Cutting Edge liposuction techniques

What is the price of beauty? Apparently, it’s at least $50,000. Almost half of Americans, when asked, would gladly go under the knife just to change their appearances. Cosmetic surgery still has its pull on people, and the profits are more than enough proof. How much do they earn? Around $10 billion a year. Clearly, it’s still a thriving business. Liposuction has gone through many stages, from pain to painless fat removal, until the newest methods for this generation. With more options to choose from, people can now have the perfect body they want in a matter of hours.

Liposuction: a short history

When did man begin to change his appearance when he deemed it necessary? During the 1960’s curettage was being offered by European doctors, but were not popularized as it was morbid and caused excessive pain and bleeding. The birth of modern liposuction was in 1982, as introduced by a French doctor who used a suction-assisted lipolysis. Since then, Americans have seen the fast changes of bodies and faces.

From its painful origins of curettage to the modern laser techniques of today, liposuction, or lipo for short, has evolved into more expensive but less painful sessions that yield more beautiful results. A decade ago, skin firming and skin tightening techniques were not employed, and  brute force and scalpels were used. But now, most liposuction procedures use lasers, and also skin tightening techniques so the patient will have a slimmer body with little or no loose skin. The old methods may have been cheaper, but these new ones guarantee quick recovery and minimal bruising. Some of the newest and cutting edge lipo techniques are as follows:

Smart Lipo or Laser Lipo

In this surgery, a surgeon will direct a laser to vaporize fat cells then extract them from the body using a small suction tube or cannula. The lasers, because of their heat, also seal off blood vessels under the skin to encourage collagen growth, which makes the skin tight and firm. This method is the oldest among those stated here, although it still is better than the method decades ago which used scalpels to literally scrape off the fat. Compared to the knife, lasers take minimal time in procedure, and normal activity can be resumed with only days after the surgery. The only catch is the pain, because it’s an “awake” procedure, and often it turns out having uneven results.

Cool Lipo surgery

Cool Lipo surgery stimulates the formation of new collagen for the skin, but at the same time it removes unwanted fat from a small area of the body. The surgeons for this procedure would grant anesthesia to the patient, and then inserts a laser to dissolve fat cells and encourage collagen growth. This procedure is relatively new and is not practiced at many centers, but it’s considered less invasive than a face-lift.

Lipolysis

In this procedure, medicine is injected deep in the pockets of fat tissue under the skin to dissolve unwanted fat. It works well with exercise and a healthy diet, and is actually the least expensive on this list. The results, however, are not immediate, and could take about a quarter of a year to 6 months before the patients see results. Nevertheless, it’s considered the “healthiest” and least invasive of all lipo procedures. The problem with lipolysis is a few small lumps often appear in the area where the medicine is injected, as fats are being dissolved.

Body Jet Lipo

Another relatively new surgery, body-jet technique is water-assisted. Meaning, during the procedure, a gentle, pulsating spray of water loosens the fat in the body, and then these are suctioned out. Its basic difference is that there is no lasers or medicine involved or injected – just plain and simple water is used to dislodge the fat, which effectively minimizes side-effects. It has reduced bruising, shorter recovery time, a quicker procedure, and a more precise operation.

With more advancements in technology, we can expect more advancements in cosmetic surgery as well. More procedures can be discovered that have minimal side effects, and have better results. Although, many doctors would advise people not to rely on liposuction alone. Exercise and a healthy diet are still the best ways to maintain a great-looking and healthy body.

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