Putting Some of the Myths About Liposuction to Rest for Good

skinny girl

One of the biggest problems with modern mediums of content consumption is how easily certain myths can be misconstrued as fact. Information online is more easily found than ever before, but sometimes this information can be misleading and further perpetuate unfactual statements.

This is particularly true for topics such as cosmetic plastic surgery and procedures like liposuction. Liposuction is a treatment that helps gently remove unwanted fat from the body but often is misunderstood as a “weight loss surgery.” This is not correct.

While it is a body contouring procedure that helps a person achieve a slimmer appearance, a person rarely loses more than 2-5 pounds on average with liposuction. In fact, a patient already must be considered to be in a healthy weight range, close to their intended goal to even be accepted for the procedure. 

Below are four other myths and misconceptions about liposuction.

Liposuction Is Restricted to the Stomach

When people hear about getting liposuction, generally, the first thought is that it refers to the fat on the stomach or love handle areas. While these are both popular treatment areas for liposuction, it’s by no means the only place it can be performed. In fact, liposuction can be performed almost anywhere on the body where stubborn cells of fat find themselves collecting, including the arms, chest, chin, neck, back, thighs, buttocks, ankles, hips, and more.

A Tummy Tuck Does the Same Thing

The confusion that a tummy tuck and liposuction are the same procedure is likely due to the previous myth that liposuction is only for the stomach and that they are both body contouring treatments.

A tummy tuck is a procedure that removes excess skin and tissue from the body after it has been stretched due to extreme weight loss or pregnancy. Liposuction, meanwhile, is a treatment that removes the excess fat from under the skin. While two different procedures, The two are also often performed together, which may add to the confusion.

Same Results Can Be Achieved with Diet and Exercise

It is often said that liposuction is not a replacement for diet and exercise, and while this is true, so is the opposite end of this statement. In some cases, diet and exercise simply cannot achieve the same results as liposuction.

As previously mentioned, liposuction is not a weight-loss procedure, and while diet and exercise are certainly an important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and looking fit, it does not mean they are always able to remove the stubborn fat cells that can manifest in the body.

Many people who maintain a healthy lifestyle of diet and exercise still struggle with stubborn fat in areas such as the chin and stomach, which can be especially frustrating as the layer of fat can hide the underlying muscles from displaying in their truest form.

Liposuction is Only for Women

This is more of a blanket myth for cosmetic procedures and plastic surgery as a whole, but women, while the majority of those who undergo cosmetic treatments are not the only ones who seek to better their appearance.

In 2020, over two million men underwent cosmetic procedures ranging from non-invasive botox and fillers to rhinoplasty tummy tucks. Liposuction ranked as the fourth most popular surgery that men received.