Chin Lift without Plastic Surgery?

A patient asks us regarding a chin lift:

I would like to lift my chin only, but without plastic surgery. How can this be done?

A chin lift without scalpel can often be performed using liposuction, a fat-away injection (injection lipolysis), or a stem cell lifting. All three methods are non-invasive gentle alternatives to surgeries with the scalpel and give scar-free results.

Shaping Fat Deposits on the Chin

Liposuction with microcannulas on the chin allows for a particularly precise suctioning and shaping of the fat deposits. The result achieved by this approach comes especially close to the patient’s wishes.

In contrast to common regular liposuction cannulas microcannulas with their small diameter only cause very tiny injection sites, which are not visible to the naked eye after the end of the healing process. This outpatient procedure takes 30 minutes to 2 hours and is only carried out under local anesthesia. The skin above the removed fat deposits is shrinking subsequently and is thereby tightened.

If only very small local fat deposits in the facial area should be combated, treatment with fat-away injection (injection lipolysis) is recommended. During fat-away injection a natural fat-dissolving substance is injected into the desired area. If you want to find out to what extent a fat-away injection shows its effect, kindly arrange an individual consultation.

At the beginning of a stem cell lifting it is necessary to undergo a gentle liposuction with microcannulas. Precious stem cells are extracted from a small portion of the patient’s fat and afterwards injected into the desired facial area – in this case into the chin or the region around the neck. Inside the treated subcutaneous tissue the stem cells take their rejuvenating effect by stimulating the cell regeneration. The stem cells also improve the tissue’s elasticity and firmness.

All these treatments are particularly gentle because they are carried out under local anesthesia instead of general anesthesia. Additionally the treatments do not leave scars that may be visible to the naked eye because we do not use a scalpel in any case.

In our clinic we preferably offer minimally invasive procedures for gentle optimization of various body regions. Which treatments are most suitable in your individual case in order to obtain an optimal result can be evaluated in a personal consultation or via Skype. We are gladly at your disposal for arranging an appointment.

DDr. Heinrich, MD

How Much Does Arm Liposuction Cost?

A patient sends us a request via e-mail regarding liposuction of the arms:

I would like to undergo liposuction of the arms. What is the cost?

Our patient is not a singular case, quite the contrary. Many women but also men complain about too thick upper arms, which often keep “wobbling” for some time after moving them. Many people concerned decide to undergo liposuction of the upper arms because targeted weight reduction in this body region is often quite difficult to achieve and sometimes even impossible. Treating the forearms is possible as well.

The Costs of a Liposuction Are Individual

The costs of liposuction are quite individual and depend on the method chosen as well as other factors. The price varies both according to which type of cannula is used for the liposuction and to the extent of treatment required. One significant cost criterion is whether the liposuction is carried out exclusively in manual work without using mechanical suction devices or with the help of these suction machines. To ensure a simple aftercare we always perform our liposuctions in manual work without machines.

The best opportunity to get an initial estimate of the costs to be expected is within a personal consultation in our clinic or a conversation via webcam. Our team is gladly at your disposal for arranging of an appointment.

All Liposuction Is Not the Same

In contrast to conventional liposuction that makes use of automatic suction machines we put great emphasis on gentle and precise manual work in our clinic. This method is called liposculpture and allows for a particularly precise suctioning and shaping of the arms’ silhouette.

In addition we offer liposuctions of the arms with both thin microcannulas (diameter ranging from 1.0 to 2.5 millimeters) and common, thicker regular cannulas (diameter of 3.0 millimeters or more). As the name suggests the difference is in the diameter. The especially fine microcannulas solely leave tiny injection sites and the procedure is very gentle to the tissue. Thus also the risk of the development of bumps after a liposuction is reduced to a minimum.

The liposuction takes place on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia so the patient is spared the risks of general anesthesia. The treatment of the arms takes 30 minutes to 3 hours and can require several sessions, depending on the extent of the treatment. Afterwards the patient can be directly discharged home. For optimal healing we only recommend to wear compression garments for about one week.

Shaping of the Arms Using the Fat-Away Injection

A further option for treating small fat deposits located on the arms that works completely without surgery is the fat-away injection (injection lipolysis). This treatment method is based on the injection of a fat-dissolving substance, which is administered into the upper or lower arm to reduce and shape local fat pads there. By stimulating the skin’s back formation the treatment can furthermore avoid sagging surplus skin as effectively as possible. However, it must be noted that a fat-away injection cannot take its full effect in all cases.

We gladly provide you with more information about the number of treatment sessions needed and the costs in a consultation appointment.

DDr. Heinrich, MD

Cool Sculpting: Is It Possible to Freeze Away Fat?

Everybody knows them, but nobody wants them – annoying fat pads, which are seen as superfluous, often become noticeable as problem zone despite hard training and strict diet. Especially just before summer starts exactly this is the reason for ringing alarm bells in many women. But the problem still remains bothering in fall. How wonderful that the modern medicine nowadays provides us many possibilities for correction. In the following we will compare two treatment methods:

One of the latest treatment options, which is dedicated to the fight against fat, has its origin once more in the U.S.: Cool Sculpting – actually cryolipolysis. Coldness should cause fat cells to disappear. How does it work?

This Is How Cool Sculpting Works

Under the usage of a suction cup the skin areas concerned are firstly refrigerated for about one hour and afterwards massaged. The repeated influence of coldness plus massage results in damage to the fat cells. Several elaborate sessions are necessary. To achieve a visible result the patient has to wait for 8 to 16 weeks. Is the waiting time for a result too long?

