Liposuction is costly and requires a rather long recovery period. Many people look for liposuction alternatives for those reasons. What is the best alternative to liposuction?
The best alternatives to liposuction are ones that are less invasive than traditional liposuction methods. Some people prefer non-invasive methods may opt for mesotherapy.
Mesotherapy is a body-sculpting cosmetic procedure that uses injections of minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and medications to reduce the fat in a targeted area of the body. This lipo alternative is used by people who do not want surgery or the recovery period associated with liposuction.
Like liposuction, mesotherapy is used to target a specific area of fat. This procedure often is used under the chin, around the bra-line, abdomen, hips, buttocks, thighs, and the fat pockets between the knees.
Though mesotherapy sessions only cost five hundred dollars on average, several sessions are necessary to achieve results. Patients may not notice any results until after the fourth session.
The entire mesotherapy process can take ten sessions or more. The person may want to have another session six months afterwards. The total cost of mesotherapy is similar to liposuction surgery.
Laser liposuction that is done externally often is considered one of the best alternatives to liposuction. However, many lasers used during laser liposuction can cause serious skin burns.
Experts agree that if someone is considering laser liposuction, the patient should make sure the cosmetic surgeon has significant experience with the procedure. Like with any of the liposuction alternatives, the patient should discuss the risk and expected results with the doctor.
Some new versions of laser lipo use what are called cold lasers. With lasers that do not cause heat, the risk of burns is eliminated.
Some people may consider ultrasound lipolysis to be the best alternative to lipo. Ultrasound lipolysis uses ultrasound waves to break down fat cells without surgery.
The cosmetic surgeon moves an ultrasound device over the area of the body being treated. This procedure works best on small areas of stubborn fat that the person has not been able to reduce with diet and exercise.
Ultrasound is used to liquefy fat in ultrasound assisted liposuction. Unlike ultrasound lipo, ultrasound lipolysis does not require surgery.
Instead of using a suction tube to remove the damaged fat cells like ultrasound liposuction, the body removes the damaged cells as it would remove any damaged cells.
Because there are no incisions during ultrasound lipolysis, there is no risk of infection or scarring. The procedure is painless and does not require any recovery time.
Liposuction alternatives vary on their ability to reduce fat. Some methods can only remove fat less than two centimeters under the skin while others can affect fat that is up to five centimeters below the skin.
When deciding whether to use liposuction or one of the lipo alternatives, the patient should discuss the advantages, disadvantages, and side effects of the available options with the surgeon.