Liposuction is a popular method to eliminate stubborn and hard to remove fat from the body. If anyone is doubting its continuing popularity, take a look below to learn where it ranks among the most-performed surgeries of last year.
It was announced earlier this year that liposuction was the most-performed plastic surgery procedure in the United States in 2022 (according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons). The amount of liposuction procedures rose by 23% over the year 2019. The Society reported that about 1.5-million cosmetic surgical procedures were performed in 2022 and around 325,000 of those procedures were liposuction surgeries.
While it has long been a popular procedure, liposuction was usually somewhere in the top five procedures in terms of popularity. Before 2021, the surgery had not been in the top spot since 2005.
One of the reasons some doctors think liposuction remained so popular was how people lived during the pandemic. For example, some members of the population used the time during the pandemic to get in good shape while others did not exercise as much as they did before the pandemic due to a lack of access to gyms or fitness equipment. The rise in liposuction procedures can also be traced to patients worrying about the chances of side effects from treatments such as CoolSculpting. This procedure took a hit in the public eye after model Linda Evangelista filed a lawsuit against the parent company of CoolSculpting after she said the treatment left her with a “permanently deformed” look.
There have also been advances in the way liposuction is performed that have caught the eye of the public. These advances have allowed patients to enjoy shorter recovery times and less invasive techniques. In addition, many patients enjoy the ability to have extra skin tightening treatments after liposuction with radiofrequency procedures. The advances in how liposuction is performed allow patients to obtain results that were not possible in the past.
Even with the ongoing trend towards inclusivity and body positivity, does the continuing interest in liposuction, as well as medications like Ozempic, mean “thin” is in the new “in thing?”
Between Ozempic, the lack of diverse body types on some runways, and a desire to look like Barbie thanks to the hit movie, it certainly seems like the desire to have a thin look is very popular in 2023. It is hard to say if “thin is in” again as the thin aesthetic might never have gone out of style over the years. Since a thin look might not have gone out of style, the efforts to educate the public about a healthy lifestyle and how to be happy with their appearance continues across the country.
There are also some patients who discuss whether or not Ozempic is a good choice for them when it comes to weight loss. There are people who do not want to take the drug and a discussion with their doctor does lead to additional chats about exercise and changes in their lifestyles that can lead to a new outlook on their health plans. There are even a number of people who plan to use liposuction as a supplement to their exercise and weight loss plans. They view liposuction as a way to enhance their look and gain a more sculpted appearance after they have exercised and worked on their weight loss. Liposuction as a supplement to their healthy lifestyle can help get rid of the stubborn fat that might be hard to address.
Ozempic can lead to a significant amount of weight loss and liposuction is often viewed as a good follow-up treatment that can give the body an improved contour and tighter look.
All of the talk about liposuction and Ozempic means patients are becoming more educated than ever before about their weight loss and body contouring options. They are asking questions when they have an appointment with their doctor, and they want to learn more about the benefits and risks of both choices.
While liposuction is a personal decision, it is important that a patient does not have the procedure to try and achieve an unrealistic look based on what they see on social media. The doctor of choice needs to examine the body
of the patient to make sure the person is an ideal candidate for liposuction and that they have a realistic idea about the type of results they can expect to see after the procedure. The doctor can also share “before and after” photos of actual patients they treated in the past in order to give a better idea about the type of results that can be expected after liposuction surgery. Once the patient has all of this information, they can make a final informed decision about having liposuction surgery.
