Liposuction Archives - Scott Mosser M.D.

June is just around the corner and it seems like everyone around you is starting to shed the heavy coats and bulky sweater of winter! You, on the other hand, may be panicking at the thought of baring everything as the weather warms up because of the dreaded muffin top. Before you give up and assume that all is lost, a visit to our San Francisco plastic surgery practice may just be the best last minute decision you’ll ever make.

The Problem

If you’re still uncertain what a muffin top is, it’s actually the oh-so-familiar belly overhang just above your hips that makes it impossible for you to wear your favorite tight fitting jeans or trousers. Here at our practice, we understand why it’s dreaded by many.

The Solutions

The good news is that there are a lot of ways to either camouflage or completely banish the muffin top out of your life for good. We’ve rounded up the tried-and-tested methods below! Keep in mind that each method will most likely work to your advantage if they’re done simultaneously. Think of them as variables in an equation.

1. Exercise the right way.

The perfect combination of physical activity to help reduce the appearance of a muffin top is to do both cardiovascular training and weightlifting/strength training exercises. Choose an activity that will increase your heart rate and a parallel activity that will consequently work your core muscles — a group of muscles that support your abdomen and the back.

2. Eat from whole food sources and avoid processed foods as much as you can.

In addition, you might want to limit your portions if you tend to eat for two. Majority of what you eat should be from lean meat, fish, legumes, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.

3. Avoid low-rise pants and jeans like the plague.

Low-rise trousers and a tight t-shirt or blouse is a deadly combination when it comes to revealing your muffin top. Consider wearing mid-rise or high-rise jeans that will most likely flatter your figure. In addition, avoid wearing tops that don’t hit past your hip bone. When buying new tops, lift your arms and move around when trying them on to figure out its actual length.

Consider Liposuction (and Maybe a Tummy Tuck, Too)

Muffin tops are actually pockets of fat that can be addressed with liposuction. This body-contouring procedure can refine and contour areas of the body in which pockets of fat tend to be resistant to diet and exercise. Dr. Mosser’s goal in using liposuction to help get rid of your muffin top is to remove fat aggressively in the waist but leave some fat near the hip area for an hour-glass appearance.

Liposuction is ideal for individuals with good skin elasticity. If you have loose abdominal skin and tissues, you might consider liposuction with a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) to completely eliminate the dreaded muffin top.

Your Liposuction Options in San Francisco, California

Dr. Mosser performs 3 types of liposuction here at our San Francisco plastic surgery practice: tumescent, ultrasound-assisted, and VASER liposuction.

In addition, we also offer a non-invasive approach to reducing the appearance of your muffin top through CoolSculpting! The procedure itself is FDA-approved and is becoming increasingly popular due to its non-invasive nature, primarily the lack of surgical incisions. There is no downtime involved thus this procedure is perfect for men and women who do not have the luxury of longer recovery periods.

Let us help you figure out which type of liposuction is ideal for your aesthetic goals, needs, and current lifestyle.

Call us at 415.398.7778 or fill out this contact form to schedule an appointment. We look forward to helping you get rid of your muffin top and baring everything this summer!
In today’s fiercely competitive job market, more men are seeking out cosmetic enhancement to give them a career boost. And while men are selecting some of the very same treatments women have embraced for years, they’re doing so for different reasons.

Laser Hair Removal

It’s not a huge surprise that especially in San Francisco; men are looking for faster, more efficient ways to get rid of unwanted hair. Laser hair removal has become a popular way to eliminate or thin out hair on the back, upper arms and chest.

• Best candidates: Laser hair removal technology will work for most patients. But generally speaking, the best candidates will have lighter skin and darker hair.
• How long it takes: Session times can vary, depending on the size of the treatment area. The majority of treatments can be completed in less than an hour.
• Final Results: Hair will begin to gradually fall out over the course of two weeks. Most patients require between four and six sessions to see a 70 to 80 percent reduction in hair growth.

Male Breast Reduction

Enlarged or over-developed breasts are common among men. As a result, male breast reduction – which removes excess skin, fat and glandular tissue – is becoming one of the fastest growing cosmetic procedures in San Francisco.

• Best candidates: Men who feel self-conscious about their chest. The best candidates will be healthy and possess a normal body weight.
• How long it takes: Surgery requires general or local anesthesia combined with sedation and will last at least one hour.
• Final Results: The final results will be permanent. Most patients need require at least a week off from work and other sedentary activities. More strenuous routines should be restricted for at least a week.

Chin Implants

The chin is one of the first areas of the face to show signs of aging – which can be especially bothersome for men who value a strong jawline. Chin implants can quickly add balance and strength to a masculine profile.

• Best candidates: Men who desire a stronger jawline or more balanced facial features. The best candidates are also healthy and possess realistic expectations.
• How long it takes: Chin implants usually only require local anesthesia combined with sedation. Surgery is often completed in less than hour.
• Final Results: The final results are permanent and will be noticeable right away, but most patients need at least a week off from work and other daily activities to rest. Exercise and weight lifting should be avoided for at least a month.

Micro Liposuction

Micro liposuction is a versatile procedure popular in San Francisco that can be used to clean up delicate problem areas like the neck or jawline, which can become lax because of excess fat or too much sun exposure. During micro liposuction, a small amount of fat is removed to contour the face and body.

• Best candidates: Candidates for micro liposuction desire to remove a small amount of fat in a targeted region. The best candidates are healthy and possess realistic expectations.
• How long it takes: Surgery usually only requires mild sedation and can be completed in less than an hour.
• Final results: The final results will be long lasting, if not permanent. Most patients require five to seven days off from work. More strenuous activities can be resumed in about a month.

