Are you unhappy with a stubborn bulge that won’t go away no matter how much you exercise or diet? Are you close to your goal weight but are having difficulty shedding the last few pounds of problem fat? Excess fat that is resistant to weight loss efforts is a common concern for many patients. If you are searching for a minimally-invasive and highly-effective treatment for achieving a slimmer and more contoured body shape, the professionals here at Plastic Surgery Specialists of South Florida located in Hollywood can help. We offer personalized liposuction treatments for a smoother and more refined silhouette.
What Is Liposuction?
Our liposuction in Hollywood, FL is a widely popular and minimally-invasive treatment that works to eliminate stubborn fat from common problem areas of the body. Treatments utilize a breakdown and suction method in order to target and remove unwanted fat from the body for good. Liposuction is a safe treatment that provides instant results for a more toned and slimmer body shape without the need for invasive surgery.
What Are the Goals of Liposuction?
The primary goal of liposuction is to reshape and refine areas of the body that hold onto stubborn fat, even with diet and exercise. It’s not meant for weight loss but rather for body contouring, helping smooth and sculpt areas like the abdomen, thighs, flanks, arms, or chin. Liposuction is best for patients who are already close to their target weight.
What Can Be Treated?
Liposuction can be used to treat many common problem areas, including:
Abdomen
Flanks
Back
Buttocks
Arms
Thighs
And more!
Can We Treat More Than One Area at Once?
Treating multiple areas during the same liposuction session is something we often do, depending on your goals and overall health. Common combinations include the abdomen and flanks, or thighs and knees. Addressing more than one area at once can create a more proportionate look and reduce the need for multiple recovery periods. We’ll discuss what makes the most sense for you during your consultation.
Preparing for Liposuction
- Schedule a Consultation: This is where we evaluate your goals, review your medical history, and make sure you’re a good candidate for liposuction.
- Stop Smoking: Smoking can affect healing and circulation. We usually ask patients to stop several weeks before and after the procedure.
- Avoid Certain Medications and Supplements: Blood thinners, anti-inflammatory drugs, and some supplements can increase your bleeding risk. We’ll provide a list of what to pause ahead of time.
- Plan for Your Recovery Period: Make sure you have time off work, help at home if needed, and comfortable clothing ready. You will need to wear compression garments, which we’ll discuss with you during your appointment.
- Maintain Your Current Weight: Keeping a stable weight before treatment helps us get the best contouring results.
What to Expect
During an initial consultation with one of our experienced professionals, a plan for treatment is created that is tailored to you and your specific desires. Liposuction is performed as an outpatient procedure using general anesthesia or local anesthesia in order to ensure optimal patient comfort.
During the procedure, tiny incisions are made in discrete points within the treatment area. A specialized cannula is then gently inserted into the incision. A manual method is used to break apart the targeted fatty tissue so that it is easier to remove. Using the cannula’s suction function, the unwanted fat is then suctioned from the body permanently.
The incisions are then gently closed and covered with a light wrap over the treated area. Following liposuction, there is a short recovery time with at-home instructions provided for a smooth recovery and optimal results. Following recovery, you can notice visible results for a slimmed and more defined silhouette.
Recovering From Liposuction
Your Healing Timeline
During the first few days of liposuction recovery, you’ll notice swelling, bruising, and some soreness in the treated areas. This is completely normal. We’ll give you compression garments to wear right away to help reduce swelling and guide the shape of the area as it heals. Most patients feel well enough to move around the house within a couple of days, but don’t push yourself too hard. Over the next one to two weeks, swelling will start to go down, and you may begin to see early contour changes. The final shape takes time as your body settles and fully heals beneath the skin.
Tips for Recovering From Liposuction
We’ll walk you through everything during your visit, but here are a few things you can do to support a smoother recovery:
- Wear your compression garment as directed
- Stay mobile, but don’t overdo it
- Hydrate and eat nourishing foods
- Avoid alcohol and smoking
- Keep the area clean and dry
- Listen to your body
When to Return to Regular Activities
Most patients can return to light activity or desk work within about a week. If your job involves physical labor or heavy lifting, we may ask you to take more time off or modify your tasks. Exercise usually comes back into the picture after about three to four weeks, depending on how you’re healing. We’ll check in during your follow-ups and give you the green light when it’s safe to increase your activity level. Everyone heals at their own pace, so we’ll base our recommendations on how your body responds.
Are You a Good Candidate for Liposuction?
Ideal Physical Qualifications
When we evaluate whether liposuction is right for you, we start by looking at your current body composition. This treatment works best if you’re within about 30% of your ideal weight. If you’re still actively working toward weight loss, we may recommend waiting until you’ve reached a stable point. We also look at your skin’s elasticity. If your skin is firm and bounces back well, you’re more likely to see smooth, even results. Good underlying muscle tone can also help define your contours once the fat is removed. If your skin is very loose or sagging, we might talk about whether combining liposuction with a skin-tightening surgery, such as a tummy tuck, makes more sense for your goals.
Health Requirements
You will need to be in good health to be a good candidate for liposuction. You should have no uncontrolled chronic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease. If you’re on medications, we’ll review them with you and coordinate with your prescribing doctor if needed. We also want to be sure there are no active infections or immune conditions that could slow down your recovery. During your consultation, we go over your full medical history and any recent lab results to make sure everything looks safe. If there’s something we need to adjust or monitor, we’ll talk through it with you first.
