A Pain Free Way to Achieve the Dream Figure? A Guide to Laser Liposuction

Why do we get Fat?

The storing of fat reserves within the body is not only desirable, it is vital to the wellbeing and maintenance of a healthy life. The trick is to store only enough fat sufficient to our needs, and not to store extra reserves through the overconsumption of food and drink and lack of physical exercise.

When we consume excess calories, the fat produced is stored in Adipocytes, only being released as energy when the body consumes too little nourishment or undertakes strenuous exercise. Even when the Adipocytes have been depleted of fat stores they cannot be removed from the body through conventional diet and exercise. They will remain permanently, being restored as we consume excess calories and causing those stubborn areas of unsightly fat which we all have.

As we age, the body will find it more difficult to maintain the balance of calorie intake and energy output and we will, inevitably, store more fat.

How Laser Liposuction works

Laser Liposuction/Lipolysis or ‘SmartLipo’ is one of the new generations of techniques developed to destroy the Adipocytes within the body, as opposed to removing them as in more traditional forms of Liposuction. The procedure is considered to offer a more gentle application, causing less trauma to the treatment site, and delivering more effective results to the patient. Because the Adipocytes are destroyed by the immune system within the body, the skin at the treatment area has time to contract as the fat diminishes over a period of time, leading to less slack and wrinkled skin following the procedure.

The Surgeon will begin by making a 1-2mm incision into the treatment site and inserting a laser into the fatty layer beneath the skin, as he agitates the tip of the laser, the fat cells will be broken down and released into the system for natural, gradual dispersal. The introduction of a new 30 watt laser system in 2008, has further revolutionised the ‘SmartLipo’ procedure, allowing for larger volumes of fat cells to be removed and at greater speed. The extra heat energy produced also leads to a greater level of contraction within the skin, delivering more effective results for the patient.

So is it Pain Free?

As with any surgical procedure, medical or cosmetic, some discomfort, swelling and bruising is to be expected following the Laser Lipolysis treatment. Pain relief is recommended in the form of Aspirin or Paracetamol, although for patients experiencing severe bruising, Aspirin is not advised as it will further exacerbate the problem. Some people may experience hard, tender lumps at the treatment site; these are generally caused by a mass of dead fat cells or as a response to the scarring process, from the white blood cells within the immune system. Very occasionally a patient may be left with burns caused by the laser during the procedure. These should be immediately be reported to the Surgeon who performed the treatment, who will advise of the appropriate course of action.

The most important application for patients following Laser Lipolysis is the wearing of elastic compression garments for a period of 2-6 weeks following the treatment. These will help to reduce the occurrence of oedema (fluid swelling) under the skin, and is vital in the healing process and in delivering a smooth, toned result to the treatment area.

Will it deliver a ‘Dream Body’?

The manufacturers of the ‘SmartLipo’ technique recommend it for use on the saddlebags on the outer thighs, the abdomen and the bingo wings under the arms. It can also prove effective on the back of the shoulders and the thigh area above the knees. What it cannot do, however, is offer an alternative to a healthy lifestyle, good diet and regular exercise. There are, unfortunately, no short cuts to a ‘Dream Body’ if, in fact, such a thing exists. For the cost of Laser Lipolysis, from around $3000, is give a ‘helping hand’ in removing those stubborn areas of fat which have proved resistant to all other actions.

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