Not too long ago, those clever people who worked in the health industry were constantly recommending a combination of diet and exercise to get rid of those embarrassing love handles. Whether you had a larger than average gut, an exceptionally wide waist or a big ole pair of thunder thighs, it seemed that eating a healthy diet and doing proper exercise was the only way to go.
Well, not any more. In recent years some people have realised that many of us are too busy/lazy/stupid to go for the diet-and-exercise option, and that we want quick, almost instantaneous results instead. Time was when liposuction was the fast way to make ourselves look – and feel – thinner, sleeker, and infinitely more contoured. Nowadays, however, liposuction is taking the back seat, making way for its younger, sexier and infinitely more clever little sister: Smart Lipo.
What is Smart Lipo?
Billed as a “revolutionary alternative to liposuction”, Smart Lipo, or laser lipolysis, can be used on both the face and body to melt away fat and make the areas appear more contoured. It works by using a small, hand-held laser to dissolve the fat and also affect the skin’s natural collagen, thus tightening the skin near the areas of the body it touches.
Smart Lipo has been widely known for about a decade. The technique is simple: a laser is inserted underneath the skin’s fat layers to destroy the fat cells and turn them into liquid, which is eventually released into the blood stream where the liver processes it. The laser will also work to seal off the blood vessels, which means that unlike some other procedures, the risk of bruising and bleeding is lessened.
Advocates of Smart Lipo agree that it sucks (pun intended). But they also say it is better than liposuction for the following reasons:
- Unlike liposuction, it does not require a general anesthetic. Instead, a local is used – in the case of abdominal Smart Lipo, perhaps the most common, an ultra-fine cannula is inserted into the skin to deliver a local through the navel.
- It is better at getting rid of fat that has settled in troublesome pockets on the body and has thus become difficult to remove. It also works to get rid of fat that has been impossible to shift with exercise. And it also tightens the surrounding skin, which conventional lipo does not.
- The procedure is much less invasive than liposuction and the down-time is considerably shortened. A typical procedure can take anywhere from half an hour to two hours.
- The cost is considerably less than conventional liposuction. Although it depends on the areas you are having treated as well as the area of the country in which you are located, expect to pay anywhere from $500 to $2,000 and up.
Disadvantages of Smart Lipo
While Smart Lipo is considered generally safe and has good results, you should be aware of the following:
- Unlike with conventional liposuction, areas of fat that are melted away thanks to Smart Lipo can reappear if a person gains weight. The result, therefore, is only semi-permanent, and doctors recommend following a healthy diet and exercise program to stop this from occurring (oh, really?).
- With Smart Lipo it can take up to three months to see the end result, although patients say they can see an immediate initial improvement. To accelerate the process, in some cases a light aspiration with water is used.
- Prophylactic antibiotics are often given to reduce the risk of infection.
- And finally, you will have to wear a rather fetching undergarment similar to a corset for up to ten days if you have abdominal etc Smart Lipo carried out…
Areas Smart Lipo Can Target
See if you could use some fat-sucking from the following body parts, and remember, sometimes Smart Lipo is done in conjunction with regular lipo…
- Face, particularly the chin and cheeks
- Neck
- Arms
- Abdomen and all love handles
- Bottom
- Knees
- Inner and outer thighs
- Male breasts (also known as man boobs, or “moobs”)
- Pubic mound, or Mound of Venus (assume this applies only to women, not to men)
The Risks
No cosmetic procedure is completely without risks. While Smart Lipo is generally considered a minimally invasive technique, there is a slight risk of infection and hematoma, a collection of blood vessels forming underneath your skin which results from internal bleeding, or a hemmorhage. In some rare cases the result is asymmetrical, and you may be left with some scarring.
As with any procedure, you can minimize the risks by having realistic expectations, doing your homework beforehand and finding a good surgeon who has done the procedure countless times before and is registered and/or certified with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, or its equivalent. Don’t forget that if you are seeking massive weight loss then Smart Lipo is not for you, nor is any kind of liposuction whatsoever, for that matter.
Smart Lipo is good for people who want either a quick fix, or who want to remove areas of stubborn fat that they have found impossible to shift, such as a Buddha belly, a double chin or a booty that would give Jennifer Lopez, her mom, aunt and 13 cousins a run for their money. However, the procedure is not entirely painless, can be costly, and carries some risks. It might be smarter – and cheaper - to invest in a gym membership and a weekly organic fruit and veg delivery instead!
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your health care provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate medical professional.
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