Christopher Chung, M.D.
American Board of Plastic Surgery
Chief Medical Officer
Sono Bello
For those considering fat reduction through liposuction, there may be several types of procedures available to choose from. One popular choice is micro liposuction, a minimally invasive liposuction procedure designed to minimize contour irregularities caused by large equipment used in traditional liposuction.
If you’re considering liposuction, micro liposuction may be the right choice to achieve your desired look. however, to better understand the micro liposuction process, it helps to have a better understanding of the procedure–and how it compares to traditional liposuction.
Micro liposuction is a technique of performing liposuction using small incisions and cannulas to permanently remove fat.
Compared to traditional liposuction, micro liposuction uses significantly smaller incision sites, combined with a variety of minimally-invasive fat removal tools, to remove body fat from targeted areas.
Like traditional liposuction, micro liposuction can be used to remove body fat from any area where it is safe to do so.
In many cases, micro liposuction is used specifically to perform liposuction on small or delicate areas of the body.
For some aging patients, loose skin around the neck and chin can be a common occurrence. Micro liposuction may be able to help tighten and firm this skin by removing neck and chin fat using small cannulas, offering a smoother and tighter appearance with more uniformity.
When skin in and around the lips has become loose or damaged due to age, micro liposuction may be able to help tone, shape, or contour the area using minimally-invasive techniques. This can help give a smoother and more youthful appearance to the lips.
Though micro liposuction is ideal for small or delicate areas, it can still be used in many other areas where traditional liposuction may also be common. Areas like the hips, thighs, buttocks, or abdomen may all be contoured using micro liposuction.
Many patients who choose micro liposuction for fat removal do so to treat regular signs of aging, including aging skin or fat buildup as a result of bodily changes.
Some areas of the body (including the neck, cheeks, and chin) can be particularly difficult to tone through exercise alone. This difficulty can become especially acute as patients get older. This is why many patients choose micro liposuction to tone and contour these delicate areas.
In some cases, patients may also choose micro liposuction for minor fat removal in areas like the hips, thighs, abdomen, or rear end as well.
Micro liposuction is considered minimally invasive because it combines techniques and equipment designed to minimize scarring and reduce recovery time, specifically on areas of the body where fat does not usually resolve through diet or exercise.
Compared to traditional liposuction, micro liposuction utilizes much smaller surgical instruments to make much smaller incisions. This is key for minimizing scarring and swelling in delicate areas like the face.
Additionally, micro liposuction also uses smaller cannulas (or tubes) to actually remove fat from the body. This too helps minimize scarring and swelling at the incision site.
Because smaller incisions and instruments are used for micro liposuction, in many cases the procedure may be done with local anesthetic at the surgical site as opposed to general anesthesia. This may make the procedure safer and reduce the risks that can come with general anesthesia.
When making your choice between traditional liposuction or micro liposuction, it can be helpful to understand how the two procedures compare. That way, you can better understand what you should expect from each type of liposuction, and which may be better for achieving your desired results.
Liposuction is a surgical procedure to permanently remove fat that is resistant to dieting and exercise. To this end, it is important to distinguish the difference between liposuction and dieting/exercise as it relates to fat cells.
When an individual diet (and loses weight), the size of fat (adipose) cells becomes smaller; however, the number remains the same. In contrast, with liposuction, there is a permanent reduction in the number of fat cells; however, the size of the remaining fat cells remains unchanged.
In other words, liposuction and weight loss are not interchangeable, as each address different aspects of adiposity – quantity and quality, respectively.
This is an important fact that needs to be known by anyone considering liposuction.
Simply put, consider this:
Historically, focusing on the speed (of the procedure), large tools were used to remove fat. Not surprisingly, the use of large obtrusive equipment led to many undesired outcomes including contour irregularities (lumps, bumps, and indents), seroma (fluid collection due to injury to underlying tissues), hematoma (bleeding), over-resection, and skin loss.
Hence, the development of micro liposuction which focuses on improved outcome and safety, and not just how quickly the procedure is performed.
When it comes to micro liposuction, there are many different techniques and approaches to liposuction, to include the wide range of energy sources used: traditional (surgeon’s muscle), ultrasonic, power-assisted (electrical), and laser, as well as different types of cannulas (surgical tubes), used to actually remove the fat from the body.
Micro liposuction is an advanced modern technique of liposuction is that is safe and effective.
By utilizing smaller tools and less-invasive techniques, micro liposuction can provide significant fat reduction in delicate areas of the body while avoiding uneven contouring or excessive bruising and swelling at the procedure site.
Micro liposuction results in:
Micro liposuction can be a great choice for a patient who wants to contour or enhance stubborn, delicate areas of the body that may not respond to diet or exercise alone.
However, it is important to keep a few expectations in mind when choosing micro liposuction for yourself.
Micro liposuction is designed to tone and contour delicate areas of the body, and may be effective at helping you achieve your desired look in these areas.
While effective, micro liposuction may only be able to remove small amounts of fat from the chosen area. For those looking to remove larger amounts of fat, it is best to consult with your surgeon if traditional liposuction or other fat removal options may be a better choice for you.
As with any type of liposuction procedure, patients planning for micro liposuction should consult with their surgeon beforehand to review your medical history and fitness for the procedure.
It is important to also set realistic expectations ahead of your micro liposuction, and to plan for some downtime and recovery after the procedure is over. Although recovery from micro liposuction may be shorter than with traditional liposuction, there may still be some time required for swelling to decrease and incisions to heal.
For more insights on how to prepare for your micro liposuction, visit our blog with helpful pre-liposuction prep tips.
Although micro liposuction is designed to minimize swelling and reduce recovery time, patients should still expect the following after any micro liposuction surgery:
– Bruising at the procedure site
– Discomfort
– Temporary numbness
– Swelling
For those looking to tone and contour delicate areas of the body with micro liposuction, Sono Bello is here to help.
Our TriSculpt Micro-Laser Lipo procedure is specifically designed to help eliminate stubborn fat in problem areas that just won’t respond to exercise or dieting.
And, because TriSculpt uses local anesthesia and power-assisted technologies, our skilled surgeons are able to effectively remove fat in delicate areas while minimizing risks and reducing recovery time.
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