Lifestyle Considerations
We ask all liposuction patients to stop smoking for a few weeks before and after treatment. Smoking affects your circulation and can slow healing, so quitting temporarily, or for good, gives you a better outcome. We also look at your long-term habits. While liposuction can contour the body, it doesn’t stop fat from returning if your weight increases. Patients who maintain a steady diet and exercise routine tend to keep their results longer. If you’re committed to staying active and making healthy choices, you’re more likely to get lasting benefits from treatment.
Liposuction With Fat Transfer
In some cases also repurpose the fat that we remove. After we perform a liposuction procedure, we can process the extracted fat and transfer it to other areas of your body that could use more volume or shape. This is often called fat grafting, and it allows us to enhance one area while contouring another.
We start by collecting fat from common areas like the abdomen, flanks, or thighs. Once we purify the fat, we re-inject it into targeted areas using careful layering techniques for a natural look and feel. Common areas for fat transfer include:
- Buttocks: This is known as a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL), where we use your own fat to enhance shape and projection.
- Breasts: For subtle volume or to correct asymmetry without implants, fat transfer can offer a natural option.
- Face: Small amounts of fat can restore volume to the cheeks, under the eyes, or along the jawline.
Combining Liposuction With Other Procedures
Tummy Tuck
If your main concern is abdominal fullness, we’ll look closely at whether it’s mostly excess fat, loose skin, or weakened abdominal muscles. When skin has stretched from weight changes or pregnancy, removing fat alone may not give you the smooth contour you want. In this case, we may recommend combining liposuction with a tummy tuck. During surgery, we remove fat through liposuction and then surgically tighten the muscles and remove excess skin.
Facial Procedures
Facial sculpting is another area where we might combine treatments. If you have fullness under the chin or along the jawline, liposuction can help sharpen your profile. For some patients, we pair it with procedures like a facelift or neck lift to treat sagging skin and address deeper signs of aging.
Arm Lifts
The upper arms are a common area for stubborn fat, but it can be challenging when there is loose skin. We often combine liposuction with an arm lift. After sculpting the area with liposuction, we remove extra skin and reshape the upper arm for a tighter appearance. This is especially helpful for patients who’ve lost a significant amount of weight or have age-related skin laxity.
FAQs About Liposuction
How Much Fat Can Be Removed Safely?
Usually no more than three to five liters of fat is taken during a single liposuction procedure, but it depends on your body type and overall health. We focus on contouring the area safely and effectively.
Can Liposuction Tighten the Skin?
Liposuction removes fat, but it does not tighten loose skin. If your skin has good elasticity, it may retract nicely on its own after the fat is removed. If it doesn’t, sagging or wrinkling could occur after liposuction, and we may recommend combining liposuction with another surgery. We’ll evaluate your skin tone in person to help determine the best approach for you.
Will the Fat Come Back After Liposuction?
Fat cells that are removed don’t grow back, but your remaining fat cells can still expand if you gain weight. We always encourage patients to maintain a stable weight through diet and regular activity. If your weight stays consistent, you can expect long-lasting contouring results.
Can Liposuction Treat Cellulite?
While liposuction can smooth out certain contours, it doesn’t specifically target cellulite. Cellulite is caused by fibrous bands pulling down on the skin, not just fat under the surface. In some cases, removing fat can sometimes make cellulite more noticeable. If cellulite is a concern, we’ll go over likely outcomes and options.
How Long Will I Need to Wear a Compression Garment?
We typically ask patients to wear their compression garments for around six weeks. It should be worn 24 hours a day except when showering. We’ll give you specific instructions based on the areas treated.
How Many Liposuction Procedures Will I Need?
Most patients only need one procedure to get the results they’re looking for. If we’re treating multiple areas or if you’re working toward a larger transformation, we may stage treatments over more time. We will talk about the safest and most efficient way to approach your goals.
When Will I See My Full Results?
You’ll start to notice changes within the first few weeks, but swelling takes time to fully resolve. Most of the improvement becomes visible around the two or three-month mark, with final results continuing to refine over the next several months. The treated areas will gradually become more defined as your body heals and inflammation fades. We’ll follow up with you to make sure everything is progressing as expected.
Choosing Our Practice for Liposuction
When you choose us for your liposuction treatment in Hollywood, FL, you’re working with experienced, board-certified plastic surgeons who bring both technical expertise and personalized care to every procedure.
Dr. Yoav Barnavon has over two decades of surgical experience and leads plastic surgery residency training at Memorial Healthcare System. Dr. Jason Levine offers a strong background in both general and plastic surgery, with extensive experience in body and facial aesthetics. Dr. Hwee brings an innovative, detail-oriented approach shaped by his dual training in engineering and medicine, with a wide range of experience in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery.
Together, we provide thoughtful treatment plans designed around your goals, with a focus on safety, precision, and long-term results.
Contact Us for More Information About Liposuction in Hollywood, FL
Don’t allow stubborn fat in common problem areas to keep you from reaching your body goals. Reach out to the experts at Plastic Surgery Specialists of South Florida, located in Hollywood to learn more about personalized liposuction treatments. Contact us today at (954) 987-8100 or online to schedule your consultation!
