LIPOSUCTION ALTERNATIVES

Exercise Tips That Keep off Excess Fat after Liposuction

Are you aware that if you are not careful, you may gain excess fat even after liposuction? If you do not exercise, fat may come back even if you have already undergone liposuction.

A new study has suggested that people who had liposuction are three times more likely to gain weight if they do not eat a healthy diet and if they do not have regular exercise. However, those who have regular exercise are more likely to lose weight after liposuction. Liposuction should not be a quick fix for weight loss. This procedure should be coupled with proper diet and exercise to have more long-lasting results.

The study mentioned earlier evaluated over 209 people who underwent liposuction between the years 1999 to 2003. These people were studied based on their lifestyle habits, the areas of liposuction and their satisfaction with the procedure. The results showed that about 43% of people have gained weight since they had liposuction, at an average of five to 10 pounds. Among those who had weight gain, about 10% have increased their exercise levels and about 22% have improved their diet. Among the 57% who did not gain weight, about 35% said they had exercised more and about 50% were eating a healthier diet. In general, about 80% were satisfied with the liposuction results. This study only showed that to lose weight after liposuction, one must exercise regularly.

So what types of exercises are the best in keeping off excess fat after liposuction? So far, the best exercises to burn fat and keep it off are cardio exercises. Cardio exercises are exercises that raise the heart rate to levels that can energize you. Cardio exercises are beneficial after liposuction because they can help you burn more calories and help you lose weight. They can also increase your lung capacity and help reduce your risk of high cholesterol, heart attack, high blood pressure and diabetes. Cardio exercises can also keep your heart strong and can help you feel good and sleep better.

So, what types of cardio exercises are the best for you? You should first think about the activities that you would like to do. Find out what type of activities are accessible to you, what fits your personality and what type of activities you are comfortable doing. If you are an outgoing person, the best choices would be hiking, cycling, running, and walking. If you like the gym, you may try exercising in stationary bikes, elliptical trainers, treadmills, rowing machines and stair masters.

If you like to work out at home, it’s possible. You can turn on exercise videos and make use of what you have at home to work out. Whatever your activity is, justmake sure that you reach your target heart rate and that you enjoy the said activity.

After you have chosen what to do, you should start with about 10 to 20 minutes of exercise and gradually increase the time of your work out according to your tolerance. You can work out for up to 30 minutes. Be flexible. You can split out your workouts into smaller workouts all throughout the day. You can also take some time out from work just to climb stairs or walk fast. You should also find time to have your workout each week. Make exercise a priority if you do not want to gain excess fat after liposuction surgery. You can schedule your workouts and stick to your appointments at the gym.

The frequency of your workout will depend on your fitness level and your schedule. If you are a beginner, you can start with 3 days of cardio and make your sessions more frequent. Aim for exercising at about 2 to 4 days a week for at least 20 minutes. To lose weight, you should aim to exercise for at least 30 minutes for about 4 or more days a week. If you are training for a sports event, you should be exercising more.

Once you have gotten used to exercising for about 30 minutes continuously, you can start working on the intensity of your cardio exercise. The intensity of your work out will depend on how much calories you want to burn and your tolerance to exercise. You can choose between moderate intensity and high-intensity cardio exercise to help you burn more calories.

So what types of cardio exercises should you engage in to help you burn fat after liposuction? Here are some examples:

Running

Running can be a great way to help eliminate excess fat after liposuction. This exercise does not need special equipment. You can also do it anytime and anywhere. Running is also high impact exercise that helps build strong muscles and bones.

Cross-Country Skiing

This type of exercise can burn maximum calories because it involves working out the upper and lower body. However, this can only be done when there is snow. However, the movements of this exercise may be mimicked using a cross trainer at the gym.

Bicycling

Bicycling is an excellent cardio workout because it can increase your endurance and burn lots of calories. It all depends on how fast you go and how high your resistance is. You can incorporate this activity into your daily life.

Elliptical Trainer

This is a popular cardio machine on the gym because it allows your body to move in a natural way. It builds up endurance through gradually increasing resistance.

Swimming

Swimming is another way to lose fat because it is a full body exercise. Swimming for 30 minutes can actually burn almost 400 calories.

Step Aerobics

Step aerobics can offer intensity and can increase your energy levels. It can also effectively burn calories and can target flabs in your legs, butt and hips.

How to Stop Fat from Returning After Liposuction

If you think liposuction will make you lose fat forever, you’re wrong. A recent study shows that if you are not too careful, fat will come back one year after liposuction.

This recent study, published in the July 2011 issue of Obesity, did a prospective, randomized-controlled trial of suction liposuction in non-obese women to determine if fat will come back and redistribute itself after the procedure. Researchers from the Division of Endocrinology of the University of Colorado Denver evaluated 32 women with an average body mass index (BMI) of 22 to 27. Of the 32 women, 14 were assigned to get liposuction. During the liposuction procedure, doctors removed up to 5 liters of fat from these women in the hips, thighs, and lower abdominal areas. After six months, there was indeed fat loss; however after a year, fat came back redistributed from the thigh to the abdomen. The researchers also noted that the type of fat which came back is not just the subcutaneous type of fat but fat which is deep and visceral, the type which is linked to heart disease risk.

Thus, we can conclude that if we do not take care of ourselves after a liposuction procedure, fat will certainly come back.

So how can we ensure that fat will not come back? We can only do this by following certain diet and lifestyle changes. If you are interested, here are some tips on how to stop fat from coming back after a liposuction procedure.

