For those wanting six pack abs and in good shape, why can’t liposuction be used to simply remove all overlaying abdominal fat?

You are correct about your statement. When experienced liposuction surgeon does a thorough job with Gold Standard tumescent lipo yo would get the look as long as your muscles are toned to show.  There is no need for any other technology or any other procedure names that may seem confusing when you may read on line. 

Etching fat to give the fake appearance of 6 pack abs is weird looking and jiggles like jello. Just get an expert who is aggressive in liposuction and does it under tum. local with the micro canulas and who will stand you up occasionally during the procedure to fine tune the results. Then you get the best results. It is usually going to be a board certified dermatologic surgeon who will do the best at  liposculpting since they invented the tum. technique and do it the most.

Thanks for your question. Liposuction is a very powerful technique in the right hands, and can have dramatic results in a variety of areas and a in a variety of patients.  That said, the ideal liposuction candidate has localized fat deposits and quality overlying skin without significant excess skin or skin damage.  Fat can then be removed to a]strategically sculpt the body and accentuate feminine curves.  The skin then retracts over the new shape to give the final result.That said, you definitely have to choose your surgeon correctly and make sure that he/she has the training and experience to meet your goals with absolute safety.  A key quality indicator is Board Certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.  Don’t settle for less than a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon with specialized expertise in this procedure.

Dear Meandmyeyes,liposuction will remove the excess fat tissue but it can't create muscles. You might get a 6 pack in case your abdominal muscles are well defined. If you are considering a surgery, I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.Daniel Barrett, MD

Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Liposuction can remove stubborn areas of fat, but it can not guarantee a six-pack, if the underlying musculature isn't well-defined. However, with a combination of VASER HI DEF with ThermiRF/J Plasma/Renuvion/InMode BodyTite and fat grafting you will get the most fat removal, skin tightening, contour and definition. This combination will give you the most toned result for six pack abs. I recommend getting a formal evaluation with a hi definition physique expert. Best, Dr. Emer

Thank you for your question. Your thinking about abdominal sculpting is faulty. Do not feel bad, as you can see all the posts so far show zero understanding of VASER Hi Def Lipo (VHD). First of all, etching is the wrong term and concept. We etch glass or your name on a plaque or medal. This process is creating a depression through the glass or plaque. Abdominal sculpting is removing fat from both the deep fat compartment and superficial fat compartment (one post actually mentioned it) under the skin and not cutting into the skin to reveal the underlying muscle anatomy.You are right that VASER Hi Def Lipo is the gold standard to deliver natural and real results. Not everyone who bought or owns a VASER is able to use it to its full capability. It is a tool only, and the surgeon has to be trained how to use it appropriately. You can't buy a Ferrari and take it to the track the next day. You need to be trained in how to handle it! You are also right that there are lots of bad examples posted by surgeons on their sites and Realself which look absolutely fake. This forum is limited in giving you the full spectrum of the VHD.See a board certified plastic surgeon experienced in advanced body sculpting techniques for an in person consultation/evaluation to see if you are a good candidate for body sculpting. I trained with Dr. Alfredo Hoyos of Bogota, Colombia, the inventor of the VHD. Another thing to think about, you cannot just do sculpting of the abdomen only. The whole torso including the chest needs to be addressed. Often the arms need to be sculpted to match the athletic/muscular torso. See the attached web reference. Good luck.

Removing fat with liposuction doesn't ensure that you'll have a 6-pack for an abdomen.  You still require well-defined muscles to show the abdomen off once the fat is removed.  It's also important that the skin contracts around the muscle and fascia underneath it.  Patients who have lost significant weight tend to have poor skin quality so it can't shrink back after the fat is removed.

Excellent question.  The answer is YES, aggressive liposuction for thinning and leaning out your abdominal skin to more clearly define underlying rectus abdominis and other musculofascial anatomy is certainly possible, and commonly done, without the fake appearing (NOT the "gold standard") "etching."  Etching is quite un-natural in many positions over time relative to the real thing.  However, excessive skin thinning by abdominal liposuction may create surface contour irregularities and a potentially loose, wrinkled, aged appearing, sagging skin envelope, so be careful.

Hi, 
If the underlying muscles are in a good tone and shape, and if the patient already has an athletic-sportive body, just removing the excess fat and thinning out the overlying skin will increase the definition of the 6-pack muscles and intersections. But sometimes patients want their muscle packs to be more pronounced (than it really is) and therefore to increase the contrast and to give more definition the tendinous intersections are further thinned out-etched and more fat could be left behind the muscle packs to give a more-toned muscle appearance (art of illusion).
It gives more natural and long-lasting results when performed on the setting of an athletic patient with thinned out overlying skin and less satisfactory and short-lasting results in the case of a patient with considerable amount of fat and given the 6-pack appearance with fat-etching (liposculpting).
Best wishes,

Long story short, there is no shortcut to real abs. There are two layers of fat under the skin. A natural 6 pack ab is possible when both the superficial and deep layer of fat are extremely thin (low body fat percentage) so that the abs can show through. This is best done through diet and exercise. Liposuction or liposculpture mostly targets the deeper fat using a thin tube to break the fat and suck it away. Much less is done in the superficial layer so that the superficial layer can function like a smooth gliding wrap over the body. Contour irregularities and dimpling from "botched" looking liposuction is usually due to overly aggressive liposuction of the superficial layer and you end up seeing all the holes and divets that the liposuction cannula created. Your idea to just remove ALL the fat from the top layer would actually make your abdomen look like one giant scar where the skin is stuck onto the muscle. There has to be some fat so the skin can still move slightly over the muscle. The best option is to use our knowledge of skin anatomy and liposuction to get the best results. I recommend having the deep fat removed and doing a little work on the superficial fat to get a final smooth contour over the abs. This usually is enough to at least begin seeing the shadow of the abs. To get a truly etched look, exercise and dieting can complement your surgery and evenly thin out the remaining superficial layer for a true washboard ab look. Hope this helps!Johnson C. Lee, MD
Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon
IG: @drjohnsonlee