subject: Liposuction Is Not A Solution For Cellulite [print this page] A common myth about liposuction is that because it is a fat removal surgery it can cure cellulite. Unfortunately for people who believe this, it is not true. Because of the nature of cellulite, liposuction rarely helps it.
Cellulite is fat deposits in the lower half of the body that push against the collagen just below the skin and pulls the skin down due to poor elasticity. This causes an unsightly dimpled appearance to the skin, usually on the hips, thighs, and buttocks. The condition is determined by heredity, skin thickness, distribution of body fat, and age. It is most common in women because men have a tighter collagen mesh pattern beneath their skin. Cellulite is not related to excess body fat and is just as prevalent in healthy and even underweight people as in overweight individuals.
Because it is unattractive, many people, especially women, seek to cure cellulite permanently. They look at cosmetic surgery procedures and erroneously assume that because liposuction removes fat and cellulite is partly caused by fat, that this is a solution. However, this is rarely true and can actually exacerbate the problems.
It makes sense that if it's fat that is causing cellulite's appearance that removing it would improve the problem. However, it is not really the fat that is causing the problem, but the weak collagen that is no longer holding the fat in place. Removing that fat would decrease the volume and shape of that body part and make it look misshapen. Liposuction usually removes a deeper layer of fat than what cellulite involves too, and that deeper layer of fat actually acts as a cushion that presses against the fat pockets nearer the skin and smoothes cellulite.
Also, it would leave even more loose skin, which is really what makes cellulite look so bad to begin with. Sagging excess skin is always a risk with liposuction, depending on a patient's skin elasticity. So if a patient already has poor elasticity, as apparent through cellulite, then liposuction would do the opposite of what they want done. Rather than improve their appearance, it would intensify the cellulite.
Nevertheless, some surgeons still perform liposuction as a cellulite solution. But usually only on patients who have tried every other method and have little to lose. Sometimes with the help of other treatments liposuction can help improve the appearance of cellulite, but it is not a true cure. People looking to decrease their cellulite are better off trying creams or massage therapy techniques, rather than spending the money and risking a worse appearance on liposuction.