Change the Way You Eat

If you are not eating breakfast before you underwent liposuction, you better eat breakfast regularly after the procedure. There are many studies which show that eating breakfast within one hour after waking up can keep your insulin and LDL (bad) levels within normal limits. You should also try to eat your breakfast during the same time each day. The tip is to eat as soon as you wake up in the morning.

You should also include high-fiber and high-protein foods in your breakfast. These foods take longer to process than refined and complex sugars so that you will not feel hungry all throughout the day. Eggs, peanut butter, vegetables and fresh fruits are good choices. Avoid foods such as waffles, sweet cereals, pancakes, French toast, pastries, and sweet bread because they will make your blood sugar levels spike up.

You also have to reduce your calorie consumption if you are overweight. You can burn off excess calories in exercise or eat fewer calories. It is said that you will lose one pound of fat if you eat 3700 calories lesser than what you eat now. If you are overweight, you should aim to lose about two pounds per week. Losing more than two pounds per week may bring harm to you. Avoid crash dieting because it will ruin your health.

If you can’t keep track of how much food you are eating, you should consider making a food diary. A food diary encourages you to write down everything that you have taken every week and analyze the results. There are many online food diaries available. There are also many calorie calculators online that you can use to determine how much calories you are taking every day.

The foods that you eat should be rich in fiber. The tip is to add fiber to your diet slowly and choose soluble fiber. Soluble fiber can lower your insulin levels and can speed up burning of belly fat. Examples of foods that contain soluble fiber include apples, cherries and oats. Gradual addition of soluble fiber in the diet allows ample time for bacteria in your gut to adapt to it and digest it.

Sometimes it may be a healthy choice if you eat edible skin of fruits along with their contents. Fiber is mostly concentrated on the skin of fruits. Do not peel apples or similar fruits. In the case of potatoes, you may leave some edible skin on while you mash or boil them.

Include healthy foods in your diet such as split peas and whole grains. Split peas are rich in protein while whole grains encourage the burning of visceral fat which is responsible for heart disease. You can choose to eat brown wheat bread and brown rice over processed white bread or white rice.

Quit eating junk food and processed food. These can spike up your blood sugar levels and make you fatter than you think you would after liposuction. Also, don’t forget to drink 8 to 12 glasses of water per day!

Change the Way You Live

If sedentary has been your word ever since, then change your ways! Being sedentary makes you at risk of deadly diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and stroke!

You can actually exercise in small bursts. Alternating short bursts of energy with resting periods in between are efficient in improving muscle mass and building more endurance. One exercise you can try is sprinting in which you run as fast as you can for 20 seconds and slow to a walk and repeat every 10 minutes. Or, you can incorporate exercise in your daily routines such as walking instead of driving and standing up and walking for 30 steps every 30 minutes. Treadmills, stationary bikes, jogging or sports are also alternatives. Crunches and sit-ups are not that good in burning belly fat and may actually make your abs look thicker.

Relax

If you think that relaxing does not help in making you shed those unwanted pounds, they actually do! Research shows that the secretion of cortisol during times of stress increases belly fat. Stress can be in the form of not getting enough sleep, working for too long and worrying about problems. You should aim to get sleep for 6 to 8 hours every night for your body to burn fat as it should.

Proper Body Care After Liposuction

We should be taking care of our bodies even in the slightest way. The earlier we take care of our bodies, the longer we live. However, no matter how we diet and exercise, we can still get stubborn fat. Stubborn fat is fat which may persist despite diet and exercise programs. This type of fat develops because of bad genes and hormonal causes. Stubborn fat has more alpha receptors than beta receptors, making it more resistant to diet and exercise. Fat which contains more alpha receptors cannot be taken away by mere diet and exercise alone. The only way to remove resistant fat is to remove fat cells which are stored in the subcutaneous layer of the skin. One of these methods is liposuction.

Liposuction has various health benefits. First, liposuction can improve our health by lowering elevated blood pressure levels and preventing fat-related diseases such as cancer, obstructive sleep apnea, atherosclerosis, heart disease, stroke and arthritis. Liposuction can also boost self-esteem and can shape unwanted curves.

The most common fat removal technique is tumescent liposuction. Tumescent liposuction is done using very dilute lidocaine and epinephrine to shrink the blood vessels. These drugs are then injected into the skin’s subcutaneous fat so that the area will be swollen and firm. The cannula is then applied which then sucks away fat. After the procedure, there may be minimal swelling or bruising on the site and minimal pain. After a short period of time, a patient can resume work.

If you have just undergone liposuction, you may ask: how should you take care of our body? Here are some tips:

Care after Liposuction

After the procedure, expect that there would be bloody fluid that would be drained on your clothes and your sheets for the first 24 to 72 hours after liposuction. This fluid is the same fluid which was administered to you during liposuction (tumescent fluid) to make fat removal and suctioning easier. Just let the fluid drain and keep the site clean.

After liposuction, you may also experience mild bruising especially at the site. You need not panic because this bruising will usually disappear in about 20 to 21 days (three weeks). There may also be swelling on the site. If you think that swelling will be the final body contour results, it’s not. Swelling is normal after the procedure and will subside for some time. Final body contour can be observed at around three to four months.

As to the dressings, their removal will depend on your surgeon’s decision. If your doctor will allow it, you can remove the outer dressings from the site in about 24 to 72 hours after the procedure. The incisions may be open or your doctor may decide to apply stiches on them. In some cases, there would be sterile strips or tapes which will be left in place over the incisions for quite some time. Sterile strips may be left alone because they may fall off on their own or they may also be removed by your doctor during follow-ups.

