Laser Liposuction to Lose Belly Fat and Get a Flat Stomach
All of us want to lose belly fat and have a flat stomach but most of us can’t exercise and diet enough to lose belly fat and get a flat stomach. Laser liposuction with the SlimLipo laser is a new procedure that can melt belly fat and tighten stomach skin. As we age our body metabolism slows and it is much harder to lose belly fat. Without regular vigorous exercise of our abdominal muscles, and weight control we often develop a protruding abdomen or pot belly.
Women who have had multiple pregnancies have great difficulty losing belly fat and getting back their flat stomach. I often see fit, healthy and active women in my office who have tried very hard and cannot lose belly fat caused by pregnancy. The abdominoplasty or tummy tuck can create a flat stomach, but most people do not want surgery.
Laser liposuction or laser body sculpting is a new way to lose belly fat and have a flat stomach. Laser liposuction is not a substitute for weight loss and a healthy active lifestyle. However, laser liposuction is an effective, less invasive procedure that can approach tummy tuck results in many people. The results of laser liposuction can be remarkable-see before and after pictures of laser liposuction and mini-tuck below:
What Causes Belly Fat and Fat Stomach
There are several components that cause a fat stomach, pot belly, or loose tummy. Laser liposuction can remove belly fat from under the skin and achieve skin tightening of loose tummy skin. However laser liposuction cannot tighten your stomach muscles or abdominal muscles. To tighten the stomach muscles you will need to do stomach exercises or abdominal work outs.
Laser liposuction also cannot remove fat inside your abdomen-intra-abdominal fat, called mesenteric fat- which is wrapped around your intestine. If you are very overweight or obese, only significant dieting will help you lose belly fat that is inside your abdomen.
The several causes of belly fat or a fat tummy or pot belly are:
• Intra-abdominal Fat-Fat serves a very important survival function. Fat stores energy to provide nutrition during periods when we do not have adequate food intake. Thus fat is a survival mechanism during periods of starvation. Fat is stored inside the abdomen in a structure called the mesentery. The mesentery is wrapped around our intestines and supports the intestines. Huge amounts of fat can be present in the mesentery when we are overweight or obese. When there is excess intra-abdominal fat in the mesentery, the fat actually pushes out and stretches the muscles of our abdominal wall and creates a fat belly. Only dieting or caloric restriction can cause the intra-abdominal fat to be used for energy production and disappear.
• Abdominal Wall Laxity-The abdominal muscles (abdominal wall), called the abs, hold our intestines and abdominal contents in the abdomen. These muscles can become stretched and loose after extensive weight gain, pregnancy, and inactivity. When the abdominal muscles, or abdominal wall loses tone, becomes stretched or lax, the contents of the inside of the abdomen push the abdominal wall forward and create a fat tummy or pot belly. Tightening of the abdominal wall, that is, restoring the tone of the abdominal or tummy muscles can only be achieved with ab exercises and conditioning of the tummy muscles or with abdominoplsty or tummy tuck surgery.
• Subcutaneous Fat beneath the Belly Skin- The fat directly beneath the skin on the belly also stores fat. This fat is called the subcutaneous (beneath the skin) fat and is normally about ½ inch thick in most people. When we gain weight and have excess fat, this subcutaneous fat layer becomes thicker, sometimes up to 4 or 5 inches thick. Laser liposuction is a very effective technique to remove subcutaneous fat. The heat from the laser melts the fat into a thin liquid which is easily removed by suction through very small tubes called cannulas.
• Loose Belly Skin-Multiple pregnancies and repeated weight gain stretch the abdominal skin and create loose belly or tummy skin. The major breakthrough in laser liposuction is the ability of the laser to tighten stomach skin. Previous liposuction techniques removed fat but left loose belly or tummy skin after fat removal. With laser liposuction, the heat from the laser tightens the skin during the laser fat dissolving process.
Laser Liposuction to Lose Belly Fat and Flatten the Stomach
Because the laser liposuction fiber dissolves fat into a thin liquid, removal of fat is much easier. This allows the surgeon to use very tiny tubes or cannulas to suction the fat out of the tummy skin. As a result very tiny holes, usually placed inside the belly button, are all that is required. This means very tiny, almost invisible scars. In addition, in my experience, following laser liposuction the skin is left smooth without the lumps, bumps and contour deformities often seen with traditional liposuction. See before and after pictures of Laser Liposuction below:
Skin tightening following this new technique has been truly remarkable in my experience. In patients who are fit and not overweight, I have been able to do laser body sculpting to actually reveal the outline of the abdominal muscles after healing. In the words of one of my patients “I got my six pack back.”
My patients seem to recover more quickly after this new procedure. Many say they feel fine the day after the procedure. However, I ask my patients not to return to vigorous or strenuous activity or work outs for at least two weeks.
Which Laser is Best?
I have been very happy with the SlimLipo machine I have been using. The SlimLipo uses a 924nm laser wavelength which is 3-5 times more specifically absorbed by fat than other wavelengths. For technical reasons, higher fat absorption by fat, in my opinion, results in more effective fat dissolving. The SlimLipo also has a blended 924/975nm wavelength which is more effective for skin tightening. I am also sure that other wavelengths do work for fat dissolving and skin tightening, but I am very impressed with the results I see with the 924nm and mixed 924/975nm wavelengths.
How to Choose a Surgeon
I admit up front that I am prejudiced in my opinion because I am a board certified plastic surgeon. Liposculpture with or without the laser is a surgical procedure and as with heart surgery, brain surgery or any other type of surgery, if I am having surgery I am going to do my homework and find the best board certified surgeon I can find to perform my operation.
Board certified plastic surgeons spend many years in training and have to have several years of experience and have to demonstrate their knowledge, experience and skill to pass their board examinations. Surgery is a technical, manual as well as intellectual task, and most doctors that possess these fine motor qualities are drawn to surgical training and specialty.
There are also doctors who are not board certified plastic surgeons that are skilled and experienced at this technique, most commonly board certified dermatologists trained in dermatologic surgery. Just do your homework and make certain your doctor is trained and experienced.
I always recommend that patients do the following when considering plastic surgery:
• Consult 2 board certified surgeons
• Ask the doctor how experienced he/she is at the procedure you are considering
• Ask to see photos of their surgical results
• Ask to speak to one of their patients who have had the surgery
• Go online and check the doctor’s credentials
• Ask your family doctor about the reputation and skill of the doctor you are considering
• Ask your friends about the reputation of the doctor
• Read about the procedure you are considering-an excellent resource is The American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
Plastic surgery can create very beautiful results when the proper procedure is done on a properly selected appropriate patient. If you are considering any type of plastic surgery do your homework. Read more about the procedure you are interested in. Study the bio and credentials of the board certified plastic surgeons in your area. Be an informed consumer.
An educated patient has the best chance of obtaining a happy and satisfying result. The websites of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) have excellent, honest information. By visiting these websites you can learn about the various procedures and find board certified plastic surgeons in your area.
For more information on laser liposuction you may contact me by email or phone at 978-369-4499. Read our free newsletter on new rejuvenation techniques.
Dr. Seckel
Concord, Massachusetts
Boston, Massachusetts