When Laser Lights Cosmetic Laser Center was added to the Southern Plastic Surgery practice, we had big dreams for it. We wanted our Atlanta area patients to have access to both nonsurgical and surgical plastic surgery and skincare services. Technology continues to impress as it gets more effective and readily available to treat people with a wide range of skin tones, types, and conditions. For decades, liposuction was the only way patients could target and remove fat cells from a specific area of the body, but patients now want noninvasive options to reduce stubborn fat without the downtime associated with plastic surgery. Even cosmetic injectables, like Kybella™ fat reduction for the double chin, have given patients even more fat reduction options than they’ve had access to in previous years. Depending on your specific preferences, you can now eliminate stubborn pockets of fat from many parts of the body with two different methods: surgical and nonsurgical fat reduction procedures.
Surgical fat reduction with liposuction (performed at Southern Plastic Surgery):
Despite the increase in nonsurgical fat removal technology, liposuction remains one of the top 5 procedures performed each year by board-certified plastic surgeons. With the American Society of Plastic Surgeons recording 222,051 procedures in 2015, and a 5% increase from 2014, liposuction is a well sought-after body contouring procedure. What liposuction isn’t? A solution for weight loss. Patients who have small pockets of localized fat (think pockets of fat on the face, abdomen, thighs, buttocks, hips, and love handles) that don’t seem to diminish with even the most routine diet and exercise regimen, make ideal candidates for liposuction.
There are several different liposuction techniques that can help get rid of the fat but at the very core, fat cells are removed using a tiny tube, called a cannula. The cannula helps to target fat deposits and remove them from the treatment area by way of a suction-like method. Patients are typically able to go back to work after a few days to one week of recovery and the results are long-lasting (meaning fat removal is permanent as long as you stay on top of your dieting and exercising).
Nonsurgical fat reduction with SculpSure™ (Performed at Laser Lights):
SculpSure™ nonsurgical fat reduction system puts outdated systems to shame in many ways – most notably because it provides better results in less time and at a fraction of the cost of similar procedures. As the newest fat reduction system, SculpSure™ uses four flat plates to send controlled heat deep below the skin to specifically target layers of fat. What’s great about these plates are that they can be customized to treat larger areas or multiple areas simultaneously; it will just depend on the area/s you choose to have treated.
Possible treatment areas are similar to liposuction and include love handles, thighs, and abdomen. Treatment sessions last about 25 minutes and patients are able to comfortably enjoy their treatment and take advantage of quiet time to rest, do some light reading, spend time on their cell phones, or take a quick nap; once treatments are over, they’re able to return to business as usual. SculpSure™ results are gradual over several weeks as the body naturally eliminates the targeted fat cells and while some patients are happy with their results from a single treatment, others may decide to have multiple sessions for maximum fat reduction results.
Theoretically, with both of these procedures, once the fat cells are gone, the bulge is gone. That being said, the best way to make sure the fat cells don’t re-accumulate or find a new area to gather is to maintain your weight. If you aren’t one who is keen on diet and exercise, there are plenty of ways to stay active around the house and outdoors (especially with the weather warming up and the beltline and other Atlanta trails expanding). The less sedentary your life, the better you’ll help your results continue to be long-lasting. If you’re interested in learning more about the types of surgical and nonsurgical fat reduction procedures at Southern Plastic Surgery and Laser Lights, feel free to contact either office for details.