Many people want to have liposuction. There is a reason why it is the most popular surgical procedure in 2005 based on ASAPS(American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery). On the flip side many of the same people are concerned with the pain, risks and recovery times associated with a surgical cosmetic procedure like liposuction. This is where the quest for a liposuction alternative begins. Are there really alternatives to liposuction that are both effective and safe?

Liposuction has been used in the world of body contouring and shaping since the 70s. The liposuction procedures work to remove fats from areas that can include:

* Abdomen

* Thighs

* Knees

* Hips

* Buttocks

* Chin

Liposuction comes with the customary risks associated with surgery. Some are minor but some major risks exist particularly when anesthesia is involved. Recovery time is also a consideration depending on where you are having the fat removed and how much your are having done. These concerns drive the need for a valid liposuction alternative.

The most basic and common sense liposuction alternative revolves around changing your lifestyle to a more healthy one. Diet and exercise are a fundamental part of fat reduction. Some people have the discipline and the guidance that allow them to succeed in this area but others tend to go so far and reach a peak when it comes to fat reduction. People concerned with certain areas of the body like the abdomen or the chin may find that they can’t lose that last bit of fat no matter how hard they exercise and how well they eat.

For people who really wish to get rid of excess fats without surgery, you have several options to choose from. You need to be advised though that the results may not be as instant as liposuction. They do help you to reduce pain, risks, recovery time and costs.

Some Available Liposuction Alternatives

Depending on the area involved your liposuction alternatives may vary. Some liposuction alternatives that we have found are:

1. Thermage

2. Lipodissolve

3. Mesotherapy

4. Liposelection

Mesotherapy and Liposelection appear to be better for the bigger parts of the body. While Thermage and Lipodissolve seem to work better for the face, neck and chin.

Thermage is a liposuction alternative that uses heated lasers to tighten the patient’s skin on different areas of the body as well as the face. This procedure is considered a pain-free liposuction alternative and has been a common alternative for face lifts.

Lipodissolve is a procedure where fats are flushed out through the urine. The areas with unwanted fat are injected with medications and enzymes, which causes fat to dissolve and to be flushed out. Lipodissolve and mesotherapy are similar but lipodissolve is the liposuction alternative that is recommenced for removing excess fats on the face, especially the neck and chin areas.

If you need to work other areas aside from the face, neck and chin, another liposuction alternative called mesotherapy can be your best bet. This procedure has been used for many years to reduce cellulite. Similar to lipodissolve a patient is injected with a combination of substances. In this case medications, holistic compounds and amino acids are used.

Liposelection is the last liposuction alternative we will discuss. This treatment works by filling the fatty areas with saline solution to restrict the patient’s blood flow while breaking the fat tissues. Ultrasound energy is transmitted into the area for softening the fats and then taken out using suction and massage. In some ways this sounds like Ultrasound Assisted Liposuction but is said to be less painful.

These liposuction alternatives are not yet approved and you should know that the only proven method of removing fat cells is liposuction. However, these alternatives could work for patients who require small treatments. There are more options that are popping up every day but you need to consider their safety. We’ve also noticed a trend in trying to brand certain procedures even though they are very similar to each other. Research each liposuction alternative carefully.

By: Rebecca Knight

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Depending on whether you believe the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) or the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), liposuction is either the most popular or the second most popular form of plastic surgery, after ****** augmentation. What makes liposuction so popular? Liposuction is popular because it targets the fundamental elements of the aesthetic form of the body, making it both effective and universally applicable.



The Rare Human Body

The human body has a number of unusual features. Not only does it feature the commonly- praised large brain and the opposable thumb that are ostensibly responsible for our evolutionary rise from animals to civilized beings, but it has another less commonly praised anomalous structure: a layer of subcutaneous fat which is currently shared by only one other class of terrestrial mammals: pigs. This layer of fat, partly responsible for the wick effect that is behind so-called “Spontaneous Human Combustion,” is shared by many aquatic mammals (although in them it is called “blubber”), leading some evolutionary theorists to postulate for an aquatic phase in human evolution that would also account for the relative hairlessness of the human body.

However, despite the oft-touted affinity of the human baby for water, it is more likely that the subcutaneous layer of fat has another purpose in common with hairlessness: it is aesthetic in purpose. The subcutaneous layer of fat gives shape and softness to the human body, a cushion for the visible and tactile surface that makes humans attractive to one another. Because this subcutaneous layer of fat is specifically there to make us look good, liposuction, which targets this layer of fat, becomes a key element in what is known as body contouring, the shaping of the body. In liposuction, a narrow tube, or cannula, is inserted into the fat layer, then suction is used to remove fat through the tube.



Universal Applicability

Nearly every cosmetic surgical procedure that is performed today can be enhanced or accented with the use of liposuction. In the face, a facelift or necklift can either be enhanced or even replaced with a liposuction, which can provide proper definition for a neck area in which fat has accumulated, leading to a poor definition of the jawline and chin. The aesthetic effect of a ****** augmentation can be enhanced by the reduction of fat deposits in the abdominal area, and any tummy tuck procedure would most likely provide incomplete results without some measure of liposuction. Liposuction can be used on the arms, the legs, the upper and lower back, the flanks, virtually everywhere. The majority of cosmetic surgeons will not use it on a woman’s breasts, although they do use it for the reduction of swollen ******* (Gynecomastia) in men.



Diverse Techniques

Liposuction is also not a single, unified field of practice. There are many different forms of liposuction available, including:

· Traditional liposuction, which is performed as above

· Tumescent liposuction, in which the area to be treated is injected with a high amount of fluid intended to make the procedure more effective with less ancillary tissue damage

· Power-assisted liposuction, in which a moving gouge on the end of the cannula breaks up the fatty tissue, making the procedure faster

· Ultrasonic liposuction, in which ultrasound is used to cause the fat cells to burst, ideally removing fat preferentially without doing too much damage to surrounding tissues

· Laser-assisted liposuction, in which a laser is used to burst fat cells during suction

All these liposuction techniques are designed to perform some parts of the liposuction process better, whether the removal of fat, or the minimizing of damage to surrounding tissues, or the speed of the procedure. While all liposuction will lead to you experiencing some pain and needing downtime for recovery, the type of procedure and your doctor’s technique can make a big difference in the area. Before working with any plastic surgeon, talk to former patients about their experience in terms of not only the effectiveness of the procedure (which can be seen in before and after pictures), but also about the patients’ experiences with the doctor and with recovery.



By: Patricia Woloch

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