Facial Liposuction
Your face is the thing most people will remember when they first meet you. That’s why excess fat in your cheeks, chin, and neck can have an adverse effect on your personal image. Diet and exercise can help many areas of the body, but nothing seems to affect those fatty deposits on your cheeks, chin, jaw line, or neck. These areas don’t usually respond to diet and exercise.
Many women and men turn to facial liposuction as a solution. Facial liposuction can make a dramatic change in the way you look by removing the excess fat from your cheeks, chin, and neck.
What Is Facial Liposuction?
Technically, facial suction lipectomy, facial liposuction surgery is performed to actually remove unwanted localized deposits of fat cells from the body.
Though liposuction was originally designed for contouring of the body, it can now be used to enhance your facial features that are otherwise hidden by fatty deposits. Specialized probes are now delicate enough to operate on your face, which is typically sensitive to any kind of medical procedure. A facial liposuction enhancement is done through small incisions located in inconspicuous places around your face and neck.
For younger patients, a facial liposuction may be the only thing necessary to achieve the perfect look.
Older patients may combine the liposuction with a facelift, brow lift, eyelid treatment, chin implant, cheek implant, or nose enhancement. Regardless, the result you’re hoping for a beautifully resculpted face free of bulging fat deposits can be achieved with a quick and minor facial liposuction surgery.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Facial Liposuction?
Most men and women who have localized facial fatty deposits are good candidates for facial liposuction if they are in good health, have fat deposits disproportionate to the rest of their bodies, have good skin elasticity, and have realistic expectations. Generally, younger man and women will achieve better results from facial liposuction because the skin still retains some elasticity.
How Should You Prepare for Facial Liposuction?
The initial consultation with your surgeon will require your complete medical history, so you will want to be prepared to provide the necessary information. You must be completely open and honest with your surgeon. If there is any medical problem, you will be referred to a specialist.
With all of this information, your surgeon can plan the best procedure for your needs and tell you how to adequately prepare for the procedure by giving you guidelines.
Certain facial creams may be stopped a few days before surgery. No makeup should be worn the day of surgery. Your hair should be washed prior to surgery, and dried without any hair products. A special anti-bacterial soap for your face may also be required by surgeon.
The nursing staff may go over post-operative bandages and medications a few weeks before your surgery. Medications may be altered at this time (if possible). It is advised that you purchase all necessities that will be needed during your recovery; such as medication, ice, ointment; prior to your surgery.
Smoking should be stopped, ideally, 2 weeks prior to surgery; smoking inhibits blood flow to the skin, and may interfere with the healing of incisions
Medications and supplements that can affect the procedure and be the cause of facial liposuction side effects must be stopped first.
How Is Facial Liposuction Performed?
The surgery is done on an outpatient basis and takes no more than an hour.
Facial liposuction is usually performed under light sedation plus local anesthesia, or possibly general anesthesia if you are having other facial procedures done at the same time. A small incision is made within the natural folds under the chin or jaw line or behind your ears and the special tube called a cannula is inserted through a tiny incision. Using a suction syringe or pump attached to the cannula, the fat cells are extracted.
Unlike regular liposuction, a facial liposuction procedure uses special cannulas (probes) that are smaller and less damaging to your facial tissue. These cannulas won’t damage the fibers between your skin and facial structure.
Over time, the skin around your face will contract as a result of the surgery, leaving you with a more streamlined look.
What Is Recovery Like After Facial Liposuction?
The recovery after facial liposuction is generally a rapid one with minimal discomfort. One or two small stitches may be needed to close the tiny incisions.
A small elastic dressing over the treated area may be applied.
Some swelling and bruising can occur and will subside over several months.
Patients are usually able to return to work and other normal activities within five days though it will be at least ten days before more strenuous activities may be resumed.
Will the Results of Facial Liposuction Be Permanent?
Yes. After puberty, we do not create many new fat cells. When you gain weight, you expand the fat cells that you have. Facial liposuction permanently removes fat cells to improve your facial contour.
Should you gain weight after liposuction, it will go to the fat cells that remain in your body. The localized fatty deposits that existed prior to liposuction can no longer balloon up out of proportion to the surrounding areas.
What Are Possible Complications From Facial Liposuction?
When the procedure is performed by a highly qualified cosmetic surgeon complications are rare and usually minor. However, as with any surgery, there are potential complications and risks. Your physician will spend time discussing these with you during your scheduled consultation. Be sure to bring a list of questions or concerns with you. All patients are instructed to discuss the general surgical risks with their surgeon.
Facial and neck liposuction surgery outcome are generally very positive. The potential complications that can occur with facial liposuction may include adverse anesthesia reactions, asymmetry, fluid loss or retention, infection, pigmentation changes, rippling or bagginess of the skin, and skin injury.