Result Immediately Visible in Liposuction with Microcannulas

It can go faster when choosing liposuction with microcannulas, which has an immediate effect in contrast to Cool Sculpting. Owing to the physician’s experienced hand the body site concerned can moreover be shaped very precisely, whereas at a cold treatment it can only be predicted inaccurately how strong fat cells will respond to the treatment. Admittedly a cryolipolysis is suitable for areas, which are easily reachable for the suction device, but at other locations like the back it is commonly only possible to achieve suboptimal results. The tissue-conserving liposuction with microcannulas is performed under local anesthesia. Thus the patient is able to take different positions during the procedure, which allows the surgeon to work on problem zones precisely.

The aftercare is also very simple in case of liposuction with microcannulas. It is only recommended to wear compression garments for a week. In the following days slight swelling and redness can be expected. The procedure of Cool Sculpting is indeed – as well as a liposuction – per se painless, but due to the tissue damage massive swelling, bruises, and accompanying pain, which even make the wearing of light-fitting clothes uncomfortable, occur after the treatment in many cases. Tissue damage due to the coldness also affects nerves. This is why some patients complain about continuous tingling over several months and numbness in the regions previously treated.

Treatment Only by Medically Qualified Persons

It appears alarming when such cold therapies are carried out by inadequately trained personnel in beauty salons. Therapeutic practice of this kind should exclusively be in the hands of medically adequately trained persons. That means they should only be performed by physicians with the aid of their teams consisting of versed qualified nursing staff.

Cool Sculpting has its field of application and both its pros and cons. Whether the patient decides rather for this method or for liposuction or a fat-away injection is often driven by emotions as well. What is important is a comprehensive medical consultation, during which benefits and risks of the desired method are weighed and the patientʼs individual requirements are clarified; because the real aim of every treatment is the satisfaction of the patients.

DDr. Heinrich, MD

Getting Rid of Saddlebags by Liposuction

A patient sends us the following request:

I would like to have some information about combating saddlebags. Actually I am very lean, apart from my legs. I would like to reach at least size 36 from 38. Is that possible with a liposuction? How many sessions do I need?

“Saddlebag” fat deposits are biologically provided for women to store fat for the breast milk production. Nevertheless, those curves are nowadays unpopular for many women, especially if they are so distinctive that there are different dress sizes between waist and thighs. This often makes shopping of clothes difficult and can also cause mental strain, making women concerned wish for a reduction of the thigh circumference.

Liposuction with microcannulas of the “saddlebags” (hips, buttocks, and thighs) can herein provide a remedy in a gentle way. A liposuction is done in the most possible tissue-conserving way when thin microcannulas are used, which have a significantly smaller diameter compared to standard cannulas. The thinner microcannulas also enable a more precise job, so that unpleasant dents – as are often known from common liposuctions – are spared. The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis and under local anesthesia. Yet on the same day the patient is discharged home. The aftercare is simple: Usually the patient is already able to work the next day, compression clothes have to be worn only for a week.

Patients who suffer from overweight and also wish for a comprehensive weight loss – additionally to a saddlebag reduction – should undergo a liposuction prior to the planned weight reduction. Fat cells have the ability to produce the female hormone estrogen, which stimulates a further fat storage. Through the removal of fat cells by means of liposuction this cycle can be interrupted and weight loss could be simplified.

DDr. Heinrich, MD

Correction of Dents after Liposuction

A patient is interested in dent correction after liposuction:

I’ve had a liposuction in Munich 15 years ago with the result that unattractive dents have developed on my thighs. I would like to hear your opinion if there is any possibility to correct the damage.

Fortunately yes: The correction of dents as unpleasant consequence of liposuctions performed elsewhere is namely one of our focuses of activity. Owing to an especially tissue-conserving method very good results can be achieved in most cases. For this much patience and skillfulness are requested on the surgeon’s part. To compensate dents and bumps, so that the skin texture can get smooth again, a liposuction with microcannulas (liposculpture) should be done in combination with fat injection (lipofilling).

In particular because dents have occurred due to former liposuctions, the repeated liposuction, which is required for the correction has to be done especially gently. Thus in our clinic we only work under manually in local anesthesia, without invasive suction engines, and only under the usage of particularly thin microcannulas. These microcannulas with a diameter of about 1 to 2.5 millimeters are considerably thinner compared to regular cannulas. They enable a very precise and tissue-conserving shaping of the body silhouette, which is essential in correction treatments. Owing to the waive of a general anesthesia there is another practical advantage: The liposuction can take place while sitting, lying, as well as standing, so the body form will later look good in every position.

Immediately after finishing the liposuction the obtained body fat is injected into body regions where it is necessary for correction of the skin level. Fat can therefore be used either without pretreatment (so-called standard fat transfer, lipofilling) or autologous fat gets enriched with autologous stem cells prior to the injection (cell-assistend lipotransfer, CAL). As a result dents are compensated with harvested body fat and a smooth silhouette is recreated.

Depending on the extent of the dents one to two procedures are required, which take place on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia. One procedure lasts 2 to 5 hours, depending on the size of regions to treat. As part of the aftercare we commonly recommend to wear compression clothes for a week. As a general rule office work can be done already one to two days after the treatment.

DDr. Heinrich, MD