Losing Weight Before Liposuction: What Are the Benefits?

Many people have unwanted pockets of fat in different parts of the body. That’s when liposuction for cosmetic fat removal may be a good option. The team at Jefferson Plastic Surgery can sculpt a slimmer, trimmer, and toned new you thanks to carefully targeted liposuction.

Before performing liposuction, the team at our Philadelphia, PA cosmetic surgery center will typically ask that patients lose weight first. It may seem antithetical when thinking about liposuction, but there are many reasons why this is a sensible idea.

Remember: Liposuction Is Not a Weight Loss Procedure

Even though patients will shed a few pounds thanks to liposuction, the procedure itself is not intended for weight loss. It’s designed to remove body fat that does not respond to a good diet and regular exercise. Only a certain amount of body fat can be safely removed from the body, and it’s important that we not exceed that amount.

This is why patients are encouraged to lose weight before their liposuction. It allows us to safely remove as much unwanted fat as possible, and empowers patients to take control of their body composition.

Losing Weight Before Surgery Improves Results

If patients carry lots of extra body fat, we’ll only be able to extract so much while the remaining unwanted body fat is untouched. If patients are able to lose as much weight as possible prior to surgery, we’ll only need to remove scant amounts of unwanted body fat, which means patients look leaner and trimmer by the end of the procedure. That almost means a lower risk of fat that couldn’t be removed during the surgery.

Liposuction Is Potentially Easier Thanks to Weight Loss

When patients reduce their weight considerably, their body fat percentage goes down. This includes less fat in the problem area to be treated. This could lead to an easier liposuction surgery, with a shorter surgical length and better recovery times after the procedure is completed. If plastic surgeons are allowed to remove a lot of the excess body fat from the treatment area, that means less back and forth about leaving some fat untouched.

Makes It Easier to Keep Weight Off After Surgery

If you lose body fat before liposuction, you develop good eating and exercise habits that will be essential for long-term cosmetic results. Even if the fat is removed, it can accumulate again in the future if you don’t eat healthy and stay active. By losing weight before liposuction, you develop the habits to control your own body fat and maintain a healthy appearance. This is going to be crucial for keeping excess fat off in the years to come.

Will My Liposuction Be Delayed So I Can Lose Weight?

This may be an option worth considering. During your consultation process, we can assess your situation and determine your body fat percentage. If there is a considerable amount of body fat you could lose on your own, we may recommend that you first cut weight and try to achieve a leaner body mass through safe, natural methods.

Again, don’t think of a delayed liposuction as a setback. This is just a safer surgical procedure for you with long-term cosmetic advantages following surgery.

Learn More About Body Contouring

If you would like to learn more about liposuction and your many other options for body contouring and sculpting, be sure to contact our team of skilled cosmetic surgeons. Jefferson Plastic Surgery is here to answer your questions about the latest aesthetic procedures.