Fat Reduction Techniques – Liposuction, Double Chin Injection Treatments & Weight Loss Surgery

Are non-surgical fat reduction treatments really effective – or a waste of time and money? Why alternatives to liposuction are not always the answer to reshape your body.

Download your Free 18 page Guide to Facial Rejuvenation treatments in Melbourne

Or is it typically better to investigate liposuction and skin reduction along with fat reduction, as performed during a full Tummy Tuck surgery or a Breast Reduction/Breast Lift? Read the blog below to find out more or phone us on (03) 8849 1400 with your questions.

You can also request a variety of body contouring and cosmetic surgery guides (free e-books). (Originally published March 2017, updated and republished July 2018).

Non-Surgical Fat Reduction vs Liposuction vs Tummy Tuck or Neck Lift Surgery

When it comes to reducing fat with fat cell dissolving injections or heating and cooling methods vs using liposuction or tummy tuck or neck lift procedures, remember that:

Patient selection is CRUCIAL for success.
Your skin condition matters – a lot!
So, too, does your body fat percentage and weight stability.
You also shouldn’t expect too drastic a change nor any change too quickly (these methods take time to work).
Repeated treatments are typically always required – for neck fat, it’s usually 3 injection sessions 5-6 weeks apart or as prescribed.

Fat reduction treatments, however, are NEVER a replacement for good nutrition, moderate calorie intake and regular exercise.

Success: the effectiveness of non-surgical fat treatments such as body contouring or ‘spot treatment’ fat reduction, depends on at least 3 things:

The patient’s starting point (BMI, skin condition and elasticity, areas of fat accumulation).
The patient’s lifestyle and weight stability.
The patient’s expectations – are they realistic or overly optimistic – to the point of being delusional – about what can be achieved for fat reduction?

The answer to the question, “Do non-surgical treatments work?” is that it really depends on the patient, the clinician and the technology. But just as with surgical methods of body contouring, such as Liposuction, proper patient selection and realistic expectations are crucial for having a positive result.

Some of the latest non-surgical treatments for fat reduction and body shaping CAN help you shape your body.

But typically, for more significant fat reduction and more precision body contouring, it may be that plastic surgery options may be better – or more effective – longer-term solutions.
Cosmetic Plastic Surgery is, however, a more serious endeavour than a non-surgical approach.
But surgery, surprisingly, is not necessarily significantly more expensive in the longer run than repeated non-surgical treatments (as some fat reduction patients are surprised to find).
Also, non-surgical treatments may require ongoing maintenance AND ongoing costs, additional downtime, discomfort during and after treatments, AND a degree of patience.
Satisfaction with less significant changes is also a requirement for using non-surgical approaches; but for the right patients, they can do a lot to help you reach your goals.

Are you expecting too much from a non-surgical alternative to a neck lift or tummy tuck?

Surgery may be the best way to meet a patient’s expectations for body contouring or under chin skin tightening and fat reduction (via a neck lift or facelift).

If the skin has good resiliency, sometimes these treatments can really help – including liposuction only procedures.

But the key to getting great results relates to whether or not you’re a good candidate for the procedure.

Additionally, some non-surgical fat treatments involve higher costs and repeated treatment times than patients anticipate; yet with far less drastic or pleasing a result than can be attained with surgery. Not for all patients, but for many.

Sure, that means more downtime – but the total time invested in a plastic surgery journey may not be overly dissimilar to having multiple fat melting or fat freezing treatments – although there will be scars.

Successful fat reduction and body contouring – surgical or less invasive – all depends on what you’re starting with and what you’re wanting to achieve.

Of course, the risks are different also; but if you’re healthy with a stable weight, there are precautions you can take to reduce your risks – ask a Plastic Surgeon for details about your liposuction or body contouring options (thigh lift surgery, arm reduction surgery, abdominoplasty/tummy tucks or breast reduction).

IF you’re prone to gaining body fat over winter – or you feel you become heavier and frumpier year after year, you’ll no doubt be wondering if the latest non-surgical fat treatments work. The good news is that some of these options CAN work, to some extent, without surgery – so long as you’re a suitable candidate.

Good candidates for fat treatments that don’t require surgery or liposuction.

That means you have a healthy BMI but perhaps a bit of extra fat in your upper arms or across the belly or thighs, but good skin tone and no excess skin or skin sagging. If you have skin sagging then typically SURGERY is the answer (although some minor treatments can firm the skin, slightly, if it’s a very small amount – ask your Dermal Clinicians about double chin injections and facial lasers such as DOT CO2 Laser Therapy or Fraxel, which usually have SOME tightening and plumping effects on the facial skin).

