Many people would like to look slimmer or more toned, and even if you exercise regularly and maintain a healthy diet you may find yourself troubled by localized fat deposits that seem to cling to specific areas no matter what you do.  Often these areas of concern can be addressed with liposuction, a body contouring procedure that suctions out stubborn fat deposits and provides a more slender and shapely physique.

It is important to note that liposuction is not an effective treatment for obesity, nor is it a substitute for proper diet and exercise.  Liposuction does not have the ability to tighten skin that has been stretched by fat deposits or to remove cellulite, the dimpled skin that typically appears on the thighs, hips and buttocks.  In fact, the removal of fat deposits with liposuction can, in some cases, leave sagging skin behind, particularly in more mature patients whose skin has lost some of the elasticity of youth.

The abdomen is an area commonly treated with liposuction in both men and women, as it can stubbornly hold on to fat deposits and is notoriously difficult to exercise effectively.  When the body first begins to store fat, it does so in areas where it can do the most good, protecting and serving the nutritional needs of the vital organs in the abdomen.  Only then does it go on to store fat in the less vital areas, like the arms and legs.  However, when losing weight, the body more readily gives up fat cells in the less vital areas first and stubbornly holds on to fat in the vital core.  That’s why it can be so difficult to lose weight in the abdomen and hip areas.  Only once fat has been nearly eliminated from everywhere else in the body will the fat in the abdomen even begin to be released.

Liposuction can provide benefits to the extremities, such as the upper arms and thighs, as well.  Such procedures may sometimes require more than one treatment to achieve the desired results.  However, they are less invasive than procedures like arm and thigh lifts, and so produce less scarring and require less down time.  In some cases, fat can be removed, via fat transfer techniques, from the hips, flanks, or thighs, and then re-injected into areas that may require augmentation or greater definition, such as the buttocks or even areas of the face.

If you’re interested in liposuction or any of the other cosmetic or reconstructive procedures that I perform, please contact us today to schedule a consultation.  Atlanta Plastic Surgery, P.C. provides a variety of options for financing, including Care Credit®, in order to assist you.  Don’t forget to connect with me, Dr. Hunter Moyer, on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ for the latest plastic surgery news.