If you’re considering laser hair removal, male breast reduction, micro liposuction, or chin implants in San Francisco, make sure to schedule a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon.
There are different techniques used by surgeons when harvesting fat, and the ultimate goal is to keep the cells alive and to isolate the fat cells so that their opportunity for survival in the new location is at its peak.

However, while there are different techniques used, when it comes to location to harvest fat, anywhere that the fat is abundant is usually fine. Often patients will combine liposuction to remove unwanted fat, with fat grafting to use the fat elsewhere with success.

Interestingly, the fat will keep its same weight gain characteristics as the donor site, no matter where you put it as a graft. What this means is that if your body is prone to store fat in the abdomen and a great deal of this fat is used as a graft on your face, then the grafted area of your face can gain weight disproportionately with the rest of your face. However, if the grafted fat is going into the buttocks such as with a Brazilian Butt Lift, then the weight gain might actually compliment your figure even more.
First and foremost, be certain that the surgeon you are consulting with is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. Anything less than board certified and you are risking your health and safety.

Secondly, I would ask about how many VASER procedures they have done & how experienced they are with this type of liposuction. Ultimately your final results will boil down to your unique goals, and the skill of your surgeon, so it’s important to choose a surgeon with experience in the type of procedure you are considering.

Third, it would be wise to view before & after photos of the surgeon’s previous work. Vaser is different from traditional liposuction in that it uses ultrasonic energy to melt fat, which is then removed with a traditional liposuction technique.

It’s often used for body contouring procedures and in areas where a small amount of fat needs to be removed… which means it requires more skill from the surgeon. Before and after photos can help you to make an informed decision, coupled with the other suggestions I have listed.

Finally, trust your instincts; did you feel comfortable & well cared for when visiting with this doctor? Was he/she honest & open with information and answers to your questions? Did this seem like someone you can trust? All of those questions are important to ask yourself when consulting with a surgeon, and if you’re not 100% comfortable it might be wise to keep looking until you are.
If you’re genuinely worried or the swelling seems abnormal, I recommend contacting your surgeon immediately. They will be able to determine if there is a cause for concern. However try not to be alarmed as some swelling is to be expected. It’s prudent to keep in mind that after any kind of liposuction, swelling can remain for up to 4 months after your procedure.

Being active can also increase swelling & slow down the healing process. It may be a good idea to limit some of your activities in order to facilitate healing more quickly. Also, your surgeon may recommend that you continue to wear the compression garment in order to keep the swelling down as much as possible. Again, if you’re worried, talk with your surgeon.
Unfortunately it’s all too easy these days for liposuction of all types to be performed by physicians ill-equipped or improperly trained to perform the procedures. A few days or few weeks of training is nothing when compared to the many years of supervised instruction a board certified plastic surgeon undergoes.

And often surgeons will undergo a couple of years of additional focused training specializing in liposuction while working under doctors of approved residency programs. The bottom line is that your safety is the most important thing to consider when undergoing a procedure of any kind, including all forms of liposuction.

For this reason, I highly recommend that you see a plastic surgeon who is highly experienced in Vaser Liposelection for the procedures you’re interested in, and discuss the best options for your unique situation.
VASER Liposelection is a great solution to removing unwanted fat deposits. I treat many patients with VASER for removing fat in areas such as the abdomen, inner & outer thighs, the “love handles”, and upper arms. Sometimes it’s possible to touch up the appearance of lumps or irregularities successfully with Vaser, if there is no skin laxity.

However Vaser cannot improve the appearance of loose or excess skin, and in fact further liposuction can actually make the situation worse. For patients who are interested in removing excess skin post liposuction, the best way to do that would be to have a tummy tuck if the skin is in the abdomen area, or a thigh lift or arm lift if the skin is in those areas.

The reason for this is that the excess skin will need to be lifted & removed in order to create the smooth and tight appearance you are looking to achieve. As with any procedure it’s always best to book a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon, experienced in the procedures you’re considering. You can then discuss options suited to your unique situation.
VASER Liposelection is a procedure that melts fat beneath the skin using ultrasound energy. It is a procedure often used for body contouring. It also involves only very small incisions, which makes for little to no scarring once a patient has healed.

This procedure is safe for patients of all skin tones & because of the VASER technology, healing from this type of procedure involves less downtime & is more comfortable than more traditional methods of liposuction.

However, as with any procedure the results achieved depend a great deal on the experience and skill of the surgeon you choose. Make sure you find a board certified plastic surgeon with experience using Vaser, and book a consultation to discuss the best options for your unique situation.
There is a golden rule of attractiveness for the waistline compared to the buttocks, and that is the rule of the 0.7 ratio. If the narrowest measurement around the waist is divided by the widest measurement of the hips, the ideal number you can come up with is 0.7. Everything above that means there is a bit of hip excess, and everything below that value means the waistline is not as slim as it should be or the hips are too thin.

The Brazilian Butt Lift is a surgery that addressed just this situation. Liposuction is used to improve the waistline, while the same fat is used to improve the shape of the hips.
I particularly enjoy working with patients who have recently undergone significant weight loss. Some of the most gratifying results – for both patient and physician – come from supplementing weight loss with cosmetic surgery to restore a balanced body contour.

Losing significant body fat, especially after many years of overweight, can leave behind loose, flabby folds of skin that do not respond to exercise. Older skin that has lost some of its natural elasticity also often means disappointing results for weight loss patients.

If you are contemplating gastric bypass surgery for drastic weight loss, or plan to lose a significant amount of weight soon, you should discuss with your personal physician the possibility of coordinating plastic surgery with your weight loss program. A consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon can give you valuable input on what to expect and the available solutions such as a tummy tuck or liposelection.

Some advance planning and coordination will greatly increase your chances of a successful and satisfying weight loss result.