Read on to discover some helpful tips to get leaner and body-contoured before summer.

NOTE: Are you very overweight or even obese? But want to know what will work for you to lose fat across your belly, thighs, upper arms or neck line? Is your BMI (body mass index) over 25 or over 30?

Get great weight loss tips at www.newbodyspecialists.com.au. You can also call us and ask for an appointment in Melbourne with a Dr Arun Dhir, Melbourne Weight Loss Surgeon in Bundoora

Read on to discover the latest types of non-surgical Fat Reduction Technologies relatively NEW in Melbourne.

Fat Reduction and Nutrition Tips for Losing Weight

Want help to lose excess pounds or kilos, but not sure where to turn?

Read about Dr Arun Dhir’s Weight Change program and visit The New Body Weight Loss site for great blogs on losing weight.

Beating the Belly Bulges: Mindset and Dedication

The first thing you can do to beat a belly bulge is to work on your nutrition, sleep habits and daily exercise routines.

Are you a couch potato?
Do you find it difficult to get motivated to exercise in winter?
We have a few great resources for you to get fitter and motivated for weight loss.
Here are our top picks for helping you get the body you’ve been wanting, or getting your body back after pregnancy.

Attend an EVENT and get MOTIVATED by learning your options.
Write down your goals in a journal and put inspirational quotes and photos on your walls.
Get out those walking shoes and exercise!

Another great way to get motivated to lose excess body fat, is to REGISTER for one of our excellent EVENTS to learn more about your options for body contouring.

Phone us on (03) 8849 1400 or register on our MELBOURNE EVENTS page. Meet our Surgeons and Skin Care teams or ask about our weight loss and motivational events.
Watch a video about getting a winning weight loss mindset.
Find some of the best fitness and weight loss blogs on New Body Tips weightloss website.
DO you have areas of stubborn fat or flab?
Do you find certain parts of your body simply don’t respond well enough to dieting, exercising or drinking a lot of water?
Do you have excess skin or belly bulges after pregnancy?
Is your Body Mass Index (BMI) ABOVE where your doctor thinks it should be?

If, however, exercise and diet have failed to yield a flatter tummy or sufficiently reduce your Body Mass Index (BMI) and body fat, you’ll want to explore your other options, including cosmetic surgery including Abdominoplasty, Thigh Lift or Upper Arm Reduction procedures.

If fat bulges won’t shift for you, despite your maintenance of a healthy weight and stable BMI, then it might be time to look into the latest bulge-busting options.

Some popular types of fat reduction for a fitter-looking body include:

Breast and Back area Liposuction (surgical but not considered to be as invasive as larger surgical incisions required for a Tummy Tuck)
Double Chin FAT Reduction Injections (Double Chin Treatments using Cosmetic Injectables & Fat Melting Solutions)
Tummy Tuck Surgery
Weight Loss Surgery (a treatment for Obesity or very high BMI)

Is fat reduction MORE important to you than wanting to look great in a swimming costume or bikini?

YES!

Fat reduction is important because FAT that accumulates around the waistline not only limits fashions and self-confidence, it can be detrimental to your health.

Your WAIST-HIP ratio is also a key indicator to your overall health and disease risks.

The ubiquitous “problem areas” where excess fat accumulates can be dangerous. An unhealthy waist-hip ratio is linked with significant health risks (a large gut is linked with higher rates of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases).

Are you wanting to discover the best forms of fat reduction for your tummy, arms, back, breasts or hips and thighs?
Are you wondering if a Surgeon can redistribute fat via Autologous Fat Transfer (AFT) and Liposuction?
Or perhaps you’re contemplating Liposuction or non-surgical fat cooling or heating, but wonder if you’re best off looking into a Tummy Tuck or Circumferential Abdominoplasty procedure, instead?

Read on to discover types of fat reduction processes. However, it’s important that you recognise ONLY an in person consultation can help you assess what type of fat reduction or body shaping solutions will best suit your body – and your goals.

Phone us now on (03) 8849 1400 and ask for a confidential consultation or send an enquiry form (below this page) for further information.

3 Types of fatty adipose cell removal (reduction) currently popular for men and women who want to gain smoother, firmer and better-looking body or jawline contours – fall into two primary categories: Surgical & Non-Surgical.

Fat reduction options these days include Surgical (cosmetic plastic surgery or liposuction) and non-surgical options (minimally invasive or non-invasive treatments, such as cosmetic injections or other fat cell elimination technologies).