Your doctor may also allow you to shower or take a bath about 24 hours after the procedure. During shower, you should only run soap and water over the areas and avoid scrubbing. After taking a shower, you may dry the area gently with a clean towel. Do not use non-running water in the site within 2 weeks after the procedure. Non-running water may be in the form of baths, swimming pools, hot tubs, lakes, etc.

You should also monitor the incision site for signs of infection such as redness, swelling, pus drainage, warmth, pain and foul odor. You may also have fever during an infection. If infection occurs, see your doctor because appropriate antibiotics may be prescribed for you.

Your doctor may also advise you to wear a compression garment at all times. You should do so, and only remove the compression garment when you shower. These compression garments are said to decrease swelling on the site and speed up your recovery. Your doctor will determine when you could stop wearing the compression garment. The compression garment is usually worn for 6 to 8 weeks and may also depend on your doctor’s decision.

Physical Activity

You can begin walking on the night after the surgery. Walk short distances first, such as going to the bathroom, going to the sink etc. Your exercise or walking program needs to be approved by your surgeon and should start during the day right after the surgery. Your doctor will tell you when you should start strenuous exercise.

During the course of recovery, you should wear clothing and use sheets which will be okay for you to get stained. When there is no longer drainage, you can wear any clothing you want, except tight or rubberized clothes that will not allow your skin to “breathe”.

As for when you can return to work, this would depend on the demands of your job. If you usually do office work or light activities, you can go back to work within 7 to 10 days. However, if you are an athlete or someone whose job entails moderately strenuous to heavy work every day, you should ask your surgeon about this. You can resume doing household chores within one week.

Pain

Take only pain medications which your doctor will prescribe to you. Avoid taking medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen and similar drugs within one to two weeks because these drugs can increase bruising and drainage. Always ask your doctor first on what pain medication to use.

Avoid using hot or cold compresses over the site because it can result to burns or frostbite. Remember that the liposuction site gets numb after the procedure and you cannot feel direct heat or cold on the site. Loss of sensation cannot make you withdraw from hot or cold stimuli, so you will get burns without even feeling them.

Life Changing Benefits of Liposuction

If you think that liposuction cannot improve your way of living, you may be wrong. Liposuction has a lot of benefits which you should know about. This fat-removal technique removes fat from certain areas of the body using a suction inserted through tiny holes made in the skin. Fat goes out of these tubes from specific areas of fat deposits. All throughout the years, this technique has evolved into an easy-to-perform procedure which is safer, less painful and easier. Thus, a lot of people are into trying liposuction nowadays.

Liposuction is often done to reshape one or more areas of the body. This is not a procedure done for weight loss. Instead, this procedure targets stubborn fat which has not responded to diet and exercise. Examples of parts of the body where stubborn fat may be found include outer thighs, hips, waist, back, face, neck, abdomen, buttocks, legs and upper arms.

Liposuction may also be done to treat medical conditions such as benign fatty tumors or lipomas. It can also treat abnormal enlargement of the male breasts, as what is found in gynecomastia or pseudogynecomastia. It may also be the right procedure for dealing with problems with fat metabolism or lipodystrophy, or with excessive sweating in the armpit area or axillary hyperhidrosis.

If you are not yet aware of how liposuction may affect your life, read on so that you may be informed. The benefits of liposuction include the safe removal of fat, the reduction of cellulite, improved health, improved self-esteem and shaping of the body.

Safe Removal of Fat

Generally, liposuction is a safe procedure. However, there are a few issues concerning this. First, the health status of the patient should be known to the doctor before liposuction. Liposuction is generally a surgical procedure for healthy patients weighing within 40% of their ideal body weight. If the patient is too fat or obese, this procedure is not recommended. In general, liposuction is not a strategy for weight loss but only for body reshaping. This procedure should also not be done in patients with symptomatic heart or lung diseases.

Another thing we have to consider is the doctor performing the procedure. The doctor doing such procedure should be a surgeon trained and experienced in all aspects of liposuction. He or she should be board certified to do such procedure to show that he or she is capable of doing liposuction in a safe way.

The third factor which governs the safety of liposuction is anesthesia. All patients undergoing liposuction should be monitored very well by the anesthesiologist no matter what type of anesthesia is used.

Also, the facility where the liposuction is to be held should be taken into consideration. Liposuction should be done on an accredited surgical center or a hospital. The standards of that center or hospital should be of high quality. If strict asepsis is done, liposuction is sure to be done safely without risks.

Cellulite Removal

In some ways, liposuction can reduce cellulite. Cellulite is the dimpling of skin due to fat deposits under the skin’s surface. Cellulite removal has many benefits. First, when cellulite is removed, there will be increased blood flow to the skin to bring oxygen and nutrients. As a result, the skin is nourished well and waste materials are then removed from the skin.

Another benefit of removing cellulite is the reduction of skin dimpling and uneven appearance of the skin. Also, the skin becomes softer and smoother.

Improved Health

With liposuction, wherein there is removal of excess fat, there are a lot of health benefits that can keep us away from chronic illnesses. Research shows that removal of excess fat can control blood sugar in Type 2 diabetics better. Fat loss can also lower elevated blood pressure levels and can prevent fat-related diseases such as cancer, obstructive sleep apnea, atherosclerosis, heart disease, stroke and arthritis.

