{"id":15301,"date":"2020-06-15T11:33:48","date_gmt":"2020-06-15T18:33:48","guid":{"rendered":"https://www.realself.com\/news\/?p=15301"},"modified":"2024-02-16T09:55:53","modified_gmt":"2024-02-16T17:55:53","slug":"misconceptions-about-liposuction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https://www.realself.com\/news\/misconceptions-about-liposuction","title":{"rendered":"7 Plastic Surgeons Reveal the Biggest Misconceptions Patients Have About Liposuction"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article has been medically reviewed for accuracy by Marietta, GA plastic surgeon Dr. Stanley Okoro<\/a> on August 13, 2020.<\/em><\/p>

Noninvasive body contouring might be all the rage, but liposuction<\/a> still reigns, in terms of popularity and overall bang for your buck. First, there’s the obvious: that fat gets suctioned out via a surgical incision in the skin—but there’s more to it. For starters, you might not necessarily need general anesthesia<\/a> for liposuction, depending on where on the body you get it. It’s also one of the few procedures in which you’ll see results after just one treatment. Not surprisingly, there are just as many misconceptions about it, so we asked seven plastic surgeons to clear up the rumors they hear most often.<\/p>

Misconception: Liposuction delivers immediate results<\/strong><\/h2>

Reality: <\/strong>It’s a little more nuanced than that. While your surgeon can see the results during surgery—for instance, how much fat is being sucked out and when to stop in order to ensure your body looks proportional—liposuction is usually followed by post-surgical swelling, which delays the true results of the procedure. According to plastic surgeons, “The treated area can remain swollen for up to two to six weeks.” For that reason, you may have to wear a compression garment for a few weeks, to minimize swelling and balance your fluids. Ultimately, “your final results from liposuction are best seen 12 weeks after your procedure,” says Dr. Parcells.<\/p>

Interested in liposuction?<\/small><\/div>Find Doctors Near You<\/a><\/div>

Misconception: If you have liposuction in one area, the fat will travel elsewhere<\/strong><\/h2>

Reality:<\/strong> Your fat cells won’t “spawn” or just wander around the body once you have liposuction. As we age, we gain more fat. The area without liposuction will appear bigger and the areas with prior liposuction will always look better. This is the main reason it appears that the fat traveled elsewhere. So long as you maintain your weight, “the fat won’t go somewhere else, because the number of fat cells in our system is set,” explains New York City board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Michelle Copeland<\/a>. Your fat cells can fluctuate in size—which depends on your diet and exercise habits—but there’s only a finite number of them. “Because of genetics, some areas simply house more fat cells,” Dr. Copeland explains. “When we suction some of these cells from the problem area, we permanently remove the amount of fat that can build up there.”<\/p>

However, Dr. Allen Gabriel<\/a>, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Vancouver, Washington, says that the misconception is partially true. In some cases, “the fat cells that are left behind in other areas get larger since the fat has to be deposited somewhere. This is why, after belly or back lipo, some people will complain that their arms or legs are larger.” He prefers to inject the fat taken out during liposuction “somewhere useful after, such as the butt or breasts, so it doesn’t affect another unwanted area.”<\/p>

\n