Liposuction and Your Skin: 5 Factors to Know

liposuction New York How do you deal with loose skin after liposuction?

Ideally, you don’t. With each New York liposuction patient we treat, we consider the potential for redundant skin after the procedure and make decisions before surgery. In our view, it’s never good for a post-op patient to experience an unwanted surprise outcome after healing.

If you’re thinking about cosmetic surgery to banish stubborn fat, here’s what you need to know about skin:

1) Some procedures have skin excision built in.

Most cosmetic surgery with “lift” or “tuck” in the name involve removing excess skin. A tummy tuck is the classic example: the abdomen is sculpted with the cannula, toned with muscle repair then lifted and tightened with skin removal. But other procedures can mean getting rid of droopy skin too—breast lifts, arm lifts and several others come to mind.

2) Individual factors play into how much your skin may sag after surgery.

In consultations with patients interested in liposuction in New York, we work together to evaluate skin quality. Factors include: age, sun exposure, smoking and weight gain/loss (due to pregnancy or otherwise). In many cases, skin can be expected to tighten sufficiently on its own after recovery. For some, the outlook is more complicated.

3) Some procedures require joint decisions by patient and surgeon.

Certain areas of the body that may benefit from liposuction require close evaluation ahead of time. For instance, if your skin quality is not the best and you elect a procedure targeting your hips, be prepared to talk with your doctor about how to prevent too much droopy skin after healing. One obvious solution is for your plastic surgeon to eliminate just a modest amount of fat. You should also be ready to wear your compression garment after surgery as directed—it helps.

In New York, liposuction that leaves patients with redundant skin is an issue we handle regularly with gynecomastia patients. Guys with larger breasts may choose to have man boob surgery and see how much skin tightening occurs naturally over the healing period—and for some we can perform a small skin tuck down the road. But most men with large breasts require some measure of skin removal to achieve the masculine contours they are aiming for; these patients most often are glad to trade scars for moobs.

4) Skin tightening technology is of questionable help.

There are a few technologies marketed as skin tightening therapies. They employ ultrasound or radiofrequency to heat tissues beneath the skin in an effort to promote collagen-building. Along with many other plastic surgeons, we don’t recommend these for post-liposuction patients. We have seen mostly unimpressive results, and there is a risk of actually burning the tissues.

For additional information, visit RealSelf. You’ll find that these options usually deliver mild improvement, and results are somewhat unpredictable. Patients often describe treatment as painful and sessions aren’t cheap.

5) You play a role in skin quality.

It’s a good bet you already know about healthy habits that can benefit your skin, but the list bears repeating:

• Don’t smoke. There are many reasons to quit smoking, and skin quality is not the first priority. But you should know that smoking has a big negative impact on your skin, and not just on your face. Nicotine shrinks capillaries, thereby restricting blood flow and reducing elasticity.

• Get moving. One way to boost blood flow to nourish all your tissues is to move more. You don’t have to train for a triathlon or even join a gym. Just getting out and walking daily will help.

• Pay attention to your diet. Skin needs nurturing just like the rest of your body. A healthy diet including the right amounts of lean protein, fruits and veggies and fiber truly makes a difference. Proper hydration also promotes supple, resilient skin.

We invite you to come talk with us about liposuction in New York. Especially if you are concerned about how your skin will react after the cannula has done its job, you need a plastic surgeon who will be completely honest with you about what you can expect.

As one of the early liposuction pioneers in the country, we have perhaps more experience in this area than any other practice. We would be pleased and honored to work with you and help you make sound decisions about your body. Contact us online or call us at 212-570-6080 today.

Photo by Alesia Kozik from Pexels

Cosmetic Surgery for Older Patients

cosmetic surgery New York If your golden years are suddenly peeking over the horizon, you may be thinking about things that haven’t been much on your mind before—the health of your retirement account, whether you should downsize your living situation and cosmetic surgery.

Yes, New York residents who haven’t seen themselves as candidates for cosmetic surgery sometimes start to wonder about it as they approach their 50’s and 60’s. But where to start? Which procedures hold the most promise for older patients? Which might be the best investments?

If this line of thought feels familiar to you, perhaps we can assist. Here’s some information on cosmetic surgery for middle-aged people with a little help from statistics kept by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS).

The Most Popular Cosmetic Surgery for Older Patients

We find that even our New York cosmetic surgery patients who don’t know much about the choices can guess which procedures middle-aged people flock to. For instance, nearly 90% of facelift surgery is performed on patients who are 51 and older. There’s a similar number for neck lifts—nearly 87% are done on those over the age of 50. No surprise there.

