You may be considering liposuction for body fat loss, and you may be further wondering if it leaves scars and if so, how to avoid them. Liposuction is an increasingly popular procedure that removes body fat from the body. It is commonly used as a fat-reduction method all over the world. We will go into the specifics of what liposuction is, what risks it carries, and whether it leaves scars or not.
What is Liposuction?
Liposuction is a surgical procedure in which a doctor physically sucks out and removes adipose tissue (body fat). This procedure is performed under general, regional, or local anesthesia, depending on a variety of factors. There are two types of liposuction: cosmetic liposuction and medically necessary liposuction. Liposuction can be medically necessary in order to drain lipomas, treat conditions such as lymphedema, and treat lipedema. However, this type of liposuction is far rarer than the other cosmetic type. The majority of liposuction procedures are to improve the aesthetic appeal of a person’s body, and it is this type of liposuction that we will focus on in this article.
In liposuction, a surgeon sucks the fat out of the body by negative pressure, and it is thereby permanently removed. This is used by many individuals as an easy way to lose body fat and improve appearance. There are several different ways to perform the procedure, but, in general, a cannula is introduced to a fat deposit in the body, and that cannula is attached to an aspirator that applies negative pressure through the cannula. This is moved around the fat deposit, and the fat is sucked through the cannula and into the aspirator by the use of negative pressure, permanently removing the fat from the body. Whether your liposuction is performed under local or general anesthesia is generally determined by the volume of fat being removed.
Liposuction is considered a very safe surgery, and thousands of procedures are performed each year in the United States alone. There are certain complications that can occur with liposuction, just like with any surgical procedure. However, liposuction is generally considered very safe by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). Having said this, some 4,500 deaths occur associated with liposuction each year.
Does Liposuction Leave Scars?
Liposuction can leave scars, just as any invasive surgery can. Generally, scarring with liposuction is minimal though. The scars left by liposuction are generally small circular scars from the point of the insertion of the cannula, and they are not particularly noticeable in the first place, though they do fade with time. However, there are other potential risks with liposuction.
The negative potential side effects of liposuction are several, and they can be exacerbated by certain prior health circumstances. Just like any surgical procedure, liposuction carries with it the risk of post-operative infection, which can be minor or quite severe in nature. Additionally, deformities in the body at the site of the liposuction can occur in as many as 20% of patients. Bruising and pain can be temporary results of the liposuction procedure, although the pain may become chronic as well in some cases. Embolisms may occur when pieces of fat enter the bloodstream during or after the surgery. These embolisms can affect the lungs, the brain, or another part of the body and are extremely serious. Fat emboli can cause permanent disability or even death.
Liposuction patients may additionally be affected by post-op fluid imbalances, resulting in fluid collecting in the lungs, heart problems, or kidney problems. There is a risk of toxicity from the anesthesia, specifically the use of lidocaine, which has been linked to several deaths in the case of liposuction procedures. Ultrasound-assisted liposuction can cause burns if the ultrasound probe becomes too hot. Serious complications that can result from liposuction include deep vein thrombosis, organ perforation during the surgery, bleeding, and infection. These are risks that everyone having liposuction surgery undergoes in some capacity, although your personal risk profile for each of these complications is individual and depends on a variety of factors.
Alternatives to Liposuction that Do Not Leave Scars
There are a number of alternative fat loss procedures and processes to liposuction that are nonsurgical in nature and do not leave any scars. We will go over these procedures, as well as some processes for losing weight, in detail below.
Therapy
Occasionally weight gain and fat retention are the results of mental health issues. For example, binge eating disorder is a mental disorder that can lead to obesity. Even if a mental condition isn’t necessarily the cause, many people gain weight or are unable to maintain a healthy weight because they have an unhealthy psychological relationship with food. They oftentimes comfort themselves or reward themselves with food. For these reasons, therapy is a viable option for weight loss for many people. A therapist will help you get to the root of the problem and address why you are overeating, and will consequently help you lose body fat. Therapy can be a very helpful tool in your weight loss journey.
Radiofrequency Lipolysis
This cosmetic procedure involves the use of radio waves to heat fat deposits in the body until they are destroyed. The process is similar to other types of cosmetic procedures in that the patient is prepared, and the area to be treated is marked off. Then with the application of a device one centimeter from the body, radio waves are fired into the fat deposit. The radio waves pass through the skin harmlessly and then heat up the fat inside the body, eventually killing the fat cells in the treated area. This is a permanent fat loss solution, as the fat cells are dead and gone afterward. Typically, a cooling device is utilized at the same time to keep the skin at a comfortable temperature during the procedure. This procedure is relatively side effect-free, with the most common side effects being redness and heating in the affected area, as well as some tissue tenderness.
Cryolipolysis
In this procedure, freezing cold temperatures are used to destroy fat cells while leaving the skin cells intact. This is done by clamping the part of the body chosen for this localized effect with the medical device, which is then cooled to very cold temperatures, thereby killing the fat cells in the area. Patients may experience some discomfort when exposed to the freezing temperatures, although this abates relatively quickly. This type of body sculpting is meant to create localized changes to body fat levels around the chosen area for the sake of aesthetic improvement. There are, however, known side effects to this treatment. For example, paradoxical adipose hyperplasia is a potential side effect of cryolipolysis that results in the number of fat cells in the area treated multiplying rather than receding. For this reason, this method is not as foolproof as some of the alternative methods, such as laser lipolysis.
Laser Lipolysis
This procedure, also referred to as “laser lipo,” involves the application of a low-intensity laser to the fat areas you wish to lose. Lasers can generate singular-directional light and heat to a minimal area. With laser lipo, the technician will target the cell with the laser. The laser penetrates the skin, reaches the targeted fat cells, and bores a tiny pore into the cellular membrane. In addition to creating the small hole, the laser emulsifies (melts) the lipids inside the cell, which allows them to seep through the pore.
The body’s lymphatic system then naturally disposes of the lipids. Emerald Laser by Erchonia works differently from other laser lipolysis methods. Emerald’s system uses ten 532 nanometer lasers to target fat cells. While the system allows the cells to drain, they remain intact. Other laser systems destroy the fat cells, which can lead to fatty deposits developing in other areas of the body.
Additionally, Emerald Laser is relatively painless when compared to other laser systems. Most patients don’t feel anything at all. Laser lipolysis is a minimally invasive weight loss method that targets body fat exclusively. It is innovative and relatively new. Laser lipolysis by Emerald Laser is the first FDA-approved laser lipolysis process.
GLP-1 Agonists
These are a type of medications that can cause increased satiety and fullness when eating. GLP-1 agonist medications imitate a hormone called incretin, which is responsible for the feeling of satiety, thereby increasing fullness and decreasing hunger. This results in weight loss through caloric restriction being far easier, as the person is not as hungry and feels significantly fuller from the same quantity of food. Individuals will be less hungry and remain full for longer while on this medication, though they will still have to adjust their eating habits in order to lose body fat. However, unless the eating issue is purely psychological, this will be far easier to do, as the cravings for food and general hunger will be significantly diminished.
Avoiding Unsightly Scars
In order to avoid the unsightly scars and other potential risks associated with liposuction, simply use one of the alternative weight loss methods we have detailed here. Laser lipolysis in particular is appealing, as the process is painless, and the results are permanent. Individuals can expect to lose up to thirty pounds of body fat from laser lipolysis treatment, which is even more than they are likely to lose using liposuction. Avoid unsightly scars by utilizing a superior fat-loss procedure.
Emerald Laser
If you are looking for sustainable and painless fat loss with no effort on your part, check out Emerald Laser, and see if laser lipolysis is right for you!
