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Throughout November and December, many of us will find ourselves seated at a table with our families and loved ones, scarfing down plate after plate of turkey, potatoes, stuffing, and pumpkin pie, all delicious, and all highly caloric. Winter is traditionally a time when people grudgingly accept gaining a pound or two and/or increasing the time spent exercising in-between family gatherings and office parties. But for some people, healthy eating and regular physical activity is not enough to get rid of stubborn, localized deposits of fat. While liposuction is not meant to be a treatment for obesity, it is an effective way to remove fat deposits, and shape and improve the natural shape and curves of the body.

So before you make plans to skip Thanksgiving dinner, consider how liposuction can help you achieve the body you deserve.

What Does Liposuction Do?

Regardless of how you plan to eat and exercise over the holidays, getting rid of fat deposits can be challenging, if not completely impossible. Liposuction, also known as lipoplasty, as well as ultrasonic liposuction, removes fat deposits, tightens the skin, and helps to sculpt the body into a more attractive shape.

Liposuction can permanently remove fat from just about any area of the body, including:

• Chin, cheeks and neck
• Abdomen and waist
• Arms, chest and back
• Buttocks and hips
• Inner and outer thighs
• Inner knee
• Calves and ankles

Again, it’s important to understand that liposuction is not a treatment for obesity or intended to aid weight loss. Nor can it treat cellulite or saggy skin. Instead, liposuction can dramatically improve the patient’s existing curves and physical features by permanently removing fat deposits and tightening up the skin.

Liposuction Procedure

Liposuction is one of Dr. Chris Livingston’s specialties. Dr. Livingston is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), and has several years of experience as one of Houston’s top plastic surgeons for liposuction. Dr. Livingston and the team at Livingston Plastic Surgery can answer any questions you have about liposuction and how to prepare for the procedure.

Liposuction surgery requires intravenous sedation or general anesthesia. Once the patient is sedated, Dr. Livingston will make very small incisions in the areas of the body where liposuction will take place. A sterile saline solution combined with an anesthetic and vasoconstricting medication is injected into the incisions to help reduce bleeding and post-operative swelling and bruising. Then, a small tube called a cannula is inserted into the incisions and gently removes the fat with suction.

Liposuction patients wear a compression garment for six weeks after surgery to help the skin heal and form shapelier, tighter and more attractive contours. Swelling and bruising may take three to six months to disappear. If you are considering liposuction, take a look at our before and after photos of Dr. Livingston’s liposuction patients to see how the procedure has impacted different body types. You can also check out our video Houston Body Contouring for more information about the procedure.

Ultrasonic liposuction, which is also offered by Livingston Plastic Surgery, uses high-pitched sound save to liquefy fat before it is removed. The procedure is typically used on areas of the body that are more challenging to treat, including the chin, neck and cheeks. Ultrasonic liposuction also results in less post-operative swelling and bruising. Dr. Livingston can advise you as to which procedure is best for your specific needs.

Liposuction in Houston

Want to look your best for the holidays? Dr. Livingston and the team at Houston’s Livingston Plastic Surgery are happy to answer any questions you have about the benefits of and steps involved in liposuction and ultrasonic liposuction. Contact us today by phone or use our online form to request a free consultation.