Eyelid surgery is another option for those who are starting to look their age: nearly three-quarters of the eyelid lifts done in the U.S. are done for those in their 50’s and above. In the hands of a skilled, experienced plastic surgeon, this is an option that can offer tremendous rejuvenation “bang for the buck.” So can brow lift surgery—where older patients make up 67% of the total.

Some New Choices

There are a few newer procedures that our New York cosmetic surgery patients find appealing. One is fat transfer to the face, which can plump up areas that tend to grow sunken and look hollow with age. The cheeks and tear troughs are leading targets. The ASAPS reports that nearly 70% of these less-invasive procedures are performed on people 51 and older.

Another group of middle-aged patients who seek our help is looking for breast implant removal. Some need to swap their implants for newer models, but many find they just don’t want to have implants any longer. Some note that society has gravitated toward a more natural look and large breasts don’t always look great on older women, especially when the skin has started to stretch.

A Few Surprises

Contained in the ASAPS statistics are a few surprises. We bet you couldn’t guess that older folks often choose liposuction, for instance. Men and women of middle age don’t dominate the percentages for this option, as it’s perennially number one or two in popularity for nearly all ages, ethnicities and genders. Just about 28% of those choosing liposuction have passed their 50th birthday, but the numbers themselves are a bit surprising. More than 85,000 liposuction patients in the U.S. in 2017 were 51 and older.

You might expect that upper arm lifts are most popular with older people. Though the numbers are small—just around 10,000 patients per year—more than half these surgeries are requested by people 51 and older. We were pleased and a little surprised that many other procedures that lift areas of the body (often following weight loss) are popular with older patients too. About 30% of both upper and lower body lifts are performed on people past their 50th birthday, and 38% of thigh lifts are done for this group of patients as well. This may mean that despite what the reality TV shows might suggest, older people are committing to weight loss as well as the younger set.

Next Steps

If you’re beginning to educate yourself about cosmetic surgery for older patients, here are a few other recommendations. Check out the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) and make sure you understand the importance of certification by this organization. Then, visit the websites of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. These two groups, who only accept ABPS-certified doctors, offer a great deal of information on procedures you might find intriguing.

If you’re ready to talk about cosmetic surgery in New York, we would be happy to meet you! We’ve been helping residents of the Big Apple and those who travel to work with us for many years. It would be our pleasure to educate you and assist you in deciding on the right path. Call us at 212-570-6080.

Top 5 Liposuction Myths

liposuction in New York Liposuction is ranked number one or two in cosmetic surgery popularity each year. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the procedure has grown by more than 50% over the past five years, with more than 300,000 people choosing it in 2017.

Despite those impressive numbers, we bet there are still a few things you don’t know about the procedure. When patients consult us about liposuction in New York, we often find they have a few misconceptions. Here are some top myths we would like to put to rest:

Liposuction is typically used for the hips, thighs and abdomen.

Actually, we use liposuction in our New York practice in places you might not think of. One good example is the so-called “bra roll;” another is the inner knees. Patients often come in with a primary target area in mind, and are surprised when we point out other stray bulges we can banish with the cannula.

You also may not know that liposuction is one technique appropriate for many of our gynecomastia patients. In fact, we use the cannula with suction on and off depending on the unique needs of each guy with man boobs. In addition, liposuction can be used on flabby arms and even the neck.

The bulges don’t ever come back.

To have the best chance of experiencing lasting results, it’s good to know a bit about fat cells and liposuction. Experienced liposuction specialists will remove most of the fat cells in a troublesome area, but not all. Some fat must remain in order for the skin to lie smooth and to avoid problems like a sunken look or lumps. The fat cells that are removed can never come back, but those that are left can become enlarged if the patient gains weight.

If you’re thinking of investing in liposuction, just maintain a healthy weight afterward and the results will indeed be permanent.

It’s a good tool for getting rid of abdominal fat.

Yes, liposuction is very often used to eliminate tummy pooches and love handles. The key here is that this kind of fat is subcutaneous, or just under the skin. Fat that’s located deep inside the abdominal cavity—called visceral fat—is beyond the reach of the cannula.

Not only is visceral fat an inappropriate target for liposuction, it poses a number of health risks as well. Harvard Health Publishing offers a comprehensive article on visceral belly fat, including tips for identifying it and losing it. Find it here.

