Is microlipo less likely than regular lipo to leave abnormalities on the chin/neck/jawline?

Question

I am interested in chin/jawline lipo, and I have a more "mild" case of fat and jowling. I am 28 years old. My surgeon recommended microlipo . I have seen some pretty bad results (lumps/bumps/fibrosis) that aren't going away on some others who have had regular chin lipo. Do you find that microlipo produces much better results (fewer patients who are left with bumpy, uneven skin) than regular chin lipo? Would love another take on this. Thank you!

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

For unique cases where a variety of modalities could be used to treat the condition, I would suggest an in-person or virtual consultation to develop a custom and effective treatment plan.  It is difficult to precisely define the best option without collecting the same information. I suggest reaching out to an expert for a consultation with surgical and non-surgical methods to get a comprehensive option. Best, Dr. Emer.

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

Micro liposuction is a marketing term. Liposuction cannulas come in different sizes and these various sizes have been available for over a quarter century. Plastic surgeons use appropriate size Cannula’s for the job. There’s no advantage to using an excessively small cannula because it’ll take forever to do the job. Likewise, there’s no need to use excessively large cannulas, because they are overly aggressive and will lead to contour irregularities. Plastic surgeons will choose the right size cannula for the job at hand. For chin and neck liposuction most people will use a 2 mm cannula. May be a 2 1/2 mm cannula. This is pretty consistent among all plastic surgeons. There is no definition of a micro cannula. It is simply a marketing term. 2 mm is not big or small. It is relatively on the small size, but appropriate for neck and facial work. When it comes to getting Liposuction procedures, there are only two variables that matter. The first is understanding your candidacy for the procedure, and the second is choosing the most experienced and talented provider.
The great majority of patients seeking chin and neck liposuction, have a normal fat distribution of their face and neck, and instead have a facial, skeletal imbalance. That’s causing a double chin. The problem is rarely based on an abnormal fat distribution. The problem is almost always based on bone structure. Reducing fat in the chin and neck area can give great results on certain individuals. This is typically true for well done procedures on young women, who are slightly overweight, and have tight skin with good skin elasticity.
It is, however, important to recognize that fat distribution is usually not the primary problem and whenever you choose a procedure that doesn’t address the primary problem partial improvements are the best you should expect. Other tissues that contribute to what that part of the face and neck look like include the platysma muscle, skin, glands and deep fat layers not amenable to Liposuction. How to platysma muscle drapes to neck is highly dependent on the shape, size and contour of the mandible and its relationship to the Maxilla.
To get a quality assessment requires having quality consultations. Different plastic surgeons will have different amounts of skill and experience and simply being board-certified and plastic surgery with years of experience does not guarantee or confirm that somebody has mastered any one single procedure. There is a great deal of variation in skill and experience when choosing plastic surgeons, including those board-certified with years of experience. 
Patients should choose to have as many consultations as possible to find the best provider. Having only one consultations gives you no choice at all. I suggest patient start by having at least five in person consultations to get a sense of comparison between different providers. You need to take an active role during the consultation, realizing that it is your job to vet providers and assess their skills and experience. do this by asking each provider to open up their portfolio and show you their entire collection of before, and after pictures of the previous patients who had similar facial characteristics to your own. This means patients who had similar bone structure, similar age, similar amounts of subcutaneous, fat, etc. etc. Being shown a handful of preselected images, representing the best results of a provider’s career is totally insufficient to get a clear understanding of an average results look like or how many of these procedures any one surgeon is actually performed. Seeing results of patient who had different facial characteristics than your own. It’s also highly misleading, because candidacy has everything to do with potential outcomes. Some people are simply not good candidates for Liposuction, and they do not have the potential of having a quality result Idlers of who does the procedure. The first step is to get a clear understanding if you are a good candidate in the first place. If you’re not a good candidate, then don’t have the procedure. In reality, most patients are not good or bad candidates. The majority of patients end up being average candidates. This means they will most likely see some improvement from the procedure, but will not get results as good as those individuals who were excellent candidates.
An excellent candidate has the potential for getting a high quality outcome if they choose a sufficiently talented provider. Someone who is an excellent candidate can also end up with a poor outcome if they do not choose their provider correctly. To find the best provider you need to interview surgeons and be shown evidence of sufficient previous work to get a clear understanding of what typical results look like especially patients who have similar candidacy for the procedure that you do. For a reference and experience provider should have no difficulty showing you at least 50 sets of before, and after pictures of previous patient who had chin and neck Liposuction. 
Depending on your age or other tissue, variables may be alternative procedures that are much better suited for getting a quality outcome.
The choice of procedure should be made once you have an accurate assessment, and having a clear understanding of what problem is. Fat distribution is usually not the primary reason for people to have undesirable, facial or neck contours.
Do you not decide on who does the procedure based on silly marketing terms or what equipment is used. All plastic surgeons have the equipment needed to do their job correctly. The differences outcome is not based on owning the right piece of equipment. This is a bid like choosing a mechanic based on what brand tools they use. It would also be like choosing to buy bread from the bakery, based on what brand of and they use. People choose mechanics because they consistently perform quality work at a fair price. People choose bakeries because they consistently deliver quality products. The same is true in plastic surgery.
The best way to assess a plastic surgeon is by carefully assessing their portfolio of before, and after pictures. Limited portfolios are suspect and probably tells you that you need to have more consultations until you find someone who is collection of before and after pictures reads more like a telephone book.
Don’t be in a hurry when it comes to choosing a provider and going through the consultation process. This is time and effort well spent. You’ll be reminded every day for the rest of your life of the outcome of the procedure so now is the time to put in the effort to find the best provider to get a clear understanding of your candy to see which in the end determines your potential improvement from this procedure.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom, MD

Is microlipo less likely than regular lipo to leave abnormalities on the chin/neck/jawline?

Answers (2)

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Is microlipo less likely than regular lipo to leave abnormalities on the chin/neck/jawline?

Answers (2)

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Chin Liposuction

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.