I do believe in healthy nutrition and regular physical activity. This is what I recommend to all my patients enquiring about liposuction and other types of body contouring procedures.
Everyone should think of their body as a vehicle for their dreams and as their best friend. Learn to respect it. Your body is an instrument for your daily activities, not just an ornament. Everyone should be able to walk “head high” and embrace his/her own body, and one’s weight or shape should not prevent anyone from participating in sport and gym activities.
It is important to love one’s own body as it is an essential component of a healthy self-esteem. A healthy self-esteem is also important when considering a cosmetic body or facial procedure. Few of us have the so-called “perfect” body. Remember that standards for beauty are largely influenced by Hollywood — a place that is INSANE.
All of us have the power to make the right choices when deciding on food, drinks, and physical activity.
I do agree that Plastic surgery should be the last resort. Liposuction is not a weight-loosing approach. And we all know that despite liposuction, one will not maintain his/her results without better lifestyle changes. As a thorough plastic surgeon, I do ask many questions when I meet my patients for the first time in Yorkville, Toronto. I do go over my patient’s medical history of course. But I also ask many questions about lifestyle, gym and physical activity, nutrition, weight changes, etc.
Now we all know that despite good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle, one has to fight genetics and the resistant fat.
Exercise-resistant and often genetically-determined fat depots are the saddlebags, inner thighs/knees, abdomen and bra rolls for the ladies and the lower back, love handles and abdomen for the males. Those are the last areas to be burned with serious physical activities and strict diet.
Although not a weight-loosing technology, liposuction is a powerful way to sculpt the body, to give a lady the hourglass silhouette and the males the triangular torso.
I quite enjoy the PAL technology (power-assisted liposuction), with the safer tumescence technique, as it is a much more powerful tool for fat removal than the non-invasive CoolSculpting and Liposonix. My patients do want an obvious positive change. PAL, with its mechanical vibrations to destroy the fat, is also safer in my hands, without the higher-complication rate associated with the other technologies such as laser and ultrasound. I feel I have full control when using the PAL as I don’t have to depend on an energy at the tip of my wand.
The best candidates for liposuction/liposculpting and body contouring procedures (such as tummy-tuck, mommy make-over, lower body lift, armlift, breastlift, etc.) are those same candidates who are physically active. Those candidates will likely maintain their surgical results.
And yes, curves are back. When I see patients for liposuction and body contouring, I do like to suggest “recycling” the aspirated fat. Most can benefit from added fat to the buttock areas, both males and females. Some ladies – and the men who love them! – like the added fullness between the buttocks and the hips, the so-called Brazilian Butt (as in the Brazilian butt lift). So yes, fat grafting has become a powerful tool to add back volume and curves. And recycling is a good thing.
Ultimately, one must love his/her body and nurture it, and yes, respect it. If one learns to respect his/her own body, then he/she will make better lifestyle decisions.
Remember, happiness is not a body shape.
Dr Marc DuPéré
