Liposuction results look artificial for two main reasons: too much definition has been created for the patient’s own anatomy, or the fat has been removed in layers that are too superficial, where irregularity shows through the skin. Every patient has a different muscle pattern, different skin quality and a different body shape.
Answer in 30 seconds
- Two causes: over-definition, and work performed in layers that are too superficial.
- Neither cause is about equipment. Both are decisions the surgeon makes during planning and during surgery.
- Muscle pattern differs between patients. Definition does not fall in the same place on every body.
- The same six-pack does not suit every patient. A contour that looks natural on one person looks imposed on another.
- Definition should follow the anatomy a patient already has, rather than being imposed on it.
- Lifestyle is part of the plan. A patient who trains and a patient who does not should not receive the same plan.
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What causes an artificial liposuction result?
An artificial liposuction result is usually caused by one of two things: too much definition created for the patient’s anatomy, or fat removed in layers too close to the skin surface.
“Sometimes it is because there is too much artificial definition, or it is performed in superficial layers.”
Those are two different errors producing the same appearance. Over-definition means creating more contour than the patient’s own anatomy supports. Superficial work means operating close to the skin surface, where irregularity becomes visible.
Neither cause has anything to do with which machine was used. Both are surgical judgements.
Why is the same result wrong for different patients?
The same result is wrong for different patients because muscle pattern, skin quality and body shape are not the same from one person to another.
“Every person has different muscle patterns, different skin quality and a different body shape. I do not want to create the same six-pack on every patient.”
Three things differ between any two patients:
- Muscle pattern. Where definition naturally falls varies between individuals.
- Skin quality. Skin has to accommodate the new shape, and skin does not behave identically in everyone.
- Body shape. Proportion is individual, and a contour suiting one set of proportions will not suit another.
What should surgical definition follow?
Surgical definition should follow the anatomy the patient already has, rather than a standard shape applied to every body.
“For me, the definition should follow what is already natural in your body.”
This principle separates sculpting from imposing. The planning question is not how much definition can be created. The planning question is what definition already exists in this particular body, and how it can be revealed.
This is also the reasoning behind the three layers of the LipoHP methodology: deep layer volume reduction, superficial sculpting to reveal natural muscular definition, and 360 degree harmonisation across the whole shape rather than one area at a time. How that differs from a conventional approach is set out in LipoHP vs regular liposuction.
Why does treating one area in isolation cause it?
Because an area that has been reduced sits next to areas that have not, and the transition between them becomes visible.
This is the same reasoning behind planning the abdomen, flanks and back together rather than treating the waist alone. A contour reads as natural when it relates to what surrounds it and as imposed when it does not.
What does a natural liposuction result actually mean?
A natural liposuction result is one that reads as the patient’s own body rather than as an operation. A natural result is not the same as a small result.
“The goal is that the result looks like you. Good definition should look natural on your body.”
The practical test when you are looking at any surgeon’s work: does the result make you think of a person, or does it make you think of surgery? How a result should be judged more broadly is covered in how a good liposuction result is measured, and the planning behind it belongs to Dr. Augusto Valente.
Request a consultation to discuss what a natural result would look like on your body.
Written by Dr. Augusto Valente Plastic surgeon in Dubai
