The Skinny on Subcutaneous and Visceral Fats

If I were to ask you what exactly fat does, would you be able to answer correctly?

The correct answer is “E,” meaning fat is actually healthy for you to have on your body. However, this doesn’t mean that you should overindulge in ice cream, french fries, and mountains of chocolate. In fact, once your body has too much, some serious health risks can arise.

Many of my East Coast plastic surgery patients come in thinking liposuction will solve all their fat problems. But this is not the case. In fact, only one type of fat out of the two we store is affected by liposuction. It is only our subcutaneous fat, the fat right beneath our skin, that can be sucked out. As a bonus the sucked out fat from your thighs, hips and more can be transferred into other parts of your body such as a your cheeks or lips for a fuller and plumper appearance. Who ever said your flab is useless?

The eviler fat of the two is known as visceral fat. This is the belly fat that settles in your abdominal cavity. Settling around your organs, such as the liver, it can be deadly in high amounts. High amounts of visceral fat are also associated with diabetes, high cholesterol, cardiac disease, and hypertension.

The cause of visceral fat is due to a mixture of heredity and our own unhealthy habits. Those few extra beers can quickly cause visceral fat to run wild, forming a beer belly. It’s why high quantities of this fat have even been found in people at normal weights. Everyone is prone to visceral fat, not just the obese.

So how exactly can we rid our bodies of this particular fat?

If you suffer from obesity, Barriatric surgery is an option. There are also several medications on the market that can curb appetite or decrease fat absorption. But the real way to nix this problematic fat is through age old diet and exercise. Therefore, it is all up to you to get yourself healthy. Though at some point in the future there will most likely be a way to surgically remove visceral fat, until then it is entirely in your hands.

To your health and beauty,

Dr. Joe Danyo

Superficial Liposuction Anyone?

Have you heard the latest about a “new” liposuction technique? It’s called “superficial liposuction.” Proponents of superficial lipo claim that it produces smoother results and better skin tightening, but is that really true?

What is Superficial Liposuction?

Superficial liposuction removes fat from the intermediate and superficial layers, compared with conventional suction-assisted liposuction that removes fat from the deepest layers. One of the well-advertised benefits of superficial liposuction is that it provides better skin tightening and fewer surface irregularities.

Poor Lipo on Tara Reid

A Recent Report Suggests Otherwise

Several surgeons who together performed various forms of liposuction on 2398 patients over a period of 14 years recently released a report showing that the superficial lipo patients had more complications compared with traditional suction liposuction patients. One of the most frequent complications was an increased tendency for bumps and depressions in the skin’s surface, such as shown in the photo left. This confirms my opinion that superficial liposuction is not a better technique, which is why I don’t perform it. I perform tumescent lipo, power-assisted lipo and SmartLipo here in my Delaware plastic surgery practice because they consistently give the best results.

Traditional liposuction has many years of proven results by thousands of surgeons. However, no matter what liposuction procedure you undertake, it’s wise to remember that the hand that holds the cannula is your best prediction of beautiful results. I have performed thousands of liposuction procedures. Trust experience and results when you seek liposuction. Check out my photos for more proof of skill.

To your health and beauty,

Dr. Joe Danyo

Arms: Your Greatest Beauty Asset?

Put those uncomfortable stilettos back in the closet. According to StyleList.com, a recent study has found that men are more attracted to a woman’s arms than her legs.

The study, which was administered by the University of New South Whales in Sydney, was recently published in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology. The study involved Chinese and Australian women and men. The men were asked to watch videos of 96 women from the ages of 20 to 49 and then to rate their appearance.

The researchers found that the length of a woman’s legs had no significant impact on how attractive she was perceived. On the contrary, women who had long arms were ranked continuously as the most attractive. Although the study pointed to a strong appeal to long arms, lead researcher Professor Robert Brooks attributes attraction to a combination of good traits.

"The dimensions can tell observers if that person is suitable as a potential mate, a long-term partner, or perhaps the threat they pose as a sexual competitor,” Professor Brooks told the Daily Mail.

Waist-to-hip ratio, age and weight are also common factors that play into our judgment of appearance.  Next time you go to the gym, you might want to consider trading in squats and opting for push-ups instead.

The Future of the Body Contouring Market

Let’s face it, North America, particularly the U.S., is getting fatter. With rising obesity rates comes an increased demand in the body contouring market. Patients are seeking at latest ways to get their body in shape, and doctors are increasingly adapting to advancements in body contouring technology.

A recent article from BusinessWire.com predicts how the introduction of new devices, as well as the recession, will have an effect on the body contouring market over the next few years. There have been numerous devices approved since 2008 in the way of laser-assisted liposuction(LAL) and cryolipolysis that have recently become more available to consumers.

Despite the rising frequency of body contouring devices, the price of treatment may deter patients during the recession. Doctors have to earn back their investment on said devices, which cost upwards of $100,000, and do so through the cost of the treatment to patients. The cosmetic surgery industry is currently facing many obstacles; however, as patients postpone or even forego these elective procedures in order to conserve funds.

Despite the decline in device sales from 2008 to 2009, Millennium Research Group predicts an economic revival of the body contouring market to be reported for 2010.

SmartLipo MPX, the first dual-wavelength LAL device available in the market, was launched in Canada and the U.S. in 2008. Other big launches to take place in 2009 included CoolLipo by CoolTouch, SlimLipo by Palomar Medical Technologies, Syneron’s LipoLite, Sciton’s ProLipo PLUS and SmoothLipo by Elem Medical.

The first transdermal ultrasound device to be available in Canada was UltraShape’s Contour 1. In 2009, Medicis’ LipoSonix, which has had difficulty getting FDA approval, received Health Canada approval. To date, there are no transdermal ultrasound devices available in the U.S. In the way of cryolipolysis, Coolsculpting by Zeltiq has been available for off-label fat removal since last summer.

Even with the threats of the recession affecting the body contouring market, the obesity problem in North America guarantees a growing number of prospective patients available.  Furthermore, as body contouring technology advances there will be a growing consumer demand and market growth.