Are Your Dreams of Lipo Being Killed by the Economy?
Liposuction, Lipo-Dissolve, Laser Lipo, call it what you want…it’s all Lipo. The process of removing unsightly fat deposits resulting in a leaner, more confident you. Traditional Liposuction has commonly been the most popular cosmetic surgery in the United States, or at least until now. The 2008 American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) statics reflect that for the first time ever, lipo has been kicked to the side by the new surgery in town, you guessed it…Breast Augmentation.
In 2008 there were 10.2 million surgeries performed in the U.S. Our usual first place holder liposuction claimed nearly 356,000 of these procedures. However, breast augmentation surpassed lipo procedures by more than 14,500 clients. So it’s official, nice boobs are more desired by Americans than thinner thighs.
However, the trend doesn’t just stop there. The total number of cosmetic surgeries performed in the U.S. in 2008 dropped by a whopping 12 percent from that of 2007. Moreover, surgical procedures among women dropped by 15 percent compared to a 22 percent drop for men. So have we all gotten less vain? I doubt that very seriously. I think it is more likely that the downward turn of our economy has made women…and especially men, decide to use their hard earned dollars in a much more efficient manner.
Taylor, 36, of San Fernando Valley, California, has been hoping to be able to afford lipo for some time now. “I had planned on getting it but I was afraid of the recovery time,” said Taylor. However, in March of this year Taylor was laid off and her husband’s contracting business is just not seeing the same numbers as before. “Now it’s not even the risk factor,” said Taylor. “I have a family and would feel extremely guilty spending that kind of money on vanity right now.”
Taylor is not alone. Cosmetic surgery financing has tripled over the past years as people desperately seek to continue their beautification process, while keeping their finances in order. Since it is rare these types of procedures are covered by insurance, the ability to spend $4,000-$8,000 on lipo and looking better is simply getting a lot harder.
Ironically the lipo spin-off’s like SmartLipo and Lipo-Dissolve have not seen a decrease, in fact their client numbers are study rising. This is even after the recent ban on these procedures and the chemicals used. The Food and Drug Administration issued a ban on Phospatidylcholine-based products (Also known as Lipostabil®, Lipo-zap, and others) for fat removal. Furthermore, the FDA is currently investigating several medical spas in the U.S. for the same. The FDA has further called this a “buyer-beware situation.”
It is hard to get complete statistics regarding these forms of procedures since many of them are not FDA approved and not tracked by plastic surgery societies.
Cosmetic Surgeon, James Barber has developed a First-of-its-kind tell all video series which addresses all facets and all forms of plastic surgery. This series allows the consumer to get all of their questions answered from the comfort of their home, without time consuming in office consultations. If you have ever considered cosmetic beautification please visit Dr. Barber’s site before making any decisions.
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LIPO: WHEN DIET AND EXERCISE ARE NOT ENOUGH
LIPO: WHEN DIET AND EXERCISE ARE NOT ENOUGH
When is it time to reach out and grab the hands of technology; allowing them to pull you closer to that new you? Is it ever ok to say “I just can’t do it” or “I need help”? Weight loss centers make millions each year off of people who have said just that. So why do so many who have weight loss surgery or lipo feel the need to keep quiet about their experience. This form of denial stems from the same emotional insecurity that causes one to be overweight in the first place. Keeping quiet about lipo, tummy tucks, and lap-band procedures do more than shock your friends and family when they see the new you on the rise. Unfortunately, it is also the best way to keep medical malpractice in practice and keep fad, non-working diet products on the market.
In a recent post about Lipo-Dissolve and its claims of being the new “Botox for fat,” it was mentioned that the problem with becoming a household name is that you first must be talked about. When a procedure such as lipo-dissolve is steadily on the rise yet few people are actually talking about their experiences, this leads one to believe that the procedure is not producing the results most hoped for. Does it work? Or is it a fluke? Well it seems that depends on who you ask. One thing for certain is that when it comes to FDA approved liposuction- it works and that’s it!
In my late teens and early 20’s I was a well-fit, “knock-out” type if I do say so myself. However, since that statement can be found at the intro of most diet blogs, you can be assured that things didn’t stay that way as I got older. I waited until my late-thirties to have my first child and boy was I in for a shocker. After 14 hours of labor and no baby, I was blessed with the experience of a c-section that took all of ten minutes but left what looked like would be a lifelong scar. I immediately started to work out after the baby was born but could clearly tell that something different had happened to my midsection (we won’t even begin to discuss my breast). Totally in love with my new baby girl, I wouldn’t change anything about my labor. However, the scar and scar tissue left behind forced me to question whether lipo would be the best thing for me.
