Liposculpture,
6. What It Means To Sculpt
Modern liposculpture makes precision possible. By using microcannulas (3-4mm in diameter) the surgeon has greater control in the way fat is removed, while still being able to remove large areas of fat. It is certainly possible to remove just as much fat, if not more, with a small cannula because there is greater control, said Dr Rastogi. Superficial undermining is also an advance that makes finer sculpting possible. It allows the skin to gain maximum contraction and it is this contraction that allows the surgeon to Superficial Undermining Superficial undermining is an advanced technique where liposuction cannulas are passed just beneath the skin. T h i s releases the skin from the cumbersome fat beneath and allows much greater skin retraction. It allows the rem oval of m ore fat because the contraction is greater, explained Dr. Rastogi . Ski n has an enormous ability to contract and with superficial undermining quite significant contraction is gained - much m ore than what was considered possible in the past. Superficial undermining also increases the ability to p e r form liposculpture in older patients with skin laxity and in patients with larger fatty bulges because of this greater ability for the skin to contract. achieve the best possible result. Dr Rastogi concluded: The difference between true sculpting and just removing fat is understanding the body's proportions and knowing what attractive curves are, and having the skill to achieve these with modern, advanced techniques.
A good liposculpture should create significant change in the silhouette by safely removing fat from areas of the body where it creates unwanted bulges and detracts from the shapeliness and attractive balance of the body. '>Sydney cosmetic surgeon DR ANOOP RASTOG I explains the artistry of liposculpture to Jodi Thiessen.
"There is sometimes the misconception that liposculpture is liposuction on a smaller scale. This is not the case at all, " explained Sydney cosmetic surgeon Dr Anoop Rastogi. In fact, in liposculpture a lot of fat is often removed. The emphasis in liposculpture is on sculpting the figure rather than simply the bulk reduction of fat. "It is to do with where the fat is taken from rather than merely how much fat is taken. A good liposculpture should create significant change in the silhouette by safely removing fat from areas of the body where it creates unwanted bulges and detracts from the shapeliness and attractive balance of the body. Examples of How Liposculpture Can Sculpt a Figure An attractive female form is an hourglass figure, sloping from the back, narrow at the waist and gently curving over the hips. "If a patient requests a liposculpture to her tummy and I go ahead and just make her tummy flat, her figure may still appear square and unattractive,"explained Dr Rastogi. "W hat it means to sculpt is to remove the fat so that she becomes slimmer, but to do so by following the natural feminine curves of the lower abdomen (see figure 1). It is important to sculpt three dimensionally around her sides to bring her waist in, so that I am not just creating a smaller figure, but an esthetically attractive figure . " Changing the body in one are a may tend to disrupt the balance and appearance of another area. For example, if a woman has a large bust and hips, her waist may appear small and shapely by contrast. If she wants the size of her hips reduced, re m o v i n g fat from her hips alone may create the appearance of thickening her waist. It is necessary, therefore, to judiciously remove fat from her hips and to sculpt her waist at the sam e time. This can similarly be seen on the legs. A thin woman who has no shape to the legs may look quite stocky, whereas a bigger woman with shapely legs may appear to have attractive legs. Dr Rastogi explains: "T he aim is to sculpt and give shape and proportion. In the leg this may be achieved by taking some fat from the outer thigh , some from the inner thigh and blending this dow n narrow to the knees, then sculpting the knee to produce slenderness and definition. Finally, just below the knee sculpting the area above the calf so as to highlight the shape here and impart the appearance of a slender,shapely and attractive leg. The ankle may also be sculpted to further refine the leg." W hen sculpting the arm s, the deltoid area (shoulder muscle) can be spared to accentuate the muscularity here and the arm carefully sculpted beneath this right down the elbow , to produce a slender and athletic look for the arm s . Super ficial undermining techniques can also be used here to contract the skin and allow the arms to remain firm . Women are of all different shapes; the hips can be wide or thin, the ribs can be broad or narrow and the bottom of the ribs and the hips can be close together (short waisted) or far apart . Understanding this before performing liposculpture is important so that the procedure can be planned to achieve the best result for each body type. For instance, for a woman whose ribs and hips are close, it's important that the surgeon sculpts the waist and brings it in as thin as possible. "Perhaps taking a little less from the hips and less fro m the back so as to accentuate the waist - otherwise this person will look very square and stocky," said Dr Rastogi . Sculpting the Male Figure Dr Rastogi noted: "The features to accentuate for a man are very different. M en have a much more angular figure than women do. A m an has broad shoulders, a narrow waist and tight hips. In sculpting a male one needs to hug the muscle and bony structures and produce a triangular cut figure. If these differences are not well understood by the surgeon there is a risk of feminising a male figure."
Modern liposculpture makes precision possible. By using microcannulas (3-4mm in diameter) the surgeon has greater control in the way fat is removed, while still being able to remove large areas of fat. "It is certainly possible to remove just as much fat, if not more, with a small cannula because there is greater control," said Dr Rastogi. Superficial undermining is also an advance that makes finer sculpting possible. It allows the skin to gain maximum contraction and it is this contraction that allows the surgeon to Superficial Undermining Superficial undermining is an advanced technique where liposuction cannulas are passed just beneath the skin. T h i s releases the skin from the cumbersome fat beneath and allows much greater skin retraction. "It allows the rem oval of m ore fat because the contraction is greater," explained Dr. Rastogi . " Ski n has an enormous ability to contract and with superficial undermining quite significant contraction is gained - much m ore than what was considered possible in the past." Superficial undermining also increases the ability to p e r form liposculpture in older patients with skin laxity and in patients with larger fatty bulges because of this greater ability for the skin to contract. achieve the best possible result. Dr Rastogi concluded: "The difference between true sculpting and just removing fat is understanding the body's proportions and knowing what attractive curves are, and having the skill to achieve these with modern, advanced techniques.
"A good liposculpture should create significant change in the silhouette by safely removing fat from areas of the body where it creates unwanted bulges and detracts from the shapeliness and attractive balance of the body."