Boosts in Self-esteem

Improved appearance can surely lead to a higher self-esteem. People with high self-esteem know themselves very well, are more confident and are more goal-oriented. With a high self-esteem, you can be resilient to present problems, not easily giving up to defeat or depression. You can be more creative and ambitious and you become more willing to start new relationships. Confident people attract a lot of opportunities and a lot of confident people. As a result, you end up successful in life later on.

Shaping of Unwanted Curves

Liposuction is the right procedure if you want to reshape your curves which contain unwanted fats. This procedure can get rid of resistant fat. Resistant fat is fat which persists despite diet and exercise programs. It develops because of genes and hormonal causes.

Fat cells in the body have two types of receptors: the alpha receptors and the beta receptors. Alpha receptors are the ones involved in maintaining fat cells while beta receptors are the ones involving fat breakdown so that we can utilize fat as fuel for energy. Resistant fat has more alpha receptors than beta receptors, making it more resistant to diet and exercise. In women, fat cells in the middle portion of the body contain estrogen receptors that distribute fat to other parts of the body during pregnancy; the problem comes when fat with estrogen receptors build up in the middle portion of the woman’s body and is totally unrelated to pregnancy. The only way to remove resistant fat is to remove fat cells which are stored in the subcutaneous layer of the skin. One of these methods is liposuction. Once fat is removed, there is better skin contour.

Well then you are now aware of the various benefits of liposuction. The next step is to go to your doctor for you to check whether liposuction is indeed for you.

Myths and Facts about Liposuction

If there is a certain pill for making people beautiful in just a few seconds, perhaps everybody would pay millions just to have that pill. Yes, almost all of us want to look good because looking good opens a lot of opportunities.

While there is no magic pill for instant beauty, there are a lot of procedures that can enhance both face and body aesthetics. One of these procedures is liposuction. Liposuction is a popular cosmetic procedure which removes fat from certain areas of the body. Progressing from cutting fat using scalpels to suctioning fat using a cannula, liposuction is now the procedure of choice in removing resistant fat.

Since liposuction is a popular procedure, there are a lot of facts and myths surrounding it. Maybe you have heard people say comments such as “liposuction can make you lose weight”, or that “liposuction is a risky procedure.” But is there truth to these statements? Let us discuss some of the most common myths about liposuction and discover the truth in them.

Myth Number 1: Liposuction is a Risky Procedure

Perhaps you have heard people say that liposuction is a risky procedure which can make you lose too much blood or cause organ failure. The truth is that most liposuction procedures nowadays use local anesthesia rather than general anesthesia. Liposuction is generally considered a safe procedure.

To give you an idea of how safe liposuction is, here is what happens during a liposuction procedure. One of the commonly used fat removal techniques is tumescent liposuction. Tumescent liposuction is the removal of fat using local anesthesia in the form of very dilute lidocaine and epinephrine to shrink the blood vessels.

These substances are injected into subcutaneous fat to make the area become swollen and firm. This results to greater room in applying a cannula so that tissues surrounding fat cells are less affected. Aside from this, the tumescent fluids being injected in tumescent liposuction helps prepare the area being treated and pumps the area between the muscles and the fat cells so that the cannula that sucks away fat can move easily.

Tumescent fluids also hasten recovery and bring about fewer traumas to the tissues surrounding the fat cells which are removed. With liposuction procedures such as these, liposuction mainly involves subcutaneous tissues and does not traverse to internal organs, thus it is considered a low risk procedure.

Tumescent liposuction has its own benefits. First, through the tumescent approach, it is easy to remove fat. Secondly, this technique bypasses the need for general anesthesia and post-operative support. Recovery time with the tumescent technique is also quicker and recovery time ranges from just two to seven days, after which the person can resume this or her normal activities. That is how safe and how quick liposuction is.

Myth Number 2: Liposuction is Only for Women

If you think that liposuction is only for women, you may be wrong. Although women are said to have more subcutaneous fat tissue than men, men need to lose excess fat because of health reasons. Men are considered at high risk for cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. Also, top killers in men include diseases such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes. All these are medical conditions which result from excess fat in the body. Men also need removal of excess fat and shaping of body contours.

Myth Number 3: Liposuction is Only for Fat People but Not for Slim People

Liposuction can be beneficial for both fat and slim persons. In fat people, liposuction removes excess fat from the body. In slim people, liposuction is able to trim down heavy thighs which may not be good to look at with a narrow waist. Liposuction can improve body contours more effectively than diet and exercise alone.

Liposuction improves body contours. In the case of laser liposuction, thermal energy from lasers breaks down fat cells with a probe before fat is removed from the body. Thermal energy softens fat inside fat cells. This energy is specific only for fat cells and does not affect other adjacent cells so that there is minimal injury to the surrounding tissues. Laser liposuction is said to cause lesser damage to the surrounding tissues and muscles because the laser targets fat cells specifically. It also can become more specific on how much fat a surgeon should be removing and on how the cavity or the body should be shaped after treatment.

Myth Number 4: Liposuction Treats Obesity

Liposuction is only a cosmetic procedure which removes excess fat from a specific area in the body. This procedure is not used to remove excess weight or excess fat in all areas of the body. Liposuction only allows the removal of fat equaling to 8% of total body weight for safety. Also, liposuction is also intended for those people with good muscle tone, good skin texture and adequate fat under the skin. Excessive fat inside the abdomen is not suitable for liposuction. This is why liposuction may not be able to treat generalized fat or obesity.

