Depends on the Doctor! - Seoul, South Korea

I had liposuction done on thighs, upper arms, love handle and chanel line (inside of the knees).

The money I spent is apparently about half of what it would cost me where I live.

I had mine done in Seoul, South Korea. Some of the surgeons are extremely experienced in cosmetic surgery (but some are not as it is the case everywhere).

I read a recent review by someone else and the factors that concerned me were:

1) the cost - it was so low. You can't expect consistent results with such varying prices

2) the role of exercise - c'mon we've been there done that. Scientifically exercise can reduce the size of the cells but lipo will get rid of the cells. Exercise and lipo cannot be compared in their results. They should be done in conjunction but keeping in mind it is the amount of food that we eat that plays key role in weight loss not so much the exercise (unless you can exercise hard core and have minimal appetite)

3) down time - down time is relative I think. I wasn't able to walk properly but I still walked day 3 onwards. I was just slow and legs were stiff. Total downtime needed is 2 wks.

To put someone off from having lipo based on one experience with one particular doctor is sort of unfair. Of course it is a risky business and your gut feeling should play a big role at the end of all the research.

1 month in, I have lost 4 kgs (about the same amount of fat that was extracted). I reached weight that I have not reached for the last decade. (When you weigh 57kgs, getting down to 53kgs can seem impossible) And apparently the results aren't supposed to show properly until after 1 mth!

Where are my scars? underneath my armpits, where my tailbone is and two on either side of my waist (if you wear a bikini you'll not be able to see them). So only 5 and the tailbone was is pretty much invisible now.

Pain? Here is a list of what I experienced post op:
1) stiffness and immobility - took me 1-2min to get up from the bed. it was actually funny.
2) toilet - the compression bodysuit had a gap but i couldn't sit down properly
3) swelling - this increased until about day 6 and 7-10 days is the peak of swelling. day 10 I was on the plane home (10 hr flight) and my feet felt like they were gonna burst! swelling went down very quickly days 11-13
4) sore stomach - bodysuit + swelling meant sometimes i would feel sick after eating.
5) bruises
6) occasional body ache - like having a light cold

In summary, it was not painful, just uncomfortable. I can do uncomfortable if it means I have a great body after!

My mum said the results are already visible - only been 1 mth - and I wear clothes confidently that I stayed away from previously.

The most important indicators you should look for when looking for a surgeon are:

1) Website: Does it look legit? Plenty of before/after pictures with people putting feedback regularly and the feedbacks are similar? (Some places employ people to put feedbacks so watch out)

2) Is the practice at least medium-sized? They should have more than a couple of docs. Mine had about 9 surgeons specialising in diff fields. They were also sponsoring a tv programme about extreme make overs.

3) Price: Should not be cheap compared to others in the local area! If you are a bargain hunter, well you should not be negotiating for the safety of your body.. save up first... So many people end up with horrible scars because they wanted to save $.

4) Equipments like ultra sound to constructively analyse what you need

What is really important though is to be vigilant with your eating habits after. So really you should be considering lipo once you're prepared. By prepared I mean 1) do you eat a lot of sugar? - cut out all your desserts except fruit. (I cut out desserts after reading David Gillespie's "Sweet Poison")

2) Hmmm I don't know if this is true but I read liposuction is for people in their normal weight range with excess fat not for overweight people. I'm not sure why. Maybe the skin becomes saggy after?

3) You like exercise! - if you don't and haven't tried properly, then you don't know what it feels like to exercise 10 hrs a week vigorously and if anything gain weight! I love doing weights and yoga but know now that it is nutrition not exercise that decides it for me. Exercise is supplementary.

4) Have an ambitious goal! My goal is to have a model body not just to lose weight. That is a big goal but because I keep thinking it, slowly I'm getting there.

Lipo is a catalyst for me not the solution. If I binge now, the fat will go to untreated areas and this includes your internal organs (how scary) so it is a life habit. Lipo should only be used if you're ready to change your life not because you're lazy.

Anyway this is my experience.. and I know you probably think I can't go where they don't speak English... but if you have any more Qs or need before/after photos, please do contact me. I'd love to help out.