If you are one of the millions of people who have inherited a genetic predisposition to fat accumulation in certain areas of the body, you’re probably aware that diet and exercise don’t often make much headway in reducing those problem spots. Many people who are very committed to keeping fit have spent years trying to exercise those areas away, finding themselves toned and trim everywhere except those hips inherited from Mom or that back or belly bulge passed down from Dad. If this sounds familiar, liposuction is an option that you may want to explore as a permanent solution to this very frustrating issue.
Given the well-proven connections between excess weight and a vast array of serious health risks, the most important goal of keeping fit and trim is, of course, good health. However, appearance is an important factor in our everyday lives as well, and for all the effort that goes into staying in shape, looking great is a well-earned reward. Unfortunately, genetics can trump diet and exercise when it comes to body shape and style, a factor that can make it very difficult for some of us to achieve the figure we’d like.
Inherited traits, like large thighs or hips, flabby upper arms or excess fat around the waistline, can be very resistant to diet and exercise, remaining disproportionately large no matter how slim and toned the rest of the body becomes. While our grandparents may have had no choice but to admit defeat in such situations, today we have liposuction, a cosmetic procedure that can safely and effectively sculpt those problem areas away.
Liposuction is a procedure that uses suction to remove fatty tissue from beneath the skin. Your plastic surgeon will make very small incisions in the skin to access the problem area, then a cannula will be inserted through those incisions, which is attached to a suction device, to remove unwanted fat. Since this process reduces the number of fat cells in a problem area, the enhanced contour and appearance that is achieved by the procedure is generally a permanent one.
This cosmetic procedure is best suited for people who are in good general health and maintain a stable body weight, fairly close to the ideal weight for their height. Among the most common problem areas to be addressed with this procedure are troublesome pockets of body fat in the hips, thighs, abdomen, chest or buttocks. Other areas often treated include the upper arms, neck, calves and ankles. Since most patients have more than one problem area they would like to have contoured and defined, liposuction is often performed in multiple areas during the same surgical session.