Myths and Facts About Liposuction

Some 265,000 liposuction treatments are performed each year in the United States, making it the second-most popular cosmetic surgery, just behind breast enhancement. 

Liposuction can be an ideal choice for people who are almost where they want to be with their weight — but just can’t seem to lose excess pounds in specific areas, like the tummy or back.

At Rostami OPC, Soheila Rostami, MD, and Maryam Nazemzadeh, MD, offer state-of-the-art liposuction treatments to help women and men in Reston, Virginia, get the sleek contours they want. 

Still, as popular as liposuction may be, there are still quite a few misconceptions about how it works and what it can and can’t do. To help you learn more about liposuction, we’ve compiled a quick review of some of the most common myths and facts.

Myth 1: Liposuction is a great way to lose a lot of weight

Fact: Liposuction is intended for targeted fat removal — ideally after you’ve lost most of your excess pounds and you’re at or near your ideal weight. For many people, it can be an ideal complement to diet and exercise, providing those “final touches” that can help you look great and feel more confident.

Myth 2: The fat comes back after treatment

Fact: Liposuction uses gentle suction to remove fat so it’s gone for good. That said, liposuction doesn’t remove all of your fat, so you still need to eat a healthy diet and get regular exercise to prevent fat from showing up in neighboring areas.

Myth 3: It’s only for young people

Fact: As long as you’re healthy enough to undergo the procedure, you can have liposuction — there is no upper age limit. However, if your skin has lost some of its natural elasticity, it might not drape as well over your new, slimmer contours. We offer other treatments to help tone skin and even restore some of its elasticity.

Myth 4: Liposuction can get rid of cellulite

Fact: Cellulite is fat that’s located just below the surface of the skin, and liposuction won’t make it go away. There are other treatments for cellulite, though, and some people find that liposuction can make cellulite a bit less visible.

Myth 5: There’s no ‘downtime’ with liposuction

Fact: Liposuction is a surgical procedure. Right after your liposuction treatment, you’ll be groggy from your sedation and sore from the procedure. You’ll have some bruising for a week or so, along with swelling that can persist for several weeks. 

You’ll also need to modify your activities for up to about a month in most cases to allow the area to heal. 

Myth 6: It’s the perfect solution for a big belly

Fact: While liposuction can trim your tummy and your waist, the technique is only designed to work on subcutaneous fat — the layer of fat just below your skin. 

Sometimes, a large belly can come from fat that’s located a lot deeper — under the muscles. Liposuction can’t remove that deeper layer of fat, so if that’s what’s causing your belly bulge, it’s not going to give you the results you’re looking for.

Myth 7: Liposuction is only for belly fat

Fact: Actually, liposuction can be used in lots of areas, including your:

• Belly and waist
• Arms
• Back
• Legs
• Chest
• Chin
• Buttocks
• Hips and flanks

Our team will customize your treatment to address your specific goals.

Stop feeling self-conscious about stubborn fat that just won’t budge. With liposuction, you can get the slimmer, sleeker contours you want so you can look great and feel more confident. To learn more about liposuction at Rostami OPC and how it can help you, call our office or book an appointment online today.