A member asked:

Is liposuction effective for love handles?

36 doctors weighed in across 17 answers

Yes: Liposuction can be effective for "love handles". If interested, you should find a specialist in liposuction in your town who will be able to explain the details of the procedure.

Answered 2/22/2013

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Dr. Robert Alexander answered

Specializes in Plastic Surgery

Yes: In males, it is common for unwanted fat deposits to occur in the lower abdomen-love handle (flank) areas. Most alternative forms of liporeduction are very effective at reduction of the thickness of the fat deposits in that area. Compression and closed cell foam application after surgery helps "redrape" the skin and reduce the prominence of hard to diet/exercise sites like the flanks.

Answered 1/5/2019

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Dr. Barry Press answered

Specializes in Plastic Surgery

Yes: Especially in men, liposuction is an excellent treatment for love handles or excess fat in the flanks. These fat deposits tend to be hereditary, more common in men, and deeply located, so that there is minimal chance of skin irregularity with their removal.

Answered 12/9/2022

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Lipo love handles: Liposuction works very well for stubborn love handles that won't decrease no matter how much the patient has tried working out and dieting. Some patients have more fibrous (firm with collagen) fat in these areas and there can be less reduction in size because of this than other men whose love handles have a higher percent of fat volume.

Answered 9/25/2014

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Yes: Liposuction works very well on love handles. A new nonsurgical alternative to liposuction is the newly fda approved liposonix, the first noninvasive fat melting device. It's approved for abdomen and flanks but can treat other body part off-label. You can lose at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of fat per treatment per area. Liposuction still better if you have higher volumes of fat to remove.

Answered 7/20/2012

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Absolutely: I have lots of male patients who are extremely fit and fed up with love handles. Non invasive zeltiq also can work on these areas.

Answered 6/15/2013

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Absolutely: Love handles, also called muffin tops, are very effectively treated with liposuction. These bulges of fat just won't go away in many people, despite the dieting and exercising they do. Liposuction can sculpt the waist and hips and make thin those bulges to give you a more shapely body. Using the tumescent technique, the procedure can even be done while you're awake without general anesthesia.

Answered 9/28/2016

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Yes: If you have localized love handles, liposuction may be an excellent method to reduce the prominence of the love handles. There have been recent non-invasive methods such as the liposonix or zeltiq devices.

Answered 9/28/2016

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Dr. Frederick Coville answered

Specializes in Plastic Surgery

Perfect!: Not only is it effective, it is what the procedure was designed for. Nothing comes close to liposuction for removing localized areas of fat. Although there are newer non-surgical treatments that purport to be as good, the truth is that nothing works better than traditional liposuction. It is however, a surgical procedure with the risks that are associated with that.

Answered 12/30/2016

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Good choice: If skin tone is good and there is an extra fat collection is the love handle area, liposuction can be very effective. Using a little more power, such as with ultrasound, usually gives better results.

Answered 6/29/2013

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Dr. Renee Burke answered

Specializes in Surgery - Plastics

Yes: Liposuction is recommended for patients who maintain a healthy lifestyle of proper diet and exercise but struggle with residual 'spot' areas of excess fat, such as the love handles. Liposuction sculpts and reshapes the body through the surgical removal of excess fat deposits.

Answered 11/28/2017

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Yes: Newer laser assisted liposuction is even better because it can be done without general anesthesia.

Answered 7/20/2012

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Yes: Liposuction is an effective treatment for localized areas of fat which are resistant to diet or exercise in a patient whose weight is stable. The love handles are one of the more common regions treated with liposucion. The best results are achieved in a patient who is also on a healthy diet and exercise regimen, and not using liposuction as a substitute for healthful living.

Answered 6/15/2013

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Dr. Timothy Mountcastle answered

Specializes in Plastic Surgery

Yes: It is effective for love handles provided that the issue is underlying adipose tissue.

Answered 1/26/2013

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Yes: Laser and ultrasound assisted liposuction makes it possible to perform liposuction in these areas without the need for general anesthesia. Non-invasive technologies give modest results at best so liposuction would give you the best results with minimal risk.

Answered 7/11/2013

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Dr. Joseph Mele answered

Specializes in Plastic Surgery

Love Handle Lipo: Liposuction of the love handles is one of the most common areas for improvement. If you are at a stable weight and the love handles are out of proportion with the rest of your body, liposuction can selective remove the disproportionate fat.

Answered 11/25/2016

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Yes: Liposuction is very effective for removing localized deposits of fat such as the love handles.

Answered 2/22/2013

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