Liposuction is the most common procedure used to help reshape your body and reduce pockets of fat that cannot be eliminated with diet and exercise. Before you have liposuction, there are ways to increase your satisfaction with the procedure and results.
1. Consider Making Changes Beforehand
Although liposuction can create dramatic changes in your body, it is important to not rely exclusively on the procedure to improve your physique. Before deciding to have liposuction, consider changes you can make to reduce your body fat or increase muscle tone, which can improve the final result. People who rely heavily on liposuction instead of being more self-disciplined about their diet and exercise will find they easily undo the procedure.
Try to reserve liposuction for areas that will not respond to maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle. Gaining muscle can also help with the results after liposuction since you may need to minimize the appearance of loose skin. After the fat is removed, the skin will not retract immediately and may not retract at all.
2. Ask About Tumescent Liposuction
Traditionally, liposuction was performed under general anesthesia, which could increase the risk of complications and meant more time in the recovery room after the procedure. More doctors are using tumescent techniques to prevent the need for general anesthesia. To anesthetize the area, catheters are inserted under the skin and fill the area with a mixture of saline and lidocaine.
Mixing the lidocaine with saline allows doctors to anesthetize a larger area without the risk of lidocaine toxicity. Since the fluid helps expand the area under the skin, there is more space for the doctor to maneuver the suctioning device. After the procedure, you will continue to feel numb from the lidocaine for several hours, which can reduce the amount of pain medicine you need afterwards.
3. Have Realistic Expectations
Some people erroneously believe they will experience an overnight transformation in their body after liposuction. The full results of liposuction might take several weeks to be obvious. After the procedure, you will be swollen from the addition of saline under the skin. In the coming days, you may experience additional swelling and bruising from the procedure.
This is normal and should not be alarming. Fortunately, recovery from liposuction is not a lengthy process. Compression garments can help control swelling, and as the underlying tissues heal, you can begin to see the final results of the procedure. Liposuction is an invaluable procedure to help you reshape your body when diet and exercise are not enough. Doing what you can to be in the best possible shape before having liposuction will improve the results.
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