What to Know about Liposuction

No matter how much you change your eating habits or exercise, there may still be layers of stubborn fat that refuse to melt away. Here at Alouf Aesthetics, we want to help you meet your weight-loss and lifestyle goals. Liposuction is one of the many services we offer at our cosmetic surgery practice. We’d like to break down this surgical procedure so you know how it can help and what you should expect.

What is Liposuction?

Liposuction is one of the most common procedures we perform at Alouf Aesthetics and is often combined with other procedures, such as a tummy tuck or fat transfer. During liposuction, a suction technique is used to break up and remove fat from specific areas of the body.

Liposuction isn’t an alternative to pursuing a healthy lifestyle of diet and exercise. Although liposuction can remove large or small areas of fat accumulation, it will not prevent you from gaining weight.  

The best way to view the benefits of liposuction is to think of body sculpting. For instance, a person may be the ideal body weight but still have abnormally large “love handles” or flanks that are out of proportion to the rest of their body. Liposuction can completely remove the excess fat in these areas, and create more of a balance with the other body parts. Liposuction is sculpting work. In the right hands, liposuction can create definition, balance, and an elegant shape.  

Are You a Candidate?

First, it’s best to establish whether liposuction is right for you. There are a few specific candidates for the procedure:

• Those who desire to reduce the amount of fat in specific areas of their body or want to contour their body in specific areas
• Those with the proper skin elasticity and skin tone
• Those with a Body Mass Index of 35 or less
• Those who are generally healthy and do not smoke

Whether or not you fall into one of these categories, the best way to know whether you’re a candidate for any liposuction procedure is to schedule a consultation with our office. Dr. Gregory Alouf will talk to you about your goals and help you decide what course of action is best.

What Are the Risks?

Liposuction is a minimally invasive procedure that’s often completed in just one session. Most of the risks of liposuction are related to technique and experience. Uneven fat removal, for example, can cause lumpiness and other contour imperfections. Patients will experience some inflammation, swelling, numbness and bruising after liposuction. With proper aftercare, these effects can be fully under control in about six weeks.

There is a chance you could experience changes in sensation or skin color, and some patients develop fluid pockets under the skin. These side effects aren’t common, but if you suspect anything at all during your recovery, call our office immediately.

To avoid complications, Dr. Alouf will do a full review of your medical history to ensure you are healthy enough for the procedure.

What Should You Expect on the Day of Your Surgery?

The actual procedure takes anywhere from one to two hours, depending on the area of the body we’re working on. Because anesthesia is involved, either local or general, we encourage you to find someone to drive you to and from our facility.

What Is the Recovery Process Like?

You can count on feeling sore for the first few days after the procedure. Additionally, it’s best that you plan on taking anywhere from three to seven days off work. To boost your recovery and results, we may recommend that you wear a compression garment for four to six weeks. Should you experience pain while recovering, you can take either pain medication prescribed by a doctor or over-the-counter medication, depending on your overall pain tolerance.

Ready To Learn More?

If you’d like to know more about cosmetic surgery, answers are just a phone call (540-375-9070) or contact form away. Reach out to us with any questions you have. Also, please follow Dr. Alouf on his Instagram and Snapchat accounts to see live surgical feeds of this surgery and a large photo library of his before and after photos. Dr. Greg’s code is @realdrgreg.