Liposuction Body Areas

Please choose a body area, or scroll down to read about each. See our terminology page for a deeper understanding of some of the terms.

Liposuction of the Arms
The arms are one of the areas less commonly treated by liposuction, probably because fewer people tend to collect fatty deposits in this area compared to other body areas. However, some people do develop fatty, often downward bulging upper arms, or flabby arms.

Most of the patients we see with excess fat of the arms have this fat on the upper portion of the arm. Liposuction of the arms usually leads to very gratifying results. This procedure is usually very well tolerated and easily performed with just local anesthetic.

Liposuction of the arms is usually very well tolerated and easily performed with just local anesthesia. Usually liposuction of the arms does not take very long because the area of the upper arms is small compared to other body areas. The suctioning of the upper arm fat usually takes 30 minutes or so.

The upper arm skin shrinks after liposuction, so that the arms become slimmer and more attractive. Therefore, unless there is an extreme amount of excess skin, there is not flabby skin draping down from the arms following the liposuction procedure.

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Liposuction of the Buttocks Area
Liposuction is frequently requested for the buttock area. In particular, the inferior or lowermost buttock is a "problem area" of excess fat accumulation. There can also be excess fat in an extra area between the buttock and the back of the thigh which some refer to as a "banana roll."

In the "old days" of much larger cannulas, the buttocks, and particularly the inferior portion and banana roll, were difficult to treat with liposuction without causing an abnormal grooving of the skin surface. However, with the newer, much smaller lipsuction instruments (cannulas) this is not the problem it once was, and good results can be obtained even in these previously difficult areas.

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Liposuction of the Face
The jowl and under the chin are the areas most commonly treated by liposuction. After making one small incision under the chin this entire area can be made almost entirely fat free. This area is perhaps the area of the face most commonly treated by liposuction. Please see the before and after photos for a typical result.

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Liposuction of the Hips
In some women, the normal broadening of the lower waist is overly accentuated by excess fat in the hips. This can make it difficult to fit clothes. This is an easy area to treat with liposuction.

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Liposuction of the Outer Thighs:
"Saddlebags" and "riding breeches" are the not very complimentary terms often used to describe the fatty accumulations in the outer or lateral thigh areas. It is actually fairly common to have a quite petite upper body combined with a mismatched and fuller lower body. These fat deposits may seem to have been present "forever", but often become apparent in early adulthood. This fat is often highly resistant to diet or exercise in those who have it. The area can be recontoured by liposuction with great success. If the buttock and hip areas also have deposits, even better results are obtained if the buttock and hip areas are recontured in combination with the outer thighs. Liposuction of these areas often makes a dramatic change in the way clothes fit (jeans, dresses and skirts especially) and patients are routinely very pleased about this change in particular after the procedure.

Liposuction of the Inner Thighs:
The inner, or medial, thighs are a fairly common area of excess fat deposits. The excess fat can cause chafing and rubbing of the thighs together. These fat deposits can be effectively treated with liposuction.

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Liposuction of the Waist - Love Handles
In some women, excess fat accumulates in the waist area, causing more of a straight line appearance of the lower torso, waist and hip area. These fat deposits are extremely difficult, if not impossible to get rid of with exercise or diet.

Liposuction can rid patients of these deposits, causing a much more pleasing "hourglass" shape.

Men can also develop fatty deposits in the waist, commonly referred to as "love handles." These are amenable to treatment with liposuction as well.

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Double Chin and Neck
Double chin is a common cosmetic complaint. Even if patients are not particularly overweight, fat accumulation can occur in this area. beneath the jawline.

Liposuction double chin surgery is very effective for eliminating and getting rid of excess fat and or loose, sagging skin of the upper neck area. With the newest techniques, patients are routinely gratified, have a quick recovery, and return to work much sooner than before.

Formerly, facelifts and chin tucks were the primary types of chin surgery used to get rid of a double chin. Both are effective, but newer methods are associated with fewer side effects, a much more rapid recovery, and far less scarring than earlier methods.

The skin incisions now used in liposuction are tiny compared to the very long incisions used in facelift surgery. Small incisions are possible because newer liposuction instruments are very tiny. The liposuction instrument is called a cannula. For chin and neck liposuction, the cannula is usually around 2mm in diameter or less.

After chin liposuction surgery, most patients are off work for 2-3 days. But they are easily able to undergo light to moderate activity during that time. This is in contrast to facelift surgery where recovery is much longer.

After liposuction for double chin, a special garment is worn for a few days. It is an elastic strap, kind of like an enlarged chin strap. The purpose of the garment is to provide a little gentle pressure for a few days after the procedure.

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