Love handles, also known as flanks, are a common area where both men and women, in Bergen County and across the country, commonly accumulate fat. Liposuction for love handles is a great option for people who are looking to resolve this unwanted problem. If you’re considering this procedure, you should learn as much as you can about the procedure itself, the associated recovery period and what you can expect from the process.

What Causes Love Handles?

Fat is stored in the area of the love handles due to one or more causes, which can include aging, pregnancy, other hormonal changes or genetic predisposition. Since we cannot control many of those causes of love handles, liposuction provides an elegant solution to banish love handles.

As a bonus, after liposuction for love handles, that annoying area of fat probably will never return.  Liposuction removes fat cells for good—so you can “break up” with your love handles permanently. If you gain significant weight, however, remaining fat cells there and in other parts of the body will enlarge. Liposuction for love handles isn’t a solution for weight loss or obesity, so Bergen County residents should consider lipo only for isolated, bulging areas of the body.

Is Liposuction for the Love Handles Safe?

Liposuction has an excellent safety profile and most patients emerge happy with their results. Here are some tips to make sure you are in that group:

  • Be sure to choose a board-certified plastic surgeon with surgical privileges at a well-known local hospital here in Northern NJ. Your love handle surgery is likely to be done in a surgery center, but hospital privileges provide another layer of verification of surgical skill and experience.
  • Make sure the Bergen County surgical center or facility is accredited.
  • Choose a surgeon who completes hundreds of the liposuction procedures annually. That’s because the technique is important for safety, for an attractive result and to make sure you heal as quickly as possible after your procedure.
  • Interview your prospective surgeon and see if you feel comfortable with him or her. Choose a surgeon who takes an interest in your health and your goals for the love handle procedure. Choose someone who’s able to and takes the time to clearly explain the liposuction procedure for your love handles.
  • Carefully follow all of your surgeon’s instructions before and after your liposuction. Wear the compression garment for as long as recommended. Move around to encourage circulation, but don’t work out until the surgeon approves. Do not smoke as it impedes healing.
  • Watch for signs of infection, which is uncommon, but includes fever. Antibiotic medication and drainage can combat this problem. Always call the office of your plastic surgeon about any symptoms that seem out of the ordinary. Other surgical risks, which will be discussed in detail before surgery, include rare blood clots. Loss of sensation in the love handle area is fairly common and may last up to a year after surgery.
  • Call your surgeon anytime, even if you just had a follow-up office visit yesterday. Peace of mind is important when you’re recovering—as is catching any complication early for proper treatment.

What Love Handle Liposuction Can (and Cannot) Do

  • The ideal candidate for love handle liposuction is a healthy man or woman in Bergen County with good skin elasticity and distinct pockets of excess fat, in areas like the love handles. This patient can expect a quick recovery with an improved, slimmer appearance.
  • Liposuction won’t give you a “perfect” figure.
  • Liposuction alone can’t improve excess skin. If you have excess skin, from previous weight loss, for example, you may need a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) instead.
  • Liposuction of the love handles will not make others treat you differently.
  • Liposuction will not prevent you from gaining weight again. Liposuction does permanently remove love handle fat cells. Future weight gain can cause existing fat cells in other parts of the body to enlarge, however.
  • Liposuction may be inadvisable in persons with medical conditions like heart disease, circulation problems or someone who has undergone abdominal surgery near the love handles recently.

Recovery from Liposuction for Love Handles

Liposuction patients generally experience swelling, bruising and some loss of sensation in the area. These after-effects gradually subside over the next few weeks following surgery. Bruising will gradually dissipate over the next three weeks or so. Swelling will decrease over a period of three months or so.

Patients are typically sore for 1-2 weeks, with minor soreness continuing for up to a month. You may require pain medication for the first week. Northern NJ patients are often ready to return to an office job in about a week.

Strenuous exercise is restricted during the recovery period, but gentle movement can be beneficial for circulation shortly after love handle surgery, once your surgeon gives permission. Recovery times are variable depending on the amount of fat removed and other details.

Is Liposuction the Answer for You?

Liposuction surgery is not right for everyone, but it’s easy to find out if it will work for you. We recommend consulting a plastic surgeon in NJ to receive professional advice about whether this procedure is right for you.

Liposuction in Bergen County, NJ

At Cohen/Winters, we take pride in our surgical skill and knowledge of medical science, but we’ve also developed our aesthetic sense. We enjoy helping people become more comfortable in their own skin and helping them enjoy their lives more.

Sometimes that doesn’t include plastic surgery—but if love handles are bothering you, take the opportunity to find out how liposuction for love handles might work out for you. Schedule a free liposuction consultation at our Bergen County office to learn if you’re a good candidate for love handle liposuction.

cosmetic surgery NJ

Dr. Winters

About Dr. Winters

Dr. Winters specializes in primary, revision, reconstructive, functional and teenage rhinoplasty surgeries. Dr. Winters is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and maintains active memberships in the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery and others.