Can Anyone Get Liposuction?

In some ways, it seems like liposuction should be the great equalizer: a procedure that can immediately remove fat from anyone, male or female, overweight or not, in nearly any area of the body. Unfortunately, though, the reality is a little more restrictive.

Believe it or not, not everyone is an acceptable candidate for liposuction. Some people are restricted for various health problems, while as for others, the procedure is technically possible, but perhaps ill-advised. While the effects of liposuction are permanent, the procedure itself is no guarantee against gaining weight in the future. Because of the mechanics of liposuction, the weight will not return to the area that was treated, but it will certainly go everywhere else. The overall effect can be unusual, unsightly, or even grotesque. Because of this problem, liposuction is usually not a good idea for those who are at a high risk of regaining large amounts of weight after their procedure.

Another way to guess at how well liposuction will work for you is to look at your overall level of health. If you are generally healthy, then you will probably recover quickly and well after a liposuction, eliminating the risk of serious scarring and reducing the possibility of lingering side effects, pain, and infection.

An ideal candidate for liposuction should also have healthy skin with plenty of elasticity. In general, the younger and healthier a person, the more elastic their skin. While there is no medical reason why people with inelastic skin cannot get liposuction, they will probably experience more trouble with wrinkled, drooping, or sagging skin afterward. For some people, this is unsightly enough that they say they would have preferred not get the liposuction at all.

If a person is in generally poor health, whether because of a specific medical condition or because of a combination of bad health habits, liposuction is generally not recommended. This is because liposuction is a surgery, and like all surgeries, it take a toll on the body. Those who are in poor health are much more likely to have a longer and more painful recovery period, and also more likely to experience side effects and complications.

Counter-intuitively, liposuction patients also need to be at a relatively healthy weight. Liposuction cannot remove large amounts of weight at once, so it really can't be used as a cure for obesity. Instead, it should be performed on normal, healthy people who just want a little help losing those last ten pounds.

In addition to good health, the ideal candidate does not smoke or drink, and exercises regularly. If they have ever had an adverse reaction to anesthetic or other medications, they must be sure to tell their surgeon well in advance of their procedure.