Suitable patients can attain long-lasting fat cell reductions and sculpt their body, thighs, buttocks, arms, back or breasts with new technologies or proven surgical techniques.
You can even improve your facial or jawline contours by eliminating under chin fat with a series of cosmetic injections.
Surgeons can redistribute or reduce the puffy-looking under-eye bags using Blepharoplasty/Canthoplasty surgery (or ask a Clinician about temporary dermal filler injections to reduce tear troughs).

There’s even BODY CONTOURING skin reduction surgery to reduce skin folds and residual fat, which can be particularly helpful after weight loss surgery (lap band or gastric bypass procedures).

But the KEY factor is shifting fat or reducing a belly bulge or tummy bulge is CHOOSING the RIGHT procedure.

Not all fat reduction procedures will be a match for what you’re wanting to accomplish.
Sometimes, you can try non-surgical approaches, and get OKAY to GOOD results, but find you really need a Tummy Tuck because there’s excess skin folds that cannot be reduced without excisions.
For the most part, factors such as YOUR SKIN’s resiliency, WHERE the fat has accumulated, HOW much FAT you’re wanting to reduce or shift, and your GENERAL health including BMI and lifestyle, all influence which procedure may work best for you.
That’s why ONLY a consultation can provide you with the information needed to make an informed decision.

Our team are experts at helping individuals get firmer contours back; especially after weight loss or pregnancy. And if the team at COCO RUBY can’t help you, they work closely with some of Melbourne’s top Plastic Surgeons who can.

So how DO you SHIFT fat & REDUCE body bulges in modern times?

What’s new and exciting in modern fat reduction or ‘fat melting’ technology.

Before we review your cosmetic body contouring choices, remember that the main way to get the body you want is to LIVE healthily and eat well (but not TOO many calories).

The obvious answer for fat reduction and body shaping – and the one most medical practitioners recommend – is the trilogy of health:

exercise regularly
eat healthily
get enough sleep and staying active
keep calm using meditation and mindfullness

Yes, reducing stress-related, emotionally reactive eating patterns helps a lot (this is also easier to accomplish if you eat right, sleep well and exercise regularly).

So you will ideally choose to live healthily and maintain a stable body weight and healthy Body Mass Index (BMI) to reduce bulges and excess fat.

In fact, this is the BASIC requirement of maintaining a healthy body no matter WHICH modern-day fat reduction option you choose.

Yet WHAT IF good Lifestyle Habits Don’t Get you the Body Shape or Ideal Weight you want?

Are your bulges getting the best of you?

Even living well and exercising regularly won’t always shift your body fat, body mass index or muscle-to-fat ratio.
Some people are also left with either stubborn fat bulges OR with bulges AND excess, redundant skin folds.
Some genetic traits and hormonal changes can leave your body more heavy in certain areas (with fat accumulating in areas where other people don’t have bulges).

This is part of being human and it’s best if you learn to love your body as it comes. But you can still strive for a better figure or flatter belly if you’re keen to have a fitter, flatter look to the abdomen – or slimmer hips, arms and thighs, or smaller breasts.

Skin cannot be exercised; it must be excised. And often, as Body Contouring Surgeon Dr Maxwell is fond of saying, “weight loss can make you healthy; but it’s the skin reduction and body contouring is what tends to make weight loss patients happy.”

Of course, surgery is serious business and there’s no guarantee it will change your outlook at all.

But we hear from many post-Bariatric Surgery and Weight Loss Surgery patients that they only felt ‘successful’ in their weight loss journeys AFTER their redundant skin folds were reduced via body contouring or tummy tuck and breast lift or breast reduction surgery.

Skin Folds require surgical intervention, but some excess fat can be removed with other means.

And awkwardly distributed fat stores or heavier than normal breasts can also cause chronic back, neck and shoulder pain and impede your posture.

Skin folds or stubborn fat bulges are not only uncomfortable, they can impinge on your metabolism.
Skin folds also impede your ability to continue with your exercise routines or may leave you feeling self-conscious at the gym.
Skin folds can also lead to chronic skin infections or ‘flapping’ sounds when you walk.
Even chaffing and bra strap ‘dig ins’ to the shoulder area are common when the body cannot adapt to heavy, excess tissues.
Skin cannot be exercised so must be excised (surgically reduced).

Sometimes it seems that no matter what you seem to do – you simply won’t lose weight in the areas you’re wanting to achieve a smoother or fitter looking contour.

Three Types of fat reduction are over-viewed below.

