The desire to acquire the unrivaled self esteem and societal acceptability has led many particularly, ladies undergoing medical procedures that comes at a not-too-friendly costs.
As matter of fact, more ladies are going under the knife to obtain their ideal looks and conform to society’s standards of how a lady should look. Some of the cosmetic surgeries people do to achieve their desired looks include; Liposuction (Lipo) Brazzilian Butt Lift (BBL), Botox, fillers, breast augmentation, breast reduction, tummy tuck and so on.
NewsClick Nigeria examines the Liposuction and Brazillian Butt Lift in details below:
What is Liposuction?
Liposuction, or simply lipo, is a type of fat-removal procedure used in plastic surgery.
Liposuction is a cosmetic procedure that removes fat that you can’t seem to get rid of through diet and exercise.
A plastic or dermatologic surgeon usually does the procedure on your hips, belly, thighs, buttocks, back, arms, and under the chin or face to improve their shape.
General, regional, or local anaesthesia may be used for the surgery. It entails sucking out fat with a cannula and negative pressure.It is considered that as a cosmetic procedure, it works best on persons who are of normal weight and have good skin elasticity.
While the suctioned fat cells are permanently removed, overall body fat generally returns to pre-treatment levels after a few months. Despite sticking to the previous diet and exercise routine. While some of the fat returns to the treated area, the majority of the increased fat occurs in the abdominal area. Visceral fat—fat that surrounds internal organs—increases, and this condition has been related to life-threatening conditions such as diabetes, stroke, and heart attack.
Types of Liposuction
There are two different uses for liposuction: cosmetic liposuction to change the body’s contour or shape and reconstructive, medically necessary liposuction.
1. Cosmetic liposuction
Cosmetic liposuction should not be used as a weight-loss plan but to aesthetically improve the appearance of body parts and contour. Benefits from cosmetic liposuction appears to be of a short-term nature with little long-term effect. After a few months fat typically returns and redistributes. Liposuction does not help obesity-related metabolic disorders like insulin resistance.
2. Reconstructive Liposuction
Reconstructive uses include treatment of lipedema, to remove excess fat in the chronic medical condition lymphedema, and to remove lipomas from areas of the body.
Liposuction Techniques
There are just a few different liposuction techniques. But what they all have in common is the use of a thin tube, called a cannula, connected to a vacuum to suction the fat from your body.
Tumescent liposuction is the most common technique. Your surgeon injects a sterile solution into the area where the fat is to be removed. It consists of saline — which is salt water – along with lidocaine and epinephrine. The solution makes it easier to suction the fat with less blood loss and pain.
Ultrasound-assisted liposuction, or UAL, uses sound wave energy under your skin to rupture the cell walls of the fat. This liquefies the fat so it can be suctioned out.
Laser-assisted liposuction, or SmartLipo, uses a laser to produce a burst of energy to liquefy the fat.
What are the risks?
Cosmetic surgery is still surgery, so there are some risks. You can help reduce them by making sure it is done only by a specially trained, board-certified cosmetic surgeon.
There are several possible risks directly related to liposuction that you still have to consider, including:
- Bleeding
- Complications from anesthesia
- Shock (usually from not getting enough fluid during surgery)
- Fluid accumulation (pockets of fluid forming under the skin)
- Infections (strep, staph)
- Fat embolism (when tiny pieces of fat break away and block blood flow)
- Burns from instruments
- Uneven fat removal
- Reactions to lidocaine
- Change in skin sensation; numbness
- Damage to nerves, blood vessels, muscles, lungs, and abdominal organs
Another risk is a blood clot in your deep veins. Clots can be very dangerous if they travel to other parts of your body, such as your lungs.
What Is a Brazillian Butt Lift (BBL)?
A BBL procedure begins with liposuction, in which a surgeon suctions fat from various regions of the body, then processes and reinjects it into the buttocks and hips. Before surgery, the areas of planned liposuction (Shafer says fat is usually taken from the abdomen or lower back) and the outline of planned fat grafting are marked. Liposuction is conducted in the targeted locations after the patient is positioned facedown on the operating table under anaesthesia, and the fat is collected in a specialised system that separates live fat cells from liposuction fluid.
That fat is then injected into the marked areas of the butt. Shafer says that surgeons will sometimes graft fat into the thighs or hips, depending on what body shape the patient wants. The procedure requires a few very small incisions that are sutured closed at the end.
Why is it called Brazilian Butt Lift?
Plastic surgery as a practice has many roots in Brazil, and Brazilian plastic surgeon Ivo Pitanguy is largely credited with creating the procedure. That said, the BBL as we know it has evolved quite a bit over the last several decades.
How long does a Brazilian butt lift last?
The effects of a Brazilian butt lift are semi-permanent. They should last several years and may even last for over a decade without any follow-up treatments. However, your body changes as you get older, which can affect your results over time. To preserve the effects of your Brazilian butt lift, you should maintain a consistent weight.
What are the advantages of a Brazilian butt lift?
There are many advantages to having Brazilian butt lift when performed by a qualified and experienced plastic surgeon:
- The procedure is safer than other surgeries, including silicone butt implants.
- The effects look natural.
- The effects can last a long time.
- It can boost your self-esteem.
- Your clothes may fit better or more comfortably.
What are the risks or complications of a Brazilian butt lift?
Getting a Brazilian butt lift poses some risks, including:
- Your butt contains many blood vessels and nerves. If the cannula strikes any of these structures during the surgery, it can lead to injury, a fat embolism or death.
- Bruising.
- Infection.
- Skin discoloration or changes in skin sensation.
- Swelling or poor wound healing.