SmartLipo vs Traditional Liposuction
Liposuction is the common choice for individuals who have difficulty achiving the curves and definition they desire through exercise and healthy eating habits. However, traditional liposuction is often associated with longer recovery times, scaring, and sometimes less than ideal results. Traditional liposuction techniques can sometimes leave behind loose and unattractive skin.
SmartLipo employs a laser fiber enclosed in a thin tube that is inserted through a 1-2 mm incision in the skin. The laser causes disruption of fat cells which turn into water and a small bit of protein, and the debris is removed from the area with minimal bleeding and damage to the underlying tissues. The laser allows the tiny arteries and veins to coagulate minimizing bruising, and often leaving skin firmer after the procedure.
After a recovery period of seven to 10 days, traditional liposuction patients see dramatic results from the fat removal. Laser lipo patients, however, may not see results for a month or two after the procedure, since the stimulation of collagen and elastin in the skin must work over time to smooth out the skin, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS).
Advantages of Smartlipo
- You can return to your job after fewer days of recovery, as opposed to a week or more after traditional liposuction.
- You can enjoy your new body with less scaring and bruising, due to the controlled and accurate nature of the procedure.
- You can walk out of our office with band-aides instead of stitches that are necessary on the larger incisions of traditional liposuction.
Traditional liposuction requires doctors to make larger incisions for the treatment area, insert a metal tube, and vacuum out solid fat. This surgery can be traumatic to surrounding tissues and is less precise than Smartlipo. The Smartlipo laser has a light that can be seen from underneath the skin allowing Dr. Hendricks to precisely guide the Smartlipo laser to the areas that are in need of treatment.
Smartlipo Results
People that are healthy and only slightly overweight are the best candidates for this type of procedure. Smartlipo is not intended to significantly reduce your body weight. Instead, it will remove fat from targeted small, cosmetic areas of the body such as the face, arms, thighs, and neck. Patients usually will see the improvements in treated areas a few days after the procedure.
After the Smartlipo procedure (most last only 45 minutes to an hour) patients will experience almost no side effects. The surgery, because of the less invasive nature, leaves behind little damage to the surrounding tissues when compared to traditional liposuction. The laser promotes the production of collagen growth, which has been shown to improve the overall tightness of the skin in the treatment area. Weeks later, patients will notice a dramatic difference in their appearance.
Smartlipo can less-invasively help take care of all the areas a healthy diet and exercise cannot change. Do not assume that you'll never have your perfect body!
American Lipo Centers can inform you about all of your options and discuss what treatment is best for you. American Lipo Centers under the leadership of Dr. Gilad Segev has been selected for the 2012 Best of Virginia Beach Award in the Cosmetic Surgeons category by the US Commerce Association (USCA). Dr. Segev is specially trained to work with this new and exciting advancement in cosmetic laser liposuction surgery. Contact Dr. Segev at American Lipo Centers today to set up a confidential consultation and find out about the Smartlipo procedure and whether it is right for you.