Skin will always bounce back.

Most often, skin will bounce back into place following liposuction. To ensure this happens, it’s important to follow your cosmetic surgeon’s instructions for wearing compression garments and bandages.

For some older patients and people who have lost a significant amount of weight, and for many women having tummy tuck/liposuction following pregnancy, the skin may have lost the elasticity required to shrink back in place. Fortunately, we can make a good forecast about this for our New York liposuction patients prior to surgery and adjust the surgical plan to deal with excess skin.

Just about any cosmetic surgeon can give you good results.

Since liposuction is so ubiquitous these days, it’s tempting to think that you can go to any nearby doctor to get the outcome you have in mind. It’s just not so! It takes a good deal of practice to know just how much fat to remove (and how much to leave), and how to sculpt smooth, natural curves and contours.

And, did you know that male and female fat tends to be a little different? It takes experience to know how to work with both men and women seeking to banish stubborn fat pockets.

Finally, be aware that some doctors decide to offer this popular procedure without much more training than weekend courses. That’s right, there are no specific rules or requirements about who can add liposuction to their menu of treatment options—all you have to be is a medical doctor. You probably don’t want your dermatologist or gynecologist using a cannula on you, just as you wouldn’t want us to do your pelvic exam!

If you’re thinking of having liposuction in New York, we would be very pleased to work with you. We use the procedure almost every day we perform surgery, and our team has decades of experience. Read more here, then give us a call at 212-570-6080 today.

Liposuction: The New York Cosmetic Surgery Star

New York liposuction If we had to name the number one most important cosmetic surgery procedure for our patients in New York, liposuction would probably be our choice. Why? For one thing, we helped pioneer the technology in this country and have been performing liposuction longer than many other surgeons have been in practice. We have confidence in our skills with the cannula, and we enjoy using it!

But there’s another reason liposuction is a star with us. Not only do we perform it as a standalone operation for people with stubborn fat deposits, it also acts as a supporting technology in several other cosmetic surgeries.

Liposuction as a One-and-Done

Lots of patients we work with in New York choose liposuction to refine areas that diet and exercise can’t touch. Most people know that the way fat is distributed throughout the body is largely controlled by genetics. That’s why, no matter how often men and women hit the gym and how careful they may be with their diet, some are frustrated by stray rolls and bulges that will only disappear through liposuction. In fact, the more toned and fit a patient is, the more those pockets of fat may stand out.

We work with dozens and dozens of liposuction patients annually. Men often come to us looking for help to banish love handles and tummy pooches. (We call this procedure a torsoplasty—read more about it here.) Women may choose liposuction for saddlebags and other areas around the lower body. No matter what a patient’s unique shape may be, we map out a liposuction strategy to achieve the desired slimmer lines without going too far.

Liposuction Supports Other Procedures

Liposuction is a critical component of many other cosmetic surgeries. For the guys we work with, man boob surgery comes to mind. We often combine light liposuction with gentle gland excision in our male breast reduction surgeries. Even when no excess fat exists, we use the cannula with the suction turned off to loosen and re-drape skin. It’s also not unusual to suction away small fat deposits near the armpits when we perform gynecomastia surgery.

For women, a leading body sculpting procedure that needs liposuction support is abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck surgery. Though we perform the operation for men too, it’s very common for women to elect a tummy tuck that combines skin removal, muscle tightening and liposuction after pregnancy stretches tissues and generates extra fat. We use liposuction in mommy makeover (combination) surgery as well.

Many other procedures we perform for patients in New York include liposuction. It’s an integral part of thigh lifts and arm lifts, for instance. And though people don’t always realize it until we work with them in consultation, we may use a small, delicate cannula for the finishing touches on a facelift and very often for a neck lift.

Uses for liposuction have grown in recent times as societal attitudes toward aesthetics and health have changed. A good example is increasing requests for “bra roll” treatment–an area that is nearly impossible to impact with exercise and diet. Another example is post-weight loss cosmetic surgery. Liposuction is nearly always needed to remove fat deposits that linger as a man or woman nears their ideal weight.

Revision Liposuction

It’s worth making a couple of additional notes. One is that with liposuction being so popular and so useful, it’s tempting to think that just about every cosmetic surgeon is competent with the cannula. Numerous patients who come to us for do-overs are testament to the fact that it isn’t so. Any doctor can remove fat, but it takes experience to sculpt smooth, natural looking contours without leaving hills and valleys behind. Though it’s a tricky procedure due to scar tissue and other factors, we perform liposuction revision in New York often for patients whose cosmetic surgeon left them disappointed.