Myth Number 5: Liposuction Only Has Cosmetic Benefits

If you think that liposuction only makes you look good but does not offer enough health benefits for you, you may be wrong. Liposuction may remove excess abdominal fat. Excess abdominal fat is a high risk factor for heart-disease and stroke. Removal of excess fat in certain areas can decrease blood cholesterol levels and can also improve your mental health by boosting your self-esteem. You not only look good but you also feel good.

So, are you ready for liposuction?

Five Common Liposuction Procedures Explained

Liposuction remains to be the treatment of choice for people searching for the quickest method of loosing excess fat deposits. After all, who wouldn’t want a visibly slimmer figure just after a few hours of treatment? Liposuction has become such a common treatment that is widely being practiced in many health centers across the world. Years of practice has helped make liposuction surgery one of the safest and most effective surgical treatments being applied today.

Advancements in medical science have also brought new techniques in helping people get rid of cellulite buildup. These use cutting edge medical technology that reduces or eliminates the use of invasive procedures done in surgical liposuction.

Cutting down or eliminating unhealthy fat deposits greatly reduces your risk for lifestyle related diseases. This makes liposuction and other fat reducing techniques a must do for those who are at risk. If you’re planning to slim down and get a fat free body, below are the five common liposuction procedures explained:

Traditional Liposuction

Traditional liposuction is a fat loss treatment that uses surgical procedures to remove cellulite deposits. A cannula is used to remove fat from target areas instantly reducing cellulite content. A small incision is introduced into the problem area and fat is sucked out. It is considered safe by medical standards and does not pose any serious health risks if done properly. People who undergo liposuction require little recovery time and could resume normal daily activities within days or weeks.

Tumescent Liposuction

Tumescent liposuction is another modern weight loss treatment that uses breakthrough procedures to introduce fat removal. Medication is introduced into the target area that makes cellulite firm. This firmness makes cellulite removal much easier to suck out fat and is also considered a gentler method of liposuction. Patients are usually discharged immediately after treatment and have the fastest recovery times for liposuction treatments.

Ultrasound-Assisted Liposuction

This liposuction procedure uses ultrasound or vibrations to break fat cells. It destroys cell walls, breaking it down into liquids. Ultrasound is introduced over target areas where a cannula is then used to siphon out liquefied fat. Skin trauma and tissue damage is minimized, making it one of the safest liposuction treatments today.

Lipolysis

Lipolysis is very similar in concept to laser liposuction. The main difference however, is that the cannula is used to liquefy fat deposits. Also referred to as “smart lipo,” lipolysis uses the body’s natural elimination system to remove liquefied fat. Small incisions are made and fat is drained naturally. Again, it is considered generally as a safe procedure that poses no serious health risks. Lipolysis or Smart Lipo is an outpatient treatment that requires little recovery times.

Laser Liposuction

Laser liposuction is exactly what its name says. It is a fat loss removal technique that used highly focused lasers to burn and remove excess cellulite deposits. The concept behind laser liposuction is simple, it used this laser to burn, melt stubborn fats. It turns it into a liquid, making it easier to be sucked out by the cannula. Laser liposuction is very similar to traditional liposuction surgery except it uses laser technology. Incisions are also smaller and recovery time much quicker. Some experts also say that using laser liposuction also stimulates the production of collagen that makes it more effective than traditional liposuction.

Water-Assisted Liposuction

Water-assisted liposuction is another modern liposuction treatment that uses water to remove fat deposits. Similar in principle to laser and tumescent liposuction, the difference however is how cellulite is broken down. No heat or medications are used during the procedure. Water is used to breakdown fat reducing the risk of irritation or allergic reaction. This is great for people searching for a more “natural” and gentler alternative to laser treatments.

Liposuction continues to evolve into a more effective and safer method of removing stubborn fat deposits. However, it is not the only method available or the most ideal treatment for weight loss. Eating a healthy diet and living an active lifestyle remains to be the most natural method. It is not only effective in helping people slim down but is also the only way people could keep their gains after liposuction treatments.

Liposuction Done the Right Way

Also known as lipoplasty, the fat modeling technique liposuction is one of the more popular and frequently performed cosmetic surgery procedures worldwide. In fact, the procedure is ranked inside the top five most performed cosmetic surgeries in the United States according to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery or ASAPS.

Why is Liposuction Popular?

The popularity of liposuction can be attributed to two factors that are innate in us humans – the desire to look younger and the craving to lose weight and achieve a slimmer body figure. Naturally we want to be as young as we could. That explains the plethora of quest for the proverbial fountain of youth. Likewise, losing weight has become a primary concern these days. With obesity figures increasing at an alarming rate because of fast food chains, food carts and the typical modern American lifestyle, the struggle to maintain a decent body figure has become harder by the day.

How Does Liposuction Work?

Liposuction basically works as a fat modeling technique – which is contrary to the common belief that it’s a weight loss regimen. It is surgical operation that removes fat from various parts of the body en route to create a slimmer figure. However it should be noted that the fat removal process is only a technique that will enhance the body figure. It’s not done to lessen figures shown in the weighing scales.

Some of the body areas in which liposuction can be applied include the abdomen, thighs, buttocks and the neck and back of the neck.

Too Much Liposuction Isn’t Safe

Too much of anything is bad and there is no exception even when we are talking about fat excess and unwanted fat. Despite the fact that it’s “excess” and “unwanted,” removing too much of it will prove costly for one’s health.

