THE BEST CANDIDATES FOR LIPOSUCTION

Liposuction can enhance your appearance and your self-confidence, but it won't necessarily change your looks to match your ideal, or cause other people to treat you differently. Before you decide to have surgery, think carefully about your expectations and discuss them with me when you come in for your consultation.

The best candidates for liposuction are of relatively normal weight but have pockets of excess fat in particular areas. You should be physically healthy, psychologically stable, and realistic in your expectations. Most important, you should have firm, elastic skin. (Loose, baggy skin won't reshape to your body's new contours, and may require an additional procedure to surgically remove the excess skin. This procedure will leave visible scars).

Suction lipectomy is not recommended if you've had recent surgery on the spot to be sculpted, if you have poor blood circulation in that area, or if you have heart or lung disease. You should also understand that liposuction by itself will not improve the dimpled skin known as cellulite, though some plastic surgeons offer other techniques that may improve this condition.