Laser lipo: the technological evolution of liposuction

Laser assisted liposuction is a technologically advanced liposuction. It is not a thinning technique, but a body reshaping or liposculpture technique, since it regulates the thickness of subcutaneous or fat cell tissue in all areas of the body.

What is laser lipo?

The laser lipo is a laser machine with two wavelengths, one of them specifically for fat and the other for collagen. The main differences to a classic mechanical liposuction relate to the fat removal achieved it is performed more uniformly and less aggressively, by heating and liquefying the fat. This causes the body's response to be less aggressive and there is less inflammation.  Fewer bruises occur because the heat coagulates the vessels and fewer skin irregularities occur because the fibrous tracts of the skin are released while the fibre optic of the laser goes through. This reduced aggression enables the patient to resume normal life faster, in three or four days.

Undoubtedly, the main innovation in the treatment is that the additional heating of the skin collagen is a very powerful stimulus to improve the skin flaccidity, which means that there is a better adaptation after volume is removed in the treated area.

Who is it for?

The ideal patient is one with a localised fat accumulation with flaccidity, i.e., the patient who would generally be advised to have a classic liposuction because it has been proven that the sagging created by the surgeon with the extraction of the fat when applying the laser on the skin, reabsorbs and remains stuck and perfectly defined.

However, some clinics will perform liposculpture on patients for whom a classic liposuction would not be advised. For example liposculpture can improve shape and volume in patients after significant weight loss, particularly in areas like the jowls, and the inner arms

What does laser lipo involve?

This form of liposculpture is a minimally invasive technique because it works on the surface with entry points of 1-2 mm, but it must be performed in a sterile operating room because the optical fibre and suction cannula are passed through the skin. Well applied anaesthesia or sedation is essential because the skin is a very heat sensitive organ, and the laser has a high caloric energy.

After the procedure, the patient goes home as no in-patient admission is required. Results are not immediate. They show over 3-4 months with improvement continuing over the first year, particularly in the sagging. Liposculpture is an important technological step and the results are much better than with classic liposuction. As a treatment for sagging, there is more variability in the response, because it depends on genetic factors of the skin, similar to what happens with scars.

Is laser lipo safe?

The only risk that accompanies laser lipo is that the patient may have exagerrated expectations regarding the result. How succesful laser liposuction is depends on the finer details of each patient, hence the importance of the plastic surgeon's sincerity when an assessment is made deciding what is possible and what is not.