They essentially include:

Surgical methods such as Breast Reduction, Arm Reduction and Thigh Reduction Surgery or a Tummy Tuck procedure with Liposuction
Surgical methods such as Tumescent Liposuction as either a stand-alone procedure or a combined procedure with other types of body contouring surgery, or Liposuction combined with Autologous Fat Transfer or Fat Grafting – in other words, using fat removed via liposuction from your butt or thighs and repositioned to your face or your breasts to restore lost facial volume or slightly enhance your breast size or cleavage projection.
Non-surgical methods such as Double Chin Injection Treatments for reducing under-chin neck area fat. There are also fat cooling and fat heating options, but not all of these are effective and well-tolerated by patients, and results can be quite inconsistent.
Burns or skin divets (indentations) after fat cooling are also a known side-effect of certain fat reduction methods that “freeze the fat” – and the discomfort of freezing cold or heat based treatments can be difficult to tolerate for would-be patients.

But before we view the options to reduce love handles and other body bulges or belly fat….

How does time change our body fat cells?

Body fat cells are often relatively stable through much of our lives, in relation to how many fat cells we have.
However, fat cells may change in size (expansion) AND quantity (number) at different times of our lives.
There is currently scientific debate about what happens to fat cells over time – essentially, this may vary from person to person.

In relation to NEW methods to destroy or eliminate fat cells – patient selection (suitability) is a key to getting a good result.

It gets harder to shift fat and maintain a good muscle-to-fat-ratio as we age.

This has led to the popularity of body contouring using methods including Tummy Tuck Surgery and Liposuction.

Some people get thinner as they age, and faces can look gaunt on individuals who’s facial volume has atrophied over time.
But most people living in abundant, developed countries get FATTER, not thinner, over time – at least, in their bodies.
Fat accumulates in areas we wish it didn’t – and moves away from where we’d like it to stay (breasts and cheek areas, for example).

Why is it that we also look lumpier, frumpier, heavier and more wrinkled as we get older?

Our hormones and our lifestyles are partially responsible for middle-age spread and sequential weight gain (5 or more kilos each year, often over the holiday period).
Pregnancy, hormonal shifts, medication side effects and less lean muscle mass changes also leave us looking LESS fit or firm.
Skin collagen deteriorates; skin sags and wrinkles and becomes ‘bumpy’ looking.

Our LIFESTYLE choices start adding up

If we were blessed with a fast metabolism, and never learned to curb our appetites, suddenly the weight starts piling on after – say – menopause or decades of eating sweets or fried foods.

Other age-related changes that can leave us heavier – even obese – as we get older in Australia

Body fat stores are rarely even and smooth after the age of our mid-twenties.
Additionally, having children, making repeated facial expressions or undergoing yo-yo dieting and weight changes can wreak havoc on your once-smooth firm physique and facial skin.
Throw in hormonal changes after childbirth, menopause or andropause (“male menopause”), joint pain and sedentary lifestyles, and you may end up with a physique you no longer feel comfortable with.

Body fat accumulation can get worse as we age, go through menopause or androgen/testosterone deficiency.

Women and Men both gain weight as we age although the distribution is very individualistic as well as gender-influenced.
For males, it can mean a ‘beer gut’ and ‘man boobs’ (Gynaecomastia, which Male Breast Reduction Surgery can remedy).
For females, it may mean drooping breasts or heavier breasts and a sagging tummy or having hips broader than we’d like.

Studies often indicate that our bodies DO become LESS efficient at burning fat and calories as we age.

Fortunately, there are new methods for reducing excess body fat and for body contouring – including non-surgical methods as well as traditional Tummy Tuck surgery or Breast Reduction Surgery. And based on current statistics, many of us have unwanted fat stores in certain areas of our bodies.

Other reasons Liposuction, Double Chin Treatments and Tummy Tuck Surgery remain popular.

Many of us DO work out, but perhaps not quite regularly enough.
Our genetics or a sluggish metabolism may also be working against us.
But mostly, gaining weight or excess body fat is a combination of lifestyle and hormonal changes.
Once your fat cells expand, they are difficult to reduce, as they require very little caloric intake to sustain themselves (our bodies are just TOO efficient at storing fat).

