Here in the Orange County/Santa Ana area and elsewhere in the United States, “Power Assisted Liposuction” (PAL) and the “Vaser” are still the gold standard for removing those stubborn pockets of fat in the body. Power assisted liposuction uses a mechanical cannula to allow the cannula to pass through the subcutaneous tissue with less effort and more precision. Vaser refers to the pre-liposuction step that treats the subcutaneous fat layer with ultrasound. The ultrasound waves partially liquefies the fat allowing for suctioning through the cannula to be more effective. It also seems to aid in the tightening of the skin.
Liposuction is very effective for reducing specific pockets of fat. Dr. Sajjadian has been giving our Santa Ana clients a way to lose those areas that are resistant to diet and exercise with liposuction with much success. However, liposuction is not perfect for everyone or every area of fat. For example, liposuction is not a good treatment for cellulite because cellulite is caused from the more superficial layer of fat right underneath the skin, not the deeper pockets of fat that liposuction treats. The appearance of cellulite may be improved with liposuction, but it should not be expected.
Liposuction is not a license to eat an unhealthy diet in fact most of our Santa Ana area clients love the way they look after liposuction so much that they are even more committed to a healthy lifestyle than they were before because they don’t want to undo the amazing results done by liposuction. Basically after you’ve had liposuction there is nothing to keep the weight off except your own self-discipline. Many people think it’s a one-time thing but it’s not. The distribution of fat may be different but some areas may actually appear to gain weight faster than before liposuction. This can occur because the fat cells removed from a given area don’t grow back however, if your intake of fat exceeds the amount you burn off, fat is going to find some place to settle.
Liposuction also does not get rid of skin that has been stretched out due to fat. For the young this may not be an issue since the skin still retains its elasticity and can shrink back but for many of our older Santa Ana clients who have lost much of the elasticity in their skin, another procedure like a tummy tuck or body lift may be required to help restore a natural looking contour after liposuction is performed.
If you live in the Orange County/Santa Ana area and are interested in learning more about liposuction, contact our office today. Dr. Sajjadian would be more than happy to assist you!