There have been several reports of successfully removing large amounts of fat (as much as 50 pounds) off a liposuction procedure but that does not mean it’s safe. One thing is for sure though, that is not recommended.

What are the Different Types of Anesthesia Needed?

The type of anesthesia that shall be used and administered during a liposuction procedure is determined by what type of liposuction will be performed. Needless to say, there are a number of liposuction techniques out in today’s cosmetic surgery market and there are three basic types of anesthesia available in the market – local, regional and general anesthesia.

Local anesthesia is the type of anesthesia that is applied to a specific location requiring minor surgery. Most of the time, local anesthesia is needed for noninvasive surgeries.

Regional anesthesia on the other hand, is anesthesia that is injected near the cluster of nerves while general anesthesia is the type that makes a person feel unconscious and as if he has no awareness or sensation.

Who is a Good Candidate for Liposuction?

Not everyone is a good candidate for liposuction and that is something that should be pointed out clearly prior to your planned liposuction. It is also important to note that liposuction should not be treated as an alternative to regular exercise, proper diet and natural weight losing strategies. Nevertheless being a good candidate for liposuction isn’t that difficult.

First and foremost is that you need to be at the right age. The right age is usually pegged at 18 years old but it is certainly better to have your liposuction during the time when you needed it most –around your early and mid 30s, for example.

Another thing that should be considered is your current health status. Will you be able to withstand the operation?

Additionally, the allergies and the minor conditions you have should also be given due importance and should be regarded.

The Approaches to Liposuction

There are various approaches to liposuction and each differs from one another. Nonetheless, there are four steps in a basic liposuction approach.

1) Determine and remove the right amount of fat

2) Minimize disturbance of tissues and blood vessels

3) Maintain the patient’s fluid balance

4) Cause least discomfort to the patient

Different Types of Liposuction Techniques

Several types of liposuction have been introduced over the years. Some of the most common types include the SAL or the suction assisted liposuction, the UAL or the ultrasound assisted liposuction and the PAL or the power assisted liposuction.

Side Effects and Possible Complications

Just like any other medical surgery, there are a couple of side effects and possible complications associated with liposuction procedures. Some of which are detailed below;

• Bruising

Bruising is a possible side effect especially if you’ve undergone an invasive liposuction treatment. Bruises can be painful but are bound to fade a few weeks after the liposuction.

• Swelling

Swelling around the body area where liposuction is applied is another possible complication. Swelling may nevertheless subside a few days after the operation.

• Scarring

After a successful liposuction, you may notice scars in the body area where the procedure is applied. These scars may either be permanent or temporary.

• Numbness

Numbness is often a result of the anesthesia injected into the patient’s body. Expect to feel a numb sensation for a couple of hours after your liposuction.

• Weight Gain

Slight weight gain is another possible complication of a liposuction procedure. Post-operative weight gain is common and should not be a cause of concern.

Liposuction is certainly a genuine way of fighting off the effects of aging and maintaining a slimmer and healthier body figure. However it is still necessary to examine and reexamine the pros and cons of liposuction in order to arrive at a more informed decision – liposuction done the right way is, without a doubt, truly safe and effective.

Natural Treatments for People Recovering from Liposuction Surgery

Liposuction may not be the best solution in removing those unwanted fats that people have been hiding or suffering for a better part of their life. The process of having a more “slender” look doesn’t just end after surgery. It’s just the first step and you have to make a promise to change your lifestyle into a healthier one.

From the food you eat to the basic everyday routines that you’ve been doing, staying healthy is a lifetime commitment. If you don’t want to imagine yourself growing those unwanted curves, snap out of that nightmare, wake up, and change your lifestyle! Maintain your figure naturally and heal the wounds of surgery.

Here are great tips to maintain your figure and ways to recover from the pain and side effects of liposuction surgery:

• Compression Garments or Elastic Bandages

These are mandatory and should be used after the procedure is completed. These helps control the swelling after the liposuction. It also helps compress your skin to your new body contours. It helps relieve pain and shapes the skin to naturally follow your new contours. Compression garments and elastic bandages also prevent the development of saggy skin.

Bandages will be kept on the area for at least two weeks depending on the area of surgery. This is to maintain pressure on the area and stop any bleeding. You may notice that the area appears larger before the surgery. You don’t have to worry about anything since this is part of the normal healing process. Keep the pressure on these areas as advised by your doctor to avoid complications.

• Hydrate

Many things happen during the healing process. And most of these things occur inside your body. Most of the time, your body would need more fluids to replace those lost during surgery.

This is why our doctor suggests drinking more fluids after surgery. You would actually need more than eight glasses of water a day to replace what has already been lost.

•  Go Overboard on Vitamin C and Pair It Up with Vitamin A and Zinc

Known to be the most efficient vitamin in terms of assisting in the healing process, vitamin C is an important component for optimum healing. This vitamin helps aid in tissue repair, assisting in helping postoperative wounds heal. Don’t just settle for over-the-counter drugs, go natural, and buy vitamin-C rich foods. Citrus fruits are the richest sources of Vitamin C. Or you can try to search for the best vitamin-C rich foods online. The best one that I’ve searched so far is seaweeds. Yes, seaweeds, you got that right. With these babies, it’s got 10 times more vitamin C content compared to any other citric food available in the market. Well, if you’re more of a fruit eater, you can go for pomegranates, oranges, lemons, pineapples, and the list is limitless.

