At this point, most everyone has heard of liposuction as it’s one of the most popular procedures in the country. It’s a powerful yet safe way to remove fat from unwanted areas. Especially stubborn fat resistant to diet and exercise. However, traditional liposuction has its drawbacks. The next generation of liposuction has emerged, and it’s called High Definition Liposuction (HD Lipo). This relatively new procedure uses ultrasound to assist the traditional liposuction process which leads to a whole host of benefits. Is it really much different than legacy liposuction, or is it all hype? We go into detail below.
HD Lipo vs Legacy Lipo
The main difference between the two lies in the technology. Traditional lipo makes a somewhat large incision to accommodate a cannula big enough to suck out the unwanted fat cells from the treatment area, then inserts said cannula into the incision, uses it to break up the target fat, and finally suctions it out before closing up the incision and starting the recovery process. It gets results for many satisfied patients, but today there is a better way.
The HD lipo procedure is significantly more expensive than legacy liposuction (sometimes up to twice the cost) as it requires both more advanced training as well as newer technologies. HD lipo starts even before any incisions. Ultrasound waves are first used to liquefy fat in the target area, which allows the surgeon to use a smaller cannula to suck out the fat and make a smaller incision.
The difference in these processes gives HD lipo several distinct advantages over legacy lipo. The most notable are:
Quicker Recovery
In a traditional liposuction procedure, the target fat is still solid so the surgeon needs to manually break up the fat with the cannula once it’s in as well as pull away any fat tangled with connective tissue. An issue that’s side-stepped when the target fat is liquefied. Additionally, a smaller incision and cannula mean less disturbance to the body’s natural state and thus less to recover from.
Less Scarring
We mentioned before that the incision needed for HD Lipo is able to use a much smaller incision which allows for a faster recovery. However, a smaller incision also means less scarring! Considering anybody opting for liposuction values aesthetics, this is a massive advantage over traditional liposuction.
Volume & Precision
Because the fat in the treatment area is liquefied, the surgeon is able to be a little more aggressive in terms of the fat they can safely remove during HD Lipo. It’s not just total volume removed affected, but also the precision in which areas can be treated. What this means in practical terms, is that the surgeon can remove more defined pockets of fat, thus accentuating lines in the patient’s body such as in the abs, arms, back, etc. to create a more sculpted look.
Final Verdict On HD Lipo
While it can cost quite a bit more than traditional liposuction, HD lipo comes with a whole host of additional benefits which ultimately mean easier recovery, and better results. If investing a little bit more money for those benefits seems worth it to you, then definitely go the HD liposuction route. If, however, you are looking to spend a little less in favor of a procedure that still works great and has many satisfied patients who can vouch for it, then legacy liposuction may be the better option for you. In the end, both are fantastic procedures to help you combat fat-loss. Whichever one you decide is best for you, use our listing to help find the best and closest provider for you today!