Liposuction. Most of us cringe at the mention of the word. But just as phones have become smaller and cars can practically drive themselves, the medical technology surrounding this procedure has advanced considerably. In fact, at least one Houston doctor now performs it via a one-hour office visit, without anesthesia.
Dr. Aaron Rollins of Elite Body Sculpture is known for a minimally invasive laser liposuction procedure called AirSculpt. It is performed with a device smaller than the top of a pencil eraser and leaves a freckle-sized scar — with no needle, no scalpel, no stitches and no anesthesia. Though he resides in California, so many of his patients were traveling to Beverly Hills for the procedure that he decided to open here. Curious, we sent one of our own to give it a whirl. Houston associate publisher Mary Hoang-Do wanted to target her upper arms, an area she wasn’t particularly fond of post-pregnancy. Four weeks later, she gives the procedure two thumbs (and arms) up, as she continues to see moderate improvement to the area. Read on for my conversation with the man who prides himself on being one of the best in the biz.
WHAT EXACTLY IS INVOLVED?
The entire technique is patented, including the tunes or cannulas that remove the fat. The patient is awake the whole time — however, we give some light medication to help them relax. There are three steps. (1) Numb the fat. This is done by creating a 2mm opening in the skin and infusing a numbing solution into the unwanted fat. (2) Insert a laser into the fat. This helps melt or soften the fat and tighten the skin. (3) Finally, the fat is removed cell by cell with a device that makes everything feel like a massage. It moves about 1,000 times a minute, and typically our patients just feel vibration. Because it’s so fast, we can use much smaller tube. We believe this allows for faster healing, less downtime and smoother results.
IDEAL CANDIDATE.
People who come in and have a problem area. One lady I met had saddlebags from the age of 12, and when we took those out, she cried, because the 40-year-old had felt bad about her body since she was 12. It changed her outlook on life.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Prices start at $3,000 and depend on the amount of fat to be removed. Fat transfers are also available to many areas including the behind (Brazilian Butt Lift), breasts and hands.
BIGGEST SUCCESS STORY.
I don’t even know where to start … We’ve done people of every possible size, but the people who make me the happiest are the bigger people. We take a lot of fat out, and it changes their entire lifestyle. We have those success stories all the time, where people come in after a year, and we don’t even recognize them. We had a lady who went from a size 18 to a size 3.
BIGGEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU GIVE TO YOUR CLIENT.
Eat half. My two-word diet. I want T-shirts printed with that on it.
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