plastic surgery, liposuction

American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken looked different when he appeared on “Celebrity Apprentice.”  And with constant rumors of plastic surgery which started in January, the star broke his silence and admitted going under the knife to improve his appearance.

In an interview with host Andy Cohen, the 33-year-old singer said he had an operative surgery on his jaw and liposuction to remove the excess fats underneath his chin, giving him a more chiseled appearance these days.

While Aiken’s chin liposuction was a cosmetic procedure, his surgery on the jaw—as he claimed—was performed to address his temporomandibular joint disorder which can lead to chronic pain or in extreme cases impairment of jaw function.

From boyish appearance to a manlier look, Aiken seems to be more confident with the result of plastic surgery; in fact too confident to diss Rhianna and told the television audience that she may not “survive” the first round of American Idol with her pitchy voice.

Aiken is not the first star who admitted going under the knife; just recently, Susan Sarandon said she had facial liposuction to contour her chin and jaw line, thereby giving her a more youthful appearance.  But unlike other celebrities who have gone “overboard,” the 65-year-old actress believe that a more “conservative approach in cosmetic procedures” is the right thing to do.

“If you can’t move your face or if you’re unrecognizable, I don’t see how that’s a productive enhancement,” Sarandon was once quoted saying.

Freezing the Fats an Alternative to Liposuction?

Traditional liposuction is conducted by injecting fats with tumescent solution before a pen-like device is inserted into small incisions to remove the fatty tissues underneath the skin.  While this is an effective body contouring technique, one tradeoff is the long recovery which often lasts a week or so.

However, there is a new fat reduction technique that may serve as an alternative to liposuction.  With CoolSculpting, plastic surgeons can remove the excess fats by freezing them; once the fatty tissues are destroyed, the body can naturally flush them after a couple of months.

This new technology has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as a fat reduction method.  But patients should always remember that it should only be performed by board certified plastic surgeons and dermatologists.

This non-surgical liposuction technique starts by marking the fatty areas and covering them with a gel pad to protect the skin from extreme temperature.  Doctors will then press a hand-held device which has two cooling panels.

It is important that the CoolSculpting device is pressed against the skin for a certain amount of time to ensure that the fatty cells are damaged by the extremely low temperature.  Then, the once dense fats will turn into a liquid form, allowing the body to flush them out naturally, a process that can take two to four months.

Because it takes time for the body to flush out the liquefied, damaged fats, the final result can be seen after a few months.  Meanwhile, patients should remember that they would likely need more than one treatment to achieve a noticeable improvement.

During the procedure, there will be some pulling sensation and a mild, tolerable coldness.  Overall, the treated area will feel numb as if an ice pack has been applied.

Compared with other fat reduction surgery, CoolSculpting is considered safer.  First and foremost, it does not involve the use of incisions, anesthesia, needles, and pain medications.  But still, the treatment should only be conducted by a licensed medical practitioner to ensure the safety of patients.

The fat reduction technique, while effective as a body contouring treatment, cannot replace the benefits of traditional liposuction in terms of removing large amounts of fats or what doctors call “debulking.” 

Patients should remember that CoolSculpting involves some temporary side effects including numbness, minor bruising, cramping, tingling, and redness in the treated area.  But unlike the traditional liposuction, they can return to normal activities right after their treatment.

Six-Packs Achievable Via Liposuction?

Liposuction is a cosmetic procedure that uses a pen-like device to suction out the unwanted fats which do not respond to rigorous exercise and diet.  But with the advances in plastic surgery, this treatment is also used to create six-packs abs.

Despite countless of hours in the gym, some people will not achieve the much coveted six-packs because of genetic predisposition.  Also the excess fats in the abdominal area tend to be stubborn that no matter how some individuals perform rigorous exercises, the bulges seem not to go away.

Abdominal etching is a special type of liposuction in which the plastic surgeons use a cannula (pen-like device) that is smaller than the one used during the traditional technique.  With this instrument, doctors strategically remove the excess fats to create grooves which in turn results to the appearance of six-packs.

Usually, doctors create several small incisions (about 1-2mm in length) which can heal quickly without causing visible scars in most cases.

Abdominal etching through liposuction surgery is typically conducted under general anesthesia, though some plastic surgeons prefer using “twilight” anesthesia which can sedate the patients but they will still remain awake.  And as a relatively simply procedure, most patients can return just a few hours following their operation.

Of course, the small incision and removal of excess fats can still lead to pain and discomfort which is the most pronounced during the first to second day following liposuction.  To control this symptom, doctors recommend over-the-counter or prescribed pain medications.

To further minimize the pain, plastic surgeons recommend compression garments wrapped around the abdomen.  By wearing them, the skin will also retract and heal closer to the body and the patients can shorten their recovery.

Ideally, compression garments are worn three to six weeks at all time even during sleep (except when bathing), depending on the surgeon’s instruction.

Because of the swelling, the grooves that create the six-packs abs will not be apparent within the first few weeks.  In most cases, it takes about six months before the patients see the muscular appearance.

But as with any cosmetic surgery, abdominal etching through liposuction has its own limitations and disadvantages.  First and foremost, it cannot create a muscular appearance for patients who are 25 pounds heavier than their ideal weight; another consideration to make is that significant weight fluctuations can totally reverse the result.

Since maintaining normal weight is the most important thing after abdominal etching, plastic surgeons consider a patient’s willingness to stick to a healthier way of life—e.g., regular exercise and moderate diet.