Does liposuction make you healthier? Liposuction has exploded in popularity in recent years. Studies show that body procedures, particularly liposuction, jumped by 63% in 2021 alone.
The procedure removes stubborn pockets of body fat resistant to diet and exercise. While the aesthetic technique should not be considered a weight-loss method, liposuction can recontour your curves. The results could give you the body of your dreams. And as this article will show, liposuction could motivate you to want to live a healthier lifestyle.
Table of Contents
First, let’s dispel some myths.
Myth #1: Liposuction is a One Size Fits All Procedure
You may not be aware but there are several different types of liposuction. Traditional lipo uses a tumescent fluid to reduce pain and bleeding. Then there is VASER liposuction, which uses sound energy to break up fat before it is suctioned away.
Traditional liposuction is useful for removing large pockets of fat. VASER is best for etching your body’s musculature and is popular with bodybuilders and fitness buffs.
Myth #2: Liposuction Produces Immediate Results
In a perfect world, your cosmetic surgeon would perform liposuction, and you would leave the office looking just as you expect. While lipo does produce amazing results, the aftereffects can take time to manifest fully.
You can experience swelling for days or weeks following your procedure. This is why cosmetic surgeons ask that you wear a compression vest, which aids with healing and reduces swelling. Once the swelling subsides, your new and improved look will shine right through.
Myth #3: Liposuction is the Safest Cosmetic Procedure
Let’s not mince words here. Liposuction is safe when performed by an experienced cosmetic specialist. That being said, lipo is still considered a surgical procedure. Your cosmetic surgeon will explain all the potential complications and risks during the initial consultation. It is important that you understand how liposuction can affect your health before signing up for the procedure. One of the most significant risk factors is a blood clot, which can travel through your bloodstream to your lungs or brain. This complication is incredibly rare. Other potential risks include infection, bruising, skin color alterations, and numbness. You can further reduce your risks of experiencing complications by choosing your cosmetic surgeon wisely.
Myth #4: Liposuction is Best Performed as a Standalone Procedure
You can certainly undergo lipo all by itself. The procedure can be used on many bodily areas, including the face, chin, neck, chest, back, arms, flanks, abdomen, buttocks, thighs, and ankles. However, liposuction can also be used alongside other procedures.
For example, watch Doctor Babak Moein perform liposuction 360 alongside breast fat grafting and tummy tuck in the following video:
And another where liposuction is used on the upper arms along with Renuvion for skin tightening:
Myth #5: Liposuction is Useful for Loose Skin
Lax skin is a common complaint among cosmetic surgery patients. Age, significant weight loss, and genetics can lead to a loss of skin elasticity on the upper arms, abdomen, upper thighs, and elsewhere on the body.
Liposuction is useful for permanently removing fat cells, but traditional lipo will not tighten the skin. VASER liposuction, on the other hand, is effective at skin tightening. Traditional liposuction and VASER lipo can both be used alongside other procedures such as Renuvion. Renuvion uses J-plasma technology to coagulate tissues around the treatment area. When used with lipo, Renuvion can lead to slimmer, firmer arms and thighs. Another popular combination is liposuction used with the tummy tuck, which removes loose skin while also tightening the abdomen.
Does Liposuction Make You Healthier by Motivating You To Stay Fit?
Your Consultation Can be a Wakeup Call
For some people, preparing for liposuction, such as meeting with a surgeon, discussing the procedure, and going through recovery, can be a wake-up call to start taking your health more seriously.
Can Speed Up Recovery
Research shows that the best time to start a healthier lifestyle is immediately following your liposuction procedure. While you are encouraged to rest for around 48 hours, engaging in moderate activity and an anti-inflammatory diet can reduce swelling and lead to faster recovery.
An anti-inflammatory diet contains whole and unprocessed foods without added sugar. This means filling your plate with plenty of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, seeds, low-fat dairy, fish, poultry, and olive oil.
Gaining Weight Can Skew Your Results
Liposuction is considered a permanent cosmetic procedure. The fat is suctioned away and will not return. It should be noted that liposuction may not remove all fat cells from the treatment area. There could be some remaining fat cells that can grow in size and expand if you end up gaining weight. Following a liposuction procedure, putting on weight can lead to fat showing up in new and unpredictable places. The best way to prevent this from happening is to eat healthily and engage in regular exercise.
We have already covered what to eat to prevent inflammation after liposuction. It also helps to know which foods to avoid. These include fast foods, fried foods, sugary cereals, processed meats, and refined grains like pasta, rice, crackers, and bread.
As far as what to drink, consuming lots of water can never do you wrong. You may want to limit sodas and alcohol or cut them out entirely.