Vitamin A-rich food and Zinc can also be paired Vitamin C-packed foods. This will aid in skin regeneration and helps hasten the healing time of the postoperative area.

•  Crazy Over Garlic

When we talk about surgery, infection is a possible side effect. To avoid this, why not go for the natural antibiotic Garlic. Garlic’s is packed with natural antibiotics called kyolic which enhances the body’s immune system’s function.

Health experts also recommend other herbal supplements like Echinacea, goldensal, and rose hips to help strengthen or boost the immune system.

• Stock Up your Fridge with Protein-Rich Food

When we talk about tissue and/or skin regeneration, nothing beats pure lean meat. Yes, this is the time where you’ll have to stock up on protein, usually red meat. If you’re not a meat-lover you can go for beans and/or legumes as these type of food are also rich in protein which would help rebuild skin and muscle tissues.

• Be Active

Patients are advised be active or ambulate as much as they can. This will not only help avoid any possible complications but also aids in reducing healing time. As long as the patient is properly assisted, then mobility is best advised.

To keep it everything simple, switch to a healthy lifestyle. Let go of the old unhealthy habits of the past. Stay away from fast food chains. Change the way you eat and live. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Perform simple exercises for better ambulation and faster healing of postoperative wounds.  This will not only help you maintain the figure that you’ve been dreaming of, you’ll also have that healthy feeling, inside and out.

Healthy Eating Habits After Liposuction

Liposuction is a procedure which removes unwanted fat in certain areas of the body so that body contours are improved. After liposuction, one should be careful about his or her diet so that healing from the procedure is maximized and unwanted fat will not come back.

So, what types of foods must one eat after liposuction? Here they are:

Vegetables

The best foods to consume after liposuction are fresh, organic vegetables. Vegetables are categorized according to their color because vegetable color often determines their effects on health. Red and pink vegetables such as tomatoes, beets, red bell peppers or radishes contain lycopene and ellagic acid which are important nutrients. These nutrients lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels and prevent heart disease and cancer. Green vegetables such as kale, spinach, broccoli and cabbage contain chlorphyll, fiber and other nutrients such as Vitamin C, calcium, folate, magnesium and beta carotenes.

Orange and yellow vegetables contain Vitamin C and bioflavonoids which are antioxidants that promote healing and regeneration of cells. Purple or blue vegetables such as eggplants and purple cabbage contain phytochemicals such as anthocyanins that also contain antioxidants to help burn fat and promote healing.

Fruits

The best fruits to consume after a liposuction include apples and peaches, apricots, avocados, bananas, oranges and citrus fruits, watermelons, strawberries and pomegranates. These fruits are low in calories yet rich in fiber and antioxidants that helps burn fat. Avocados can lower your cholesterol levels by as much as 9 to 43 percent. These fruits contain phytonutrients that not only help burn fat but also make you look and feel younger through their anti-aging effects.

Green Tea

Green tea is known to have various health benefits known to man since ancient times. Green tea is said to reduce the risk of heart disease because it lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol by reducing the absorption of cholesterol through the gut. Thus we can say that green tea fights bad fat. In one study, drinking one to three cups of green tea per day was able to lower high blood pressure by 46 percent. It is said that the nutrient responsible for green tea’s health benefits is EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate), a polyphenol which can also fight against cancers and can reduce inflammation.

Aside from its heart healthy benefits, green tea can also help reduce body fat and excess weight. You can enjoy the health benefits of green tea by steeping it for two to three minutes in boiling water.

Vegetable Protein (Soy, Miso, Tofu)

There are two types of protein: animal proteins and vegetable proteins. Vegetable contains high quality protein such as soy protein which is excellent for recovery from illnesses and surgery. Other sources of vegetable proteins are rice and legumes such as beans; however these types of protein do not contain all essential amino acids. Soy protein is the only complete source of protein among the vegetable proteins.

Amino acids found in soy replace worn-out and damaged tissues after liposuction. These amino acids also help build muscles that burn excess fat additionally.

Fish and Seafood

Fish and seafood are best choices after liposuction because they are low in saturated fat while being rich sources of protein and iron which are essential in recovery from surgery and illness. They also contain B vitamins and promote the growth of new tissues after damage or stress. Omega-3 fatty acids are present in fish and seafood, and these substances prevent and treat heart disease, high blood pressure, inflammation, diabetes, digestive disorders and cancer. Cold-water fatty fish such as salmon and tuna contain large amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids, so you may choose to eat these.

Lean Animal Protein

As previously mentioned, protein is essential in building and repairing body tissues and in burning excess fat. Your diet should contain 1-3 servings of lean animal protein per week. Lean meat is not only a good source of complete protein and iron; it also contains B vitamins and lesser saturated fat. You may opt to include lean animal protein sources in your diet such as chicken, turkey, flank steak, extra lean ground beef, sirloin tip, tenderloin, lamb chops and wild game meat. In general, choose lean meat which contains less than 3g of fat per 1 oz.

Low Fat Dairy Foods and Egg Whites

Low fat or non-fat dairy foods contain a lot of calcium which is essential for bones, teeth and cell function. You should opt to consume 1-3 servings of these foods per day. You can also take fermented or probiotic milk products such as yogurt or kefir because they contain a healthy type of bacteria that can lower bad (LDL) cholesterol, convert dietary fiber into healthy fats, and increase good (HDL) cholesterol.

