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Is Laser Liposuction Right for You?

Posted on: October 16th, 2015 by csiaccess

The natural aging process, hereditary factors and pregnancy can lead to the development of hard-to-target pockets of fat in the body that are difficult to eliminate with diet and exercise alone. These problem areas often develop around the abdomen, waist and hips, under the chin, and many other parts of the body. When changes in diet and exercise habits seem to yield no further improvements, California Skin Institute patients may benefit from laser liposuction.* This advanced fat removal and body contouring technique can produce dramatic outcomes, often with less downtime and discomfort than traditional liposuction under general anesthesia.* If you’re struggling with pockets of fat that just don’t seem to go away, please contact a California Skin Institute practice near you, or use the Contact Form, below, to schedule your body contouring consultation.*

How Laser Liposuction Works

The idea behind laser liposuction is the same as traditional liposuction; to remove excess fat from parts of the body that haven’t responded to diet and exercise.* However, in addition to using tumescent fluid and suctioning out the excess fat, laser liposuction utilizes laser energy to first break down the fat, so that more of it can be safely removed during the procedure.*

When your laser liposuction starts, your California Skin Institute provider will first inject a tumescent solution under the skin.* This is the same initial step as in traditional liposuction.* The tumescent solution contains lidocaine, to numb the treatment area, and epinephrine, to limit blood loss by shrinking the blood vessels.*

Once the tumescent solution has taken effect, your California Skin Institute provider will insert a specialized laser liposuction cannula under the skin.* As the specialized cannula with the laser attachment is moved under the skin, the laser will melt the fat so that it can be more easily removed through the cannula.* This melting process doesn’t just make the fat easier to remove, but also makes it more compact, so that more fat tissue can be removed at once.*

Laser liposuction is commonly performed under local anesthesia.* However, it’s important that you have someone drive you home after the procedure, as you may receive mild sedation during treatment, to help you relax.*

Laser Liposuction Technologies

To perform the laser liposuction technique, your California Skin Institute provider may use one of the following technologies, depending on your unique needs:*

  • Sidelaze: This device is very effective at heating up the fat cells to make the suctioning of fat easier on the body.* Further, the heating process stimulates collagen production in the skin, which aids with skin tightening during liposuction recovery.*
  • Smartlipo: The Smartlipo device is highly customizable laser liposuction technology, which allows your provider to tailor the bursts of energy to your situation.* This increases patient comfort during the procedure, and gives your California Skin Institute provider additional options for customizing your procedure.*
  • Cellulaze: To help patients struggling with cellulite, California Skin Institute providers may utilize a laser cellulite reduction technology called Cellulaze.* Unlike laser liposuction, the goal of this treatment isn’t to remove large quantities of fat, but to target specific areas where the skin’s support network has become weak and created the appearance of bumps.* During your Cellulaze treatment, the provider will use tiny incisions to insert the laser under the skin and break down small pockets of fat.* Additionally, the skin support network will be strengthened in the treatment area, to further reduce the bumpy appearance.*

Other Body Contouring Options

In addition to laser liposuction techniques, California Skin Institute providers have access to a number of advanced body contouring technologies, like CoolSculpting and Liposonix.* Although several treatments may be required with these technologies to achieve the best outcomes, the benefits of these alternatives include little or no down time and no need for incisions.*

  • CoolSculpting: For patients who would like to avoid incisions and down time, CoolSculpting may be a viable body contouring solution.* During the CoolSculpting procedure, the skin is slightly suctioned into a specialized applicator that cools the fat in the treatment area.* The cooling process damages the fat cells, which are then removed by the body’s lymphatic system over the coming weeks.* A typical California Skin Institute patient will need several treatment sessions with this device for the best outcomes.* However, there is no down time for this procedure.*
  • Liposonix: Unlike laser liposuction, Liposonix doesn’t immediately remove fat from the treatment area and doesn’t require incisions.* Instead of using laser energy to break down fat, Liposonix relies on ultrasound waves to break down the fat deposits in the treatment area.* Once the fat cells have been damaged, they are gradually removed from the body through the lymphatic system.* Although it does not produce immediate outcomes and may require several treatments, Liposonix is a minimally-invasive procedure that requires virtually no down time, and produces gradual improvements that make it difficult for anyone to tell that you’ve had work done.*
  • Vanquish: For patients seeking to get rid of stubborn pockets of abdominal fat, California Skin Institute providers may also suggest Vanquish body contouring treatments.* The Vanquish device is a revolutionary technology that uses radiofrequency waves to target excess fat deposits around the abdomen.* Because of its unique design, treatments with Vanquish can cover a large area at once, for dramatic outcomes with no down time.*

To learn more about your laser liposuction and body contouring options at California Skin Institute, please schedule a consultation by contacting a practice near you, or simply fill out the Contact Form, below!


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