Fat Facts After Liposuction

Fat removed via Liposuction does not return.

The amount of fat cells you have in your body, is typically set at around age 18. After this, if you are to lose or put on weight, your fat cells either shrink or expand, but they always stay around. Liposuction actually removes fat cells from areas that are treated. These fat cells are taken out of your body, and can never regrow. The fat cells are permanently removed.

Liposuction helps with future weight loss.

A study from the Swanson Centre¹, a premier cosmetic surgery clinic in the USA, was conducted to better understand fat distribution following liposuction procedures. In Dr. Swanson’s study, he found the average weight loss after lower body liposuction was 1 kg. In patients who were 1 year post-op there was no evidence of fat regrowth.

In fact, once you have liposuction and the fat cells have been removed, it is very hard to gain an equivalent amount of weight again, and it is actually likely that you will lose weight.

You can get bigger after liposuction.

Liposuction is not primarily a weight loss solution, but rather a procedure aimed at targeting specific stubborn fat areas (such as manboobs, love handles, hips, pot bellies, etc). Its effectiveness can vary depending on individual factors like exercise and diet habits. These areas that are treated will not likely be a problem again after liposuction. However if you are to gain weight, you can get bigger, as this will affect your visceral fat, which is underneath the muscle, and much deeper than the subcutaneous layer of fat which liposuction targets. See the diagram below.

So although those out of proportion large hips might be gone forever, liposuction does not make your whole body permanently thin. At Cosmos Aesthetics, we teach that liposuction is NOT a form of weight reduction, but rather to reshape the body to how you want to look, improving your appearance and most importantly confidence.

Liposuction does not leave behind big scars.

The size of the cannula used to remove the fat from your body is less than 5 mm in diameter, which leaves tiny scars behind, that will fade to look like mosquito bites over the first 12 months, and will eventually almost disappear. These dots are usually hidden out of sight in your bikini line, belly button, or under your arms where possible.

It might take a few months to see your best results.

Our before and after images are usually taken at about the 3 month mark. This is when most of the swelling has subsided and the healing is well underway. Some patients see their results before this 3 month mark, others may take longer. After 3 months, results will continue to improve, until about the 6-12 month mark, when final results will show. That being said, you will however notice an instant result as soon as you get up off the operating table. Post-procedure, you may notice changes such as a flatter tummy, thinner legs, or reduced appearance in the chest area. However, individual results can vary, and it may take a few months for the final outcome to be evident.

Your removed fat does not become soap!

Fat from your liposuction procedure is not used for soap, nor can you take it home as a memento of your old body, although we have had a few patients request to take a selfie with their fat straight after their procedure! Unexcitedly, your fat is simply placed into a special medical waste bin and collected daily.

Unless of course you are undergoing a buttock or breast fat transfer procedure! In which case your fat is carefully treated and re-injected to create a perky butt or enhance your breasts.

Although we do not recycle your fat at Cosmos Aesthetics, it should be mentioned that removed fat from procedures is a great source of stem cells which can be used for research and sometimes even used to repair damage to your body through injury. Fat is fast becoming a very important substance in the medical world, as it can be used to grow blood vessels, repair tissue and even grow new bones!

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