight as a result. However, most patients don't lose a significant amount of weight after undergoing laser lipo. Patients whose primary goal is to shed weight are better served by trying traditional tacts like diet and exercise, and in some cases, bariatric surgery.
What laser lipo can do, however, is support your ongoing weight loss efforts. Once some frustrating problem areas on the body have been addressed with the help of laser lipo, some patients feel re-energized and better able to focus on their weight loss plan. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise and careful eating, can help preserve the results you achieve through laser lipo; and that same healthy lifestyle supports ongoing weight loss efforts.
While laser lipo may not significantly lower your weight, it can notably improve your physical appearance in other ways. By removing pockets of extra fat, it can make you look thinner, fitter, and more youthful. In some patients, it can also minimize the appearance of cellulite. This treatment can also be combined with other aesthetic treatments, such as facelifts. When combined with a tummy tuck, laser lipo can completely contour the waist and abdominal area.
In other words, laser lipo may not help you drop a large amount of weight, but it can resolve troublesome problem areas, improve your appearance, and help you feel good about your body.
Will This Treatment Tackle Cellulite?
In some patients, laser lipo can help minimize the appearance of cellulite by zapping fat and breaking down the fibrous bands under the skin that help cause this condition. However, this type of lipo is not a guaranteed cellulite treatment. Cellulite, which is more common in women than in men, can be tricky to treat because of its complexity.
A condition in which the skin becomes dimpled and lumpy in appearance, cellulite is caused by the fibrous bands that latch the skin to the muscles that lie beneath. As fat builds up beneath the skin and puts pressure on those fibrous bands, the skin begins to take on a puckered look.
Will Weight Loss Help My Cellulite?
Losing weight can often help improve the appearance of cellulite. Strength training and other body toning exercises can also help by firming up sagging skin. In addition to carrying excess weight, genetics, age, and a smoking habit are all factors that can contribute to the presence of cellulite. Cellulite has no long-term health ramifications, but many patients are embarrassed by the condition and wish to minimize it.
What Are the Advantages of This Type of Lipo?
Laser lipo offers a number of advantages, including the ability to treat just about every part of the body with minimal downtime.
Laser lipo can be performed on almost every part of the body, including the buttocks, abdomen, legs, arms, and neck. Because of the precision of the treatment and the small size of the cannula used, laser lipo is often used on smaller areas where traditional liposuction may prove cumbersome. In some cases, laser lipo has even been used on the face to sculpt the jawline or get rid of a second chin.
For most patients, one laser lipo treatment is all they need. The bulk of the fat cells are killed off and removed during the treatment, giving you some immediate results, and the rest of the treated fat will drain from the body naturally over the next six or eight weeks. Because this treatment permanently kills the fat cells in the treatment area, the results you get will last.
On average, laser lipo treatments take between 90 minutes and two hours. This is a minimally invasive treatment, and we place no limitations on your activities or schedule after your appointment. In fact, many patients opt to return to work right away. Particularly when compared to traditional liposuction, this is a convenient treatment option with minimal downtime.
Traditional liposuction can sometimes leave patients with sagging skin. The subtle heat associated with laser lipo, however, actually spurs collagen production, frequently leaving patients with firmer, smoother skin in the treatment area. This tightening effect can be particularly beneficial to older patients whose skin has started to lose elasticity.
Liposuction treatments are one of the most popular cosmetic treatments in the United States. The safety and effectiveness of these treatments is a big reason why they are so popular. Laser lipo received FDA approval in 2006. This treatment has been widely studied and is considered a safe and effective option. Most patients who have undergone this treatment are satisfied with their results and say they feel more youthful and more confident.
Laser lipo can be used on men and women with all skin tones and skin types. Ideal candidates are individuals who are in good health, who are looking for a moderate amount of fat reduction and body sculpting, and who are realistic about the outcome.
Laser lipo candidates should be in good health overall. This treatment is not recommended for patients who are pregnant or who have pacemakers. It also may not be as effective on individuals with thyroid problems or diabetes.
Ideal laser lipo patients are those who are looking for help addressing stubborn fatty areas that have resisted diet and exercise. They may also be looking for mild body contouring, such as a trimmer waistline or a thinner look.
As with any cosmetic treatment, it's important that patients be realistic about the outcome and emotionally stable enough to handle the subtle changes and improvements the body will undergo. Laser lipo won't make you look 21 again, but it will likely give you a slimmer silhouette while also getting rid of fatty problem areas.
What Happens During Treatment?
If you're interested in laser lipo, we'll start by scheduling a consultation, where we'll review your health history, your medications, and your treatment goals. We'll work with you to determine whether laser lipo is the best treatment option. The next step will be to schedule your treatment. All treatments take place in our state-of-the-art surgical suites. Most patients are sedated for the treatment, and the treatment area is numbed with a local anesthetic.
Your treatment will be overseen by Dr. John Ferguson. Dr. Ferguson a quintuple board-certified surgeon with years of experience in the field. Dr. Ferguson attended the University of Texas at Austin and earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.
What Are the Post-Treatment Instructions?
We give all patients compression garments to wear for the first 24 hours after treatment. We also encourage patients to exercise 24 to 48 hours after the treatment to ensure that fluids are flowing in the treatment areas. Otherwise, there are very few restrictions imposed after treatment.
Which Body Contouring Treatment Is Best for Me?
Laser lipo has gradually replaced traditional liposuction as the treatment of choice, in large part because it is minimally invasive and boasts a faster recovery time. However, the decision about which treatment to pursue is an individual one that is best made in conjunction with your health care provider who can assess your personal situation and come up with recommendations.
If diet and exercise alone aren't giving you the body contour you've been seeking, ask about Smart Lipo. There are a wide range of other cosmetic services and treatments, including chemical peels, Botox, eyelid surgery, and breast augmentation. These treatments give you natural results and minimize your downtime so you can get right back to your schedule.Â