We ALSO may gain excess fat due to factors that reinforce a sedentary, calorie-rich lifestyle. Obesity related factors include:

Having sedentary jobs over long periods of time
Raising children and eating fast foods or leftovers
Over-catering at events
Being food-focused thanks to reality TV shows like “My Kitchen Rules” and “Master Chef”
Post-pregnancy weight gain
The metabolic slowing down effects of not getting adequate sleep each night – or over-eating to compensate for being thirsty or tired
Post-Menopausal weight gain
Androgen and Testosterone deficiency
The Australian culture of high alcohol intake and high sugar intake (hidden sugars found in soft drinks and foods)

As we get older, our metabolism is often slower than it used to be.

Part of these outcomes relate to natural ageing and slower regeneration and digestion processes of our bodies.
Part of it is a vicious cycle of eating and feeling uncomfortable exercising due to having a heavier body weight.

It’s a vicious cycle for some of us, meaning the more weight we gain, the less active we tend to be. And the less active we are, the more we might find ourselves tempted by unhealthy foods.

There are new ways to manage fat reduction without surgery – but for best results over the longer term, you’ll still need to live healthily and maintain a stable, healthy BMI.

Surgical and new non-surgical body contouring treatments ARE now available for people who want to shift or reduce body fat in certain places. But they are NOT a substitute for exercise and good nutritional eating patterns.

Fat-Fighting Technology also DOES seem to get better every decade – and sometimes Exercise or Dieting is simply NOT enough – especially if your abdominal muscles are separated and in need of surgical repair after having children.

Where exercise fails, however, surgery such as Liposuction (OR non-surgical fat reduction treatments, such as under-chin injections) can be a good option for suitable candidates.
Tummy Tuck surgery and body contouring may be required where there is excess skin or skin folds/sagging skin.
There’s even FAT TRANSFER from butt to breasts (or removing fat from the thighs, hips or abdomen area and injecting it into the breast or face areas to improve contours in more than one place)

Surgical Skin Reduction and Fat Reduction with Non-Surgical Equipment that Cools or Freezes (or heats up) Fat

Tummy Tuck Surgery is a gold standard for overcoming belly bulges, particularly after pregnancy.
So is Liposuction if the skin is firm and resilient.
Plus, non-surgical methods can also get good results for some patients, although skin-related issues may remain a concern, or appear worse, after some treatments. And if many treatments are needed before getting results, the cost and time investment can rival those of a surgical procedure such as a Tummy Tuck (if added up over time).

Double Chin Injections Treatment: Reducing a Double Chin by reducing under-chin and neck area fat stores.

(Double Chin Injection Photo courtesy of an external company- not a Coco Ruby Patient).

Up to 67% of patients are concerned about excess sub-mental fat in their chin & neck area, according to a study by the suppliers of solutions for under chin fat reduction treatments.
For patients wanting to reduce the appearance of a ‘double chin,’ an approved solution administered by strategically placed injections, is the latest non-surgical option to refine the appearance of the chin and jawline.

Best results require 3 or more injection sessions at 6 week intervals to reduce Submental Fat and help redefine and improve the clarity of the jawline contours.

Read more about Double Chin Treatment – Injections (Double Chin Injections).

Liposuction Surgery in Melbourne

Tumescent Liposuction surgery remains one of the most popular surgeries for body contouring and reducing fat from areas of the body.
Suitable candidates have reached a stable weight and have good skin collagen.
Common areas for excess fat removal using LIPOSUCTION include the abdomen, thighs/flanks, upper arms or buttocks.

Liposuction is also used to harvest body fat for fat grafting to the breast or face (Fat Grafting).

Tumescent liposuction is a good option for suitable patients who have good, healthy skin and are in good health, but simply want to reduce fat bulges in certain areas.

Liposuction is a surgery and hence has more risks than the non-surgical alternatives, but it can reduce fat or help sculpt the body more noticeably than most non-surgical methods can – and with fewer sessions of treatment in any given time period, once you heal.
Recovery time is lengthier (and lipo surgery requires General Anaesthesia), so there IS downtime with liposuction.

But Liposuction remains a gold standard for surgical fat reduction and body contouring.

Less fat cells, less fat and tighter skin mean your body can help your body look it’s best!

Find out how it works by sending us an enquiry form or coming in for a consultation on Liposuction, Double Chin Reduction or if you think you may need surgery to repair torn abdominal muscles or reduce excess skin, or investigate Fat Transfer using Liposuction – ask to meet with one of our Melbourne Plastic Surgeons.

A one-stop website for people trying to get healthier and reduce their risks of obesity-related diseases including diabetes and cardiovascular diseases: www.newbodyspecialists.com.au

Please send us an enquiry if you would like to learn more about fat reduction and skin fold surgery treatments – or phone us during Clinic Hours on (03) 8849 1400.