I was not new to the world of lipo; as a matter of fact I had plenty of experience and information regarding the field. I had undergone a procedure in my late 20’s that left me stagnated for many years. I found a doctor based on price alone, didn’t check references or do research and let’s just say…I was less than satisfied with my results. If only I had known then what I know now I could have prevented myself years of emotional distress, but such is life. Needless to say, for me to consider having another procedure this was a major deal and meant that I was extremely dissatisfied with the way I looked.
This time I was determined to get quality results. I spent months researching doctors and meeting with them individually. Finally, I decided to have liposuction done by Dr. Yoho in Pasadena, California. I chose the doctor based on how comfortable he and his wife made me feel and on the positive references they willingly provided to me. Although I was nervous the day of the surgery they assured me great results. There are no words to express how you feel about a person (or company) that helps change your life in the positive way they helped me. I mention Dr. Yoho only because of my personal experience. I have no endorsement with him or his staff and they are not even aware that I have shared my story. I will write in detail about my experience with Dr. Yoho as well as my negative experience with an unnamed doctor in the past. In the end I was completely satisfied and saw immediate results from my lipo procedure. I chose lipo because diet and exercise alone was not working for me and I am not embarrassed to say this. Because like I always say, the only thing more important than who you are…is who you want to be.
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What Does Lipo Really Cost?
It’s become an everyday thing, you’re standing in the mirror, checking your side profile, and saying to yourself “if I could just get rid of this section right here, I’d look pretty good.” Then comes the thought…I wonder if I could really afford Lipo? People all around the world have been entranced by the idea of the technological breakthrough known as liposuction. Before you make a decision regarding what form of lipo you will decide on or what surgical center you’ll be visiting, you first want to know how much the procedure will cost you. While visiting websites or speaking with a representative of a center all too often the question of price is skirted away from. The reason is mainly not to deter anyone who hasn’t made it into their offices to see the bright lights and sleek new-age look of the facility. As with any commodity, it is much easier to lock a sale when the consumer is right in front of you and no one wants to run the risk of losing a potential client because of money.
However, this is not the only reason. The actual cost of lipo will depend on a number of factors-many of which can only be assessed upon meeting an individual. First let me say that cost alone should never be the deciding factor in your decision to undergo any medical procedure, especially lipo. In the end, the cheapest physician may turn out to be the most expensive if you have to pay another surgeon to repair his work. Moreover, imagine the trauma associated with learning to live with dissatisfying results. However, if you’ve decided to have the procedure there are a number of issues that you should be aware of as they will affect the overall cost of the procedure.
Cost Factors:
- When an individual is quoted an actual price for liposuction the surgeon has already taken into consideration the most important factor in determining the cost, his time and effort. He will also have considered the number of areas being treated.
- The size of areas being treated is critical because it will commonly take more time and effort to treat multiple areas than it will to just treat one. Thus, the cost of lipo of the lower abdomen alone would be less expensive than lipo of the abdomen, back and arms.
- Not surprisingly, the surgeon also will consider the size of the individual. The cost for lipo of the abdomen of a person who weighs 180 pounds may be more expensive than that of an individual who has never weighed more than 130 pounds.
- Another consideration would be whether they have had recent weight loss or whether he or she has had other treatments on the same area. Liposuction requires more time and effort if the individual has recently gained and then lost weight, such as with a pregnancy.
- Also if the area has been previously treated with lipo, the fat often contains scar tissue which is much more difficult to eradicate.
If your surgery is to be performed in a hospital it is likely that the surgeon is unable to control all of the additional fees and might opt to give you an itemized list of expenses. In which case the fees may look something like this:
- Surgical fee
- Anesthesiologist fees
- Operating room fees
- Pre-op Lab fees
- Antibiotic/ other drug fees
- Post operative garment fee
As you can see there are so many things to consider when giving an estimated cost for lipo making it virtually impossible to get an accurate estimate over the phone or via the internet. When you are given a quote make sure to have it backed up in writing and beware of any surgeon who is not completely candid about all related cost.
Venus.
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