one of the commonest questions asked is the difference between 4D body contouring, hi-def and etching and conventional liposuction. its actually pretty easy once we understand the whole concept. i would begin by saying liposuction is the first step. it is simply removal of fat to give a better shape and remove as much of fat from the deep fat layers of the skin. A piece of information here is relevant, that fat in the skin is arranged in superficial and deep layers. liposuction should be done in the deep layers, since operating at the superficial layer level can produce complications like surface irregularity and seromas and sometimes burns. so in a way it is safe to say that where liposuction ends, body contouring begins. once the process of lipo is over, whether it be with manual suction assisted, power assister, laser or VASER, body contouring surgeons then start the next phase of surgery which can take longer than the previous step. Please know that all lipo surgeons are not trained to perform 4D or hi-def surgery. I feel at the basic only Plastic surgeon should be consulted for this. i am not a big fan of Dermatologists doing Cosmetic surgery, chauvinistic though it may sound. in etching the surgeon simply sucks fat out in parallel layers from the superficial fat compartment to create adhesions between skin and underlying muscle layer. though this process gives a hint of a pack, it looks unnatural and underlying muscle appears to stand out differently. my view is that etching simply without concept of dynamicism and movement and 4 dimensional anatomy knowledge is wrong and should not be done as we move towards more sophistication, we go to hi-def surgery. As a rule i feel this should only be done using the tool called VASER. no other energy provides the comfort, safety and better body contours . However VASER is a dangerous tech in untrained hands, It is prudent to ask your surgeon if he or she is trained in vaser. skin burns are very common in untrained hands and can be disasters. specially in redo cases, skin burn is common and needs a lot of extra care while using vaser. so hi-def starts to create packs using underlying anatomy to create the shape of the pack according to the shape of the muscle, thus moving the process towards a greater natural looking scenario, with lesser chances of being found out so to say As the surgeon starts to learn further and gets perfect with this art, he or she starts to do what is 4D body contouring. SO 4 D body contouring creates movement, simply stated, the packs now appear to be dynamic and appear to move with the body movement making them beautifully natural. today if anyone wants to do 6 pack , chest pack, or arm pack surgery, 4D contouring is the way to go, if my view is of any significance, to be done only with VASER.