Most of us, as we reach a certain age, have pockets of fatty areas that negatively affect our body image. As a result of age and hormone changes we can accumulate unwanted, stubborn body fat. Overeating, lack of exercise and genetic distribution also influence where and how much excess fat we have on our body – or even in our face. Often this fat settles in specific areas, including the abdomen, hips, upper thigh or “saddlebag” area, buttocks, inner and outer thighs, above the knees, upper arms, under the chin, in the cheeks and the neck.
Liposuction for the Body
Liposuction is the process of removing excess fat through a small tube inserted under the skin into the fatty areas. When done correctly Liposuction removes undesired fat cells from different body areas. For men this is generally the “love handles,” abdomen and neckline – all common problem areas for men and all easily reduced and reshaped.
For women, the areas of the abdomen, hips, thighs and buttocks are treated most often. Estrogen changes in a woman’s body will cause fatty areas to persist for many women, despite diet and exercise. Liposuction removes specifically targeted fat pockets and returns the body to a slimmer, more streamlined appearance.
Liposuction for the Face and Neck
Facial liposuction is the removal of fat from under the chin and/or the neck. It is a fast and efficient way to get rid of a double chin, jowls, or chubbiness under the chin. The fat is vacuumed through a small external incision hidden in the shadow under the chin. Neck liposuction is a viable single alternative if there is not an extreme amount of fat in the neck and when there is sufficient skin elasticity. For some Orange County patients, the best results are obtained through a surgical neck lift either with or without chin liposuction.
Facial Liposuction. This kind of liposuction can make your face and neck look significantly thinner and make you look like you’ve lost weight. It can help completely alter the visual impact of a short or receding chin.
Some OC patients will benefit from both chin liposuction and a chin implant to make the chin more prominent and balance the face. The removal of this excess fat can significantly sharpen the contours of the lower face. Chin liposuction can also be done in conjunction with buccal fat extraction, a surgical procedure that manually extracts excess fat from the cheeks. Chin liposuction is also a frequently included part of a neck lift.
Tumescent Liposculpture
Liposuction or Liposculpture can reshape the body in ways that weight loss, exercise or incisional surgery cannot. Dr. Sikorski’s goal is for you to be more comfortable with your body and happier with your shape. Many Orange County patients find that their liposuction is a great psychological boost, giving them the incentive to exercise.
About Tumescent Liposuction
Dr. Sikorski practices the ‘Tumescent Technique’- a method which has proven to be safe, nearly bloodless, and offers a minimal amount of discomfort. In the tumescent technique, areas of excess fat are injected with a large amount of anesthetic liquid before liposuction is performed. The liquid causes the compartments of fat to become swollen and firm or “tumesced.” The expanded fat compartments allow the liposuction cannula to travel smoothly beneath the skin as the fat is removed.
The tumescent technique is highly advantageous because it can reduce post operative bruising, swelling and pain. Because blood loss is minimized during tumescent liposuction, use of the technique reduces the chance that a blood transfusion will be needed.
Who are the best candidates for liposuction
The best candidates for liposuction are men and women who are at or near their ideal weight with firm, elastic skin and have pockets of excess fat. It is important to remember that liposuction is not a weight loss procedure and you should only expect to lose up to 4 pounds of fat per session. If you are overweight, and still have a substantial amount to lose before you hit your goal, Dr. Sikorski recommends you consider other procedures that are meant for specifically for weight loss.
Just because you are at or near your ideal weight and desire to have the liposuction procedure, doesn’t mean you automatically qualify. Your overall health is the most important thing to Dr. Sikorski, which is why she requires you to be physically healthy and cleared by your general practitioner prior to your procedure, psychologically stable, and that you communicate to her that you have realistic expectations for your final results. Your age is not a major consideration; however, older Orange County patients may have diminished skin elasticity and may not achieve the same results as a younger patient with tighter skin. The best patients are those who maintain a normal activity level, eat properly and who are looking for a shape reduction and not significant weight loss.
To be a good candidate for tumescent liposuction, you must have realistic expectations about what the procedure can do for you. It’s important to understand that liposuction can enhance your appearance and self-confidence, but it won’t necessarily change your looks to match your ideal body image or cause other people to treat you differently.
Maintaining results after liposuction
A dietary change and an established exercise regimen will help to you maintain the results achieved with liposuction. It’s important to remember that although fat cells are removed, your remaining fat cells can enlarge through excessive food intake or a sedentary lifestyle.
Costs of Cosmetic Surgery
At Natural Image OC in the Orange County area, we maintain a top-level integrated, AAAHC accredited outpatient surgery center. This helps reduce the costs of cosmetic surgery because we are not tied to the additional costs of a satellite surgical center, nor do any “overtime” costs that can accrue from extra surgery time or anesthesiologist fees. In the end, this can save up to 25% over what many surgeries might cost elsewhere.
Your consultation visit
You’ll enjoy a relaxing visit to our office where you can ask questions, meet our staff, take a tour of our office and surgical suite and view additional photo results of our OC patients.
Your consultation assessment is with Dr. Sikorski, not an impersonal or commissioned sales person. Fees and procedure preparations are discussed with our patient coordinator, who will detail the surgical experience with you.
We look forward to meeting with you and helping you find the simplest solution to achieve the goals you desire. Contact us for a tumescent liposculpture consultation with Dr. Sikorski in the Orange County area and find out if this procedure is right for you. Call (949) 448-0487.
