Skinny but still have stubborn fat and I want ab etching. What procedure should I go for? (Photo)

I appreciate your question.

Vaser assisted liposuction utilizes ultrasound to emulsify or melt felt prior to removal. It is also used to etch or define the muscles and normal anatomy to enhance the results. I use a specialized technique to remove the deeper fat areas and sculpt the superficial fat, so that one can achieve the goal of having not only a flatter stomach but also a more defined and curvaceous body if wanted. I can use this technique on the arms as well.

I also use the fat removed to graft into the pecs for men or breasts for women as well as into the arms and other areas to further enhance muscle definition.

The best way to assess and give true advice would be an in-person exam.  Please see a board-certified plastic surgeon that specializes in aesthetic plastic surgery and high definition body contouring.

 

Best of luck!

   

Dr. Schwartz

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

#RealSelf100Surgeon

#RealSelfCORESurgeon

Thank you for your question. You’re a strong candidate for abdominal etching, which sculpts the abdomen and reduces small fat pads for athletic definition. CoolSculpting or other non-invasive fat-freezing methods won’t produce etched lines and are less predictable for achieving your goals. Success depends on low, stable body fat, good skin elasticity, and no rectus diastasis. Over-etching can look fake and increases the risk of contour irregularities, adhesions, and asymmetry, so aim for subtle, natural lines. Have an in-person examination with a board-certified surgeon experienced in HD lipo to verify skin quality, fat thickness, and safety, and to plan conservative, anatomy-matched etching.

Hi Lozcurtis, Thank you for your question regarding the fact that you are skinny but still have stubborn fat and you want ab etching and what procedure should you seek. Thank you for your history and your pictures. First, we should analyze your pictures to determine the best course of action. You have some anterior abdominal wall fat and no stretch marks. You have some fat in the superior iliac crests (also known as love handles) and in the lower back. To get rid of this fat, you need 360 liposuction to address the lower abdomen, love handles, and lower back. If you want muscle definition and maximal skin tightening, consider VASER HI-DEF liposuction. The main question is how much muscle definition do you desire. Do you want the central line (linea alba) or the lateral lines (semi-lunaris) or both? Do you also want the horizontal (transverse) inscription lines? Do you want both the vertical and horizontal lines? All these lines can be achieved with VASER HI-DEF liposuction. VASER HI-DEF is also called ab etching. VASER Hi-DEF liposuction takes about 3 to 4 hours to complete. VASER HI-DEF liposuction is best performed under general anesthesia. Drains are often used and are usually removed after 7 days. Compression garments are important and should be worn for about 6 weeks after the procedure. Lymphatic massage is encouraged starting about one week after surgery and continued for about 2 to 3 weeks. Plan on a 10 to 14-day recovery.
I hope that I have answered your question regarding the fact that you are skinny but still have stubborn fat and you want ab etching and what procedure should you seek. Liposculpture and CoolSculpting will not achieve your goal of achieving a defined muscular abdomen with ab etching. You need VASR HI-DEF liposuction. To get an accurate assessment of what exactly you need, schedule a free virtual consultation. Most plastic surgeons offer free virtual consultations. VASER hi-def abdominal sculpting, also known as etching, is a technically challenging procedure. Your plastic surgeon must be familiar with the anatomy of the abdominal wall. When seeking revision VASER hi-def abdominal etching, please seek an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon with significant experience performing the VASER hi-def procedure. Not all plastic surgeons own a VASER machine, and most plastic surgeons do not perform the VASER hi-def procedure. Do your research. Ensure that your selected plastic surgeon has performed at least 100 VASER hi-def abdominal etching surgeries and has the before-and-after pictures to prove it. Carefully examine their before-and-after pictures and check their reviews on RealSelf. If you cannot find an experienced VASER Hi-Def plastic surgeon in your neighborhood, consider traveling if necessary. Sincerely, Dr. Katzen, MD, MBA, FACS, FICS ( Plastic Surgeon, President of the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons, Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Fellow of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American College of Surgery, and International College of Surgery and member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, RealSelf Hall of Fame, and RealSelf Doctor Advisory Board for Medical Review and Consumer Panel.)

Thanks for your question and the photos you provided. Your wish picture has little to no fat and sculpted abs. In order to obtain a close result, you need both 1) Liposuction to your abdomen, waist, back with 2) abdominal etching. You can maintain your surgical results with EmSculpt. Make sure you consult with a board certified plastic surgeon!

The first photo shows a patient with very little body fat in her core. She is probably in the 4-8% body fat range.  Though liposuction and abdominal etching will improve your contour, the end result will probably not look this lean and defined. 

You seem to be a great candidate for abdominal etching procedures using liposuction. I think it will give you the contour and definition you are looking for. Best of luck!

Regards,

Surjit S. Rai, MD 



Dallas Plastic Surgeon 

Hello and thank you for the question.In review of your photos, if you are looking to achieve a significant amount of definition with optimal results, I would recommend the following:  A combination of Vaserlipo, Power X, and Power-Assisted high-definition lipoplasty with strategic fat-transfer to augment the appearance of rectus abdominis musculature. Depending on your native skin tone, you may also require ThermiRF.Due to the nature of complexity of the procedure and subsequent extended OR times, these procedures can tend to get pricey as compared to conventional lipoplasty. The results are indeed extraordinary, however. Best of luck,Glenn Vallecillos, MD, FACS

Thank you for submitting your question. Abdominal etching is for patients who want to get rid of the stubborn fat around their abdominal muscles to unveil and augment their natural contours depending on their goals. Be sure to find a board certified surgeon who performs over 100 procedures per year. Best of luck to you!Dr. Mentz

Abdominal etching is a really popular subset of liposuction in my practice. This is a form of high definition liposculpture that can be done by carefully etching out small amounts of superficial fat along the patient's anatomic lines. To get a great result, the important things are to 1) only work with a board certified plastic surgeon. This is a delicate form of liposuction and you need someone with the experience and tool set to acoomplish this. 2) Take a look at the doctor's work. Call the office, explain what you are looking for and ask for similar patients.3) Make sure that your doctor is using the right tools. Just like you wouldn't paint a portrait with a paint gun, you need a doctor that offers different types of liposuction to meet all of your needs and take out the fat effectively and cleanly. When we do abdominal etching, we typically use 3 to 4 different types of liposuction to create the correct thickness of abdominal fat and then to etch around each bony landmark, muscle line, and tendon transcription. You have great skin and are in wonderful shape. Make sure you work with an ABPS board certified plastic surgeon with the correct tools and a lot of experience and you will get a terrific long lasting result. :)

In order to optimize abdominal etching results you need to choose a surgeon who has experience with1)VASER LIPOSUCTION2)POWER X Liposuction TOOLS3)J Plasma Cool Helium skin tightening  By utilizing all three modalities can optimal high definition results be achieved.