Facing the facts seldom equals fun, especially when it comes to weight loss, but here's the truth. Some individuals cannot shrink their fat cells no matter how hard they exercise or how committed they are to eating a healthy, low-calorie diet. These are the people for whom the cosmetic procedure liposuction can be a good option. The method is intended to enhance the overall shape of the body by removing small bulges of fat in common trouble spots including the face, abdomen, hips, thighs, and buttocks.

Cultivating realistic expectations is crucial when you begin to think about liposuction as a personal option. The procedure is best suited for those people who are average to moderately overweight and who have firm skin with good elasticity. Candidates must be healthy in an overall sense and plagued by pockets of fat that have proven impervious to both diet and exercise. Those individuals with heavy deposits of cellulite are not good candidates because liposuction under these circumstances is apt to cause unsightly skin irregularities. In general age, however, is not a factor as long as skin elasticity is good.

As with all cosmetic procedures, a consultation with a qualified surgeon who can evaluate a candidate's viability for liposuction is the place to start. This is also the stage to have all questions and concerns fully addressed. No one should move forward with liposuction or any other cosmetic procedure without fully understanding what is involved and what degree of improvement in their appearance they are likely to see as a result of having the work performed.

Strong candidates who elect to move forward will receive preparation guidelines relative to issues like diet and alcohol consumption prior to the procedure. Your surgeon should always be made aware of any allergies or sensitivities from which you suffer as well as a sense of your tolerance to pain and discomfort. Preparation procedures may include taking vitamin / herbal supplements, prescription medications, or both.

The location and extent of the liposuction to be performed will determine whether the procedure is done on an outpatient basis or whether an overnight stay at a hospital is required. A general rule of thumb is that the more fat that is to be removed, the greater the likelihood of a short hospital stay.

Prior to the procedure, patients receive an anesthetic, either local or general, again dependent on the extent of the work to be performed. When the anesthetic has taken effect, the surgeon uses a suction device outfitted with a stainless steel cannula, which he inserts at key locations via small incisions. The cannula, which is more or less a tube, goes between the skin and muscle to target fat deposits. By suctioning away the fat, the surgeon contours the body into a more pleasing and smoother shape. Like the other factors involved, the length of the procedure depends on the extent of the fat to be removed.

There are two basic forms of liposuction, tumescent in which a solution of saline, painkiller, and epinephrine is injected into the fatty areas prior to suction, and ultrasound-assisted, which employs ultrasonic energy. Both methods are intended to make the removal of the fatty material easier.

Normally liposuction patients return to work in just a few days with resumption of a normal level of activity in two weeks. Swelling, bruising, and soreness are to be expected but vary according to the individual and the location where the work was done. While liposuction does not prevent future weight gain, such weight gain generally does not tend to concentrate in the areas where the liposuction was performed. An exercise regimen and proper diet are always recommended consequent to the procedure, however.

Overall, the risks associated with liposuction are minimal and instances of complications are rare. When these do occur they generally take the form of either discolored skin or infection. If a large amount of fat is to be removed, it is not uncommon for surgeons to recommend that the work be done in more than one sitting to minimize the risk of complication. Because liposuction is an elective cosmetic procedure, it is not routinely covered by insurance policies.