Low Glycemic Load Carbohydrates

Low glycemic carbs are composed of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. They have a GI index of 55 or less. They do not cause blood sugar levels to spike thus they promote better wound healing and make people lose excess weight. They also help reduce blood cholesterol levels, prolong endurance to exercise, and reduce risk of heart disease.

Healthy Fats

Healthy fats are composed of extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, nuts and seeds. You should have about 3-9 servings per day of these foods. These foods contain monounsaturated fats and Omega-3 fatty acids that provide antioxidants such as selenium and Vitamin E and can lower blood cholesterol and blood pressure. These healthy fats also help the body absorb important nutrients such as Vitamins A, D, E and K and helps prevent diabetes, heart disease, cancer and inflammation.

Long Term Side Effects of Liposuction

.Side effects

Hate fat? You have every reason not to like excess fat, especially the one piling up over your abdomen. Having a lot of excess fat is bad because it increases your risk of acquiring deadly diseases. With a lot of excess fat you can get heart and blood vessel disease, gallbladder problems, cancer, dementia and numerous other health conditions.

The best ways to fight excess fat are diet and exercise. However, even though you follow a strict diet regimen and even if you exercise regularly, you may still get resistant fat. There are two types of fat: brown fat and white fat. White fat is the type of active fat that regulates hormones and gives off energy. Brown fat is the resistant type of fat that is not very active and is usually the one located in the abdomen, neck, back and chest. Diet and exercise cannot simply burn resistant fat that can give rise to an unshapely figure.

This is when liposuction comes in. Liposuction is a type of surgical procedure that helps remove resistant and stubborn fat to improve body contours. Liposuction is not a type of surgery which can lead to weight loss; neither can it remove cellulite. Liposuction merely removes excess fat in certain areas of the body. In this procedure, fat is being removed through a hollow metal tube or a cannula which is aimed towards the fatty portion of the body. This procedure varies with the technique in fat removal, the more common techniques utilizing vacuum, laser and ultrasound.

After the procedure, the patient can usually go back to his or her usual daily activities in a few days. However, in a few instances, liposuction may have some long term side effects, especially if the technique is not done carefully. This could be due to faulty technique or inexperience in the part of the operator. Or it may be that the procedure has removed large volumes of fat in one session or that there is trauma present in the surrounding tissues.

So what are these long term effects? They are described below:

Swelling

There may be swelling within a few days after liposuction. In some cases, swelling persists for a long time. During the first 5 to 10 days after liposuction, swelling may be due to an inflammatory reaction resulting from trauma to the tissues due to surgery. If you have undergone liposuction and you have swelling for more than 10 days, you should notify the surgeon. Swelling may be present from 6 weeks to 1 year after liposuction before it completely subsides. It is said that up to 80% of swelling will be gone after 6 weeks post-liposuction.

Liposuction may take a long time to subside because this procedure may affect the drainage of the lymphatic tissues. The lymphatic vessels are the vessels that extract fluid from the affected tissues during liposuction. Since the lymphatic vessels cannot efficiently carry fluid in this case, fluid builds up and swelling results.

Swelling typically occurs in the legs and in some cases, it may be present in the mons pubis (the area above the pubic area of women) and in the genitals in women.

Another cause of swelling after liposuction is the presence of excess fluids, as that brought about by the wetting solution used in tumescent liposuction. Or, swelling may be caused by the formation of a seroma, a collection of fluid or serum. Seromas are common in ultrasound liposuction.

Bleeding and Bruising

Bleeding may occur after liposuction because of possible injury to blood vessels on the treatment area. Large-volume bleeding may require emergency treatment such as blood transfusion or draining of accumulated blood on the treatment area. The risk of bleeding is increased when a person takes in anti-clotting medications such as aspirin or warfarin within 14 days or two weeks before liposuction.

There may also be bruising which may be mild. Bruising may typically be present within days to weeks after liposuction. Methods that aim to minimize bruising include the power liposuction technique and the act of leaving entry sites where cannulas are inserted open to drain.

Infection

Infection resulting from liposuction is very rare, due to the fact that the ruptured fat cells left behind after tumescent liposuction create inflammation that prevent infections. Additionally, tumescent fluid used in liposuction often has antibacterial properties. Should infection actually happen due to unsterile techniques, antibiotics can be given. In some cases, additional surgery may be needed to remove the cause of the infection.

Change in Nerve Function

There may be numbness in the treated area after liposuction and this may be due to nerve damage or changes in nerve function. Numbness is often common with ultrasound liposuction.

The change in nerve function after liposuction is due to the fact that the outer sheath of nerve cells made of myelin may get stripped out causing damage to sensory nerves. It is said that about 6% of patients experience nerve problems after liposuction. These nerve problems range from pins-and-needles sensations to pain and numbness. In facial or jaw liposuction, there may be damage to the nerve that supplies the lower facial muscles.

Nerve function may return without treatment for quite some time after liposuction.

Asymmetry

There may be unevenness in about 3% of patients that undergo liposuction. This unevenness causes asymmetry and surface irregularity.

Skin necrosis

Liposuction may create skin necrosis and fat fibrosis in about 4% of patients. Skin necrosis creates skin texture changes and may be due to cell damage from ultrasonic energy during ultrasound liposuction. In addition, there may be brownish discoloration of the skin due to the leakage of hemosiderin, a product of red cell breakdown present in cells. This is one long-term effect of liposuction that do not easily go away on its own.

It is said that liposuction may increase free radical formation that may cause cell damage. There are still no studies linking liposuction to cancer.