Liposuction Alternatives

Finally, we’d like to share why we don’t offer one or more of the “liposuction alternatives” on the market today. Some can achieve a measure of fat reduction for patients, but our feeling is there are just too many cases in which the results are uneven or insufficient or both. Given that these treatments aren’t inexpensive and generally can’t be counted on like tried-and-true liposuction, we steer clear. We recently wrote a blog post detailing our views on one of these options—find it here.

If you’ve read this far you may have the feeling that we love liposuction! It’s true, we know how powerful the technology is for our practice and we employ it quite often. If you’d like us to share how liposuction might be beneficial for you, give us a call at 212-570-6080.

Body Contouring After Weight Loss: Getting Started

Two scientific studies conducted recently clearly stated the benefits of body contouring after weight loss. Three years ago, a Swiss publication called Frontiers in Psychology printed research results finding that people who underwent procedures to remove excess skin experienced better appearance evaluation, body satisfaction and physical functioning than weight loss patients who did not. A year before that, another study showed that patients who elected cosmetic surgery after massive weight loss regained significantly less weight than those who underwent gastric bypass without subsequent body contouring.

We can see the proof on the faces of elated men and women who choose body contouring after weight loss in New York with our team. When stretched, saggy skin is finally gone, people truly get their lives back.

We understand the prospect of doing more work on the body after losing weight can seem daunting. How do you get started?

First Things First: A Body Contouring Consultation

We suggest visiting at least two board certified plastic surgeons who have worked with weight loss patients. They should listen carefully to the challenges you face with extra skin and your ultimate goals, then propose a strategy that makes sense. You should understand each proposed procedure, whether any can be combined, the reasoning behind the sequence of multiple procedures, the recovery process, results you can expect and costs. Given that it’s very possible you’ll want more than one procedure, you should feel that you and your plastic surgeon and their staff will work well as a team.

Abdominal Cosmetic Surgery

Post weight loss patients who elect just one cosmetic surgery often choose a tummy tuck. And, our New York body contouring patients who are thinking of more than one procedure usually start with abdominoplasty because it affects the rest of the body, particularly the lower body.

We customize abdominal plastic surgery to each patient’s needs. We can perform what’s called a panniculectomy, meaning simply removing the “apron” of loose skin. Many patients need a full tummy tuck to remove skin, banish stray fat bulges with liposuction and lift the torso. Some benefit most from a circumferential abdominoplasty, or body lift, meaning contouring around the entire mid body.

Breast Surgery After Weight Loss

Both men and women often elect breast surgery after dropping many pounds. Both sexes find that after their breasts enlarged to accommodate excess weight, they just don’t bounce back into place without some help.

Guys usually develop man boobs when they gain weight, and we generally find the tissue left behind after weight loss contains both extra breast gland and fat. We perform male breast reduction for many guys who drop several pounds or more, and we can carefully remove redundant skin if needed.

Women often elect a breast lift to elevate their breasts back into a youthful position on the chest wall. If the breasts have a pronounced “deflated” look, we can insert an appropriate sized breast implant in the same procedure.

Other Post Weight Loss Surgical Options

Other post weight loss options we talk over with some New York body contouring after weight loss patients include thigh lifts, arm lifts and facelifts. Since extra weight gets distributed throughout the body—influenced by genetic patterns—some people choose a final cosmetic procedure or two to complete their rejuvenation goals.

Financing the Plan

Cosmetic surgery after weight loss is a true investment, and we encourage patients to look at it in that light. After working so hard to shed unhealthy weight, for many it doesn’t makes sense to carry around extra skin afterward.

Our staff can work with you on a payment strategy. We can discuss whether there may be a chance of help from your insurance company if health issues (aches and pains, rashes and so on) can be documented. We can share tips from other patients on saving for cosmetic surgery, and we can talk with you about the possibility of financing some of the cost. Many patients come up with a combination strategy for covering the cost of cosmetic surgery, and the staggered nature of multiple procedures can make the process easier.

We thoroughly enjoy working with patients seeking body contouring after weight loss in New York. It is truly a pleasure to help people who have worked so hard to change their health and body image. For many, cosmetic surgery after weight loss puts the finishing touches on a difficult physical and emotional journey, and it’s an honor to be part of this process.

If we can help you, give us a call at 212-570-6080.

New York Plastic Surgeon

Dr. Elliot W. Jacobs