As an experienced plastic surgeon in New York, I have seen many patients come in with the desire to achieve a slimmer waist through liposuction. However, the amount of inches that can be lost after the procedure varies depending on several factors that we will discuss during your consultation. It's important to have realistic expectations about the results of liposuction, as it is primarily a body contouring procedure rather than a method of weight reduction. The amount of fat that can be removed during liposuction depends on factors such as skin tone, underlying bone structure, and the amount of fat available for harvest. Typically, liposuction can remove centimeters from the waist by targeting fat deposits in the flanks (also known as “love handles”) and lower abdomen (sometimes referred to as a “dog”).
While it is possible to achieve a drastic reduction in waist circumference with liposuction, it should not be considered as a weight loss solution. The maximum amount of fat that can be removed with liposuction is 5000 ml, which is equivalent to approximately 11 pounds on the scale. This may not seem like a significant amount, but imagine two and a half liters of soda from the grocery store. In most cases, this amount of fat can be removed through liposuction. On average, one inch of fat equals about 5 pounds. This means that during stomach liposuction, surgeons typically remove 10 to 11 pounds of fat, resulting in a potential loss of 2 inches.
However, this is just a rough estimate and does not take into account individual variables. In some cases, women may lose up to 4 inches after liposuction. While this may not seem like a significant difference, it can make a big impact when it comes to clothing sizes. Losing 2.2 inches from your waist or hips can result in a drop of one or two clothing sizes. If you are still unsure about the potential results, I encourage you to ask for before and after photos of patients who have a similar body shape and size as you. It's important to understand that your body's bone structure plays a significant role in your waist size.
Some individuals may have an hourglass figure but are genetically predisposed to having excess body fat. Liposuction is designed to remove these excess fat cells from specific areas of the body. If you are interested in adding volume to another part of your body, we can also adapt the liposuction procedure to achieve this. The amount of inches that can be lost with liposuction varies for each individual, but on average, patients can expect a reduction of 1 to 2 inches. It's important to remember that the goal of liposuction is to improve body contour, not drastically reduce size. For example, if you are considering waist liposuction, you can get an idea of the excess fat in the area by pinching the skin over it.
However, it's important to note that this does not directly correlate with the amount of fat that can be removed through liposuction. The only way to determine if you are a good candidate for waist reduction through liposuction is through a thorough examination and consultation. I recently saw a follow-up patient who lost over 7 inches from their waist after a single Ultrasound-Assisted Liposuction (UAL) procedure. This type of liposuction is especially effective for removing fat from the flank region of the waist.
