How to get rid of stubborn fat
Most people have an area on their body that just doesn’t seem to respond to diet and exercise. It’s sometimes feels like an impossible feat to lose fat in certain areas, especially around the mid-section or on the hips and thighs. Liposuction or a non-surgical procedure called Coolsculpting may be the answer.
By Carolynn Grimes
ThePlasticSurgeryChannel.com
The Coolsculpting procedure works by a cooling process that kills fat cells underneath the skin, freezing them to the point of elimination. Only the fat cells are frozen, leaving the rest of your tissue unharmed. The fat cells die and are naturally eliminated from your body within a few months.
Dr. Mark S. Elliott, a board certified plastic surgeon in Meridian, Mississippi, says this procedure works best for the person with a small area of fat in the mid-section. “The best candidates are currently at the weight they want to be already but they have a problem area. This procedure is not going to work for someone who is markedly overweight or has a large area that needs to be taken care of.”
Women who tend to carry extra weight in the hips and thighs, may want to opt for liposuction. “Even with liposuction, there are limitations, and liposuction isn’t meant for someone who is obese,” says Elliott. “I generally don’t like to do more than about 4 to 6 liters of liposuction which is about 8-10 pounds.”
Liposuction involves small, multiple incisions and it can take 4 to 6 weeks for the majority of the swelling to go away. Despite the longer recovery involved, Elliott says liposuction is considered the gold standard for removing larger quantities of fat in the right candidate. “It can be a permanent reduction and change the shape of their body forever.”
About Mark S. Elliott, MD