Regarding exercise, you will be limited to walking for a few weeks following surgery. Once your cosmetic surgeon has cleared you to resume physical fitness, you should begin (or continue) an everyday routine. You don’t necessarily have to hire a personal trainer, though that’s not the worst idea. You can also join a workout class, attend the gym regularly, build a home gym, or work out in your living room to YouTube videos. Regular activity is necessary to maintain your liposuction results and achieve a healthier lifestyle.
Soaring Confidence Makes You Want to Stay That Way
Liposuction can help you feel more confident and self-assured about your appearance. Feeling good about your appearance can inspire you to take better care of yourself.
Suppose you are a non-smoker, within 30% of your ideal weight, and you hold realistic expectations for what lipo can do for you. In that case, you may be an excellent candidate for this ever-popular cosmetic procedure.
Tips for Living Healthier After Liposuction
In the book Liposuction: The Big Fat Story, Sunitha Raj offers good advice for starting on the ball early. “Start off on an exercise regimen and diet modification well before the surgery. Make a promise to yourself: you will continue to look after your body and stick to the pre-surgery regime for as long as you live. Liposuction is the nudge that will help you to a healthier lifestyle. That should be your commitment to you.”
Reduce Carbohydrates
Your cosmetic surgeon recommends avoiding carbs for at least six weeks after your liposuction procedure. For best results long into the future, you may want to consider limiting your intake of carbohydrates for the rest of your life.
Supplement Your Diet
Taking supplements can assist with liposuction recovery. Pay special attention to foods and tablets that contain vitamin D and magnesium. Vitamin D boosts the creation of cathelicidin in the body. This peptide helps to fight off infections. Magnesium fights inflammation. You can find these nutrients in avocados, spinach, bananas, dark chocolate, kidney beans, egg yolks, and sardines.
Probiotics can help to protect against infection after liposuction surgery. Foods to include in your diet include miso, kefir, kimchi, pickles, yogurt, and kombucha.
Lower Your Stress Levels
You can do everything right, but if you are overly stressed, you can engage in unhealthy habits, like overeating. Too much stress can spike your cortisol levels, which signals your body to store more fat. Stress can also affect cravings, making you want salty and fat-filled junk foods. You can minimize stress by getting enough sleep, meditating often, and practicing self-care.
Avoid a Sedentary Lifestyle
We have established that you can achieve a healthier lifestyle by eating right and moving your body. The opposite is to live a sedentary lifestyle, which should be avoided at all costs. According to experts, sitting for too long is detrimental to your health, as much as smoking.
No matter your station in life, there are tips you can follow to become more active following your liposuction procedure. If you work at a desk all day, strive to stand up and move your legs at least once every half-hour. You can walk around the office or up and down the hallway, even for a brief time. Set a timer to keep yourself accountable.
You can also consider getting a standing desk so that you’re not sitting on your behind all day. Doing so can cause certain parts of you to sag over time. Even if you don’t have a standing desk, you might try standing for phone calls and taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
No Smoking
Smoking is bound to come up during your initial consultation with a liposuction specialist. Your cosmetic surgeon will encourage you to stop smoking at least two weeks before your surgery date. This is not because your surgeon is allergic to smoking or doesn’t want to smell the smoke in the operating room. The reason is that smoking is horrible for your health, particularly as you recover from liposuction.
Smoking can slow healing and skew your results. Even after you recover, smoking is never a good idea. Use your liposuction results as motivation to quit permanently.
Make Living Healthily a Habit
You probably do not need to be told that yo-yo dieting harms your health. Losing weight on a crash diet only to gain it back again is hard on your body. The problem with crash diets is that you tend to surrender to unhealthy temptations once you have reached your goal. Sometimes, you become tempted even if you don’t reach your goal. Either way, you only face packing the weight you’ve lost back on.
The better way to approach healthier living is to build healthy habits. Find healthy foods to eat that you enjoy eating. Search online for recipes involving many of the foods we have already mentioned. Instead of dieting briefly, learn to enjoy and prefer healthy foods. Instead of exercise that you force yourself to do, find physical activities that you enjoy and look forward to. You are even encouraged to involve friends to make your healthier habits a social affair.
Track What You Eat and Drink
This tip can coincide with your attempt to build healthier habits. If you are straying from healthy eating and regular exercise, hold yourself accountable by tracking what you eat and how you move. You can either keep a food and exercise diary or download an app. Countless apps help you count calories, track your exercise, as well as log your water intake. Some apps even gamify the process, letting you see how much you’ve progressed while making healthy living fun.
Make This the Year You Live Healthily with Liposuction
It’s a new year, which means it’s an opportunity to create a whole new you. By now, you know that liposuction can be used on various bodily areas, from the head to the ankles. You also have myriad tips for maintaining your liposuction results. Use this advice to create a slimmer, healthier version of yourself.
Want to learn more?
Schedule a liposuction consultation with renowned cosmetic surgeon Doctor Babak Moein by calling Moein Surgical Arts at (310)694-4486.
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