Unfortunately, the back is one of the hardest places in the body to decrease fat and create tone, no matter how strict your diet is or how much you exercise. The distribution of back fat can be divided into several areas: the upper back above the bra line and the lower back below the bra line.
Fatty areas of the female body such as the flanks (the lower half of the back) are usually thanks to genetics. We’re born with a certain number of fat cells that are distributed differently from one individual to the next. That’s why one person may develop fat around their abdomen, another around their thighs and in Jennifer’s case around her back.
Excess fat in these areas can make your clothes fit uncomfortably, cause your bra to dig in and make you appear bigger than you actually are. When you’re fit and healthy, this additional fat can have a profound effect on your self-esteem and body image.
‘I’ve always been body-conscious and active and a consistent size 12, slim for my 5ft 10in frame,’ Jennifer tells the Daily Mail. After trying numerous diets, Jennifer decided to take matters into her own hands and like an increasing number of people, choose to investigate liposuction.
The challenge of getting rid of back fat isn’t just down to the fact that you can’t target a specific area of the body through diet and exercise. The difficulty also lies in the fibrous nature of the fat. Typically, male back fat is more fibrous than women’s and we often see more fibrous tissue in patients who have experienced dramatic weight fluctuation. Other anatomic areas which consistently have more fibrous tissue are the male breasts and the fat around the belly button area.
Layers of fat
The fibrous nature of the fat means that it is hard to remove, however,
advances in cosmetic surgery has meant treating fibrous areas is now
more effective. This includes smaller cannulas used to penetrate the
fat and technology which is designed to break down the fat before
removal such as in the case of Vaser Liposuction.
The kinds of back fat
Stubborn back fat can be located from the neck down to the buttocks and
also extend under the armpits. For some individuals the presence of
this fat means wearing a bikini, a singlet or a tight fitting shirt is
out of the question.
The common kinds of back fat include:
- Neck – Buffalo humpback fat
- Shoulder blades/ scapula bone – Infra-scapular back fat
- Armpit and upper back – Posterior axillary back fat
- Above/ behind the hips – Posterior waist back fat
- Above the tailbone – Lumbosacral back fat
Vaser Liposuction to eliminate back fat
‘I was desperate to feel better about myself,’ Jennifer tells the Daily
Mail. ‘Then a friend had liposuction on her thighs and said it was the
best thing that had ever happened to her self-confidence, so I decided
to take the plunge.’ After trying all the fad diets and exercises
promising to target her stubborn back fat, Jennifer underwent
liposuction to extract more than 1.65 litres of fat from her back and
thighs.
Jennifer’s waist before and after liposuction surgery
Liposuction is commonly used to remove fatty lumps or deposits around
the back providing patients with a smoother and overall simmer figure.
Vaser Liposuction is one of our preferred methods to get rid of the
stubborn back fat as it turns the fibrous tissue into a ‘buttery’
consistency. It is the high energy from the ultrasound tool that
separates the excess fat cells from fibrous tissue transforming it into a
butter-like form.
This ultimately allows for easy, gentle suction and provides surgeons
with the ability to create the desirable ‘V’ shaped back. The
traditional method of liposuction is less refined and instead of
softening the fat, it almost shatters the excess fat layer into pieces
prior to being suctioned out. This technique can often leave clumps of
unseparated in the targeted areas.
The ultrasound’s high energy is also helpful in promoting skin
tightening following the procedure. In order for the cosmetic surgery
treatment to be effective, the skin needs to retract back into place
after the fat has been removed. Otherwise, the patient will be left with
the undesirable look of skin dimpling and sagging.
Vaser liposuction is effective in eliminating the bulges of fat around
the bra line, rolls of fat throughout the back and creating a more
proportionate, toned appearance. The procedure is gentle enough to be
performed with local anaesthetic under light sedation which reduces the
overall recovery time.
An example of a patient before and after back liposuction
‘The bruising and pain weren’t as bad as I’d expected and my back felt
much smoother and leaner when I ran my hands over the compression
garment I had to wear for six weeks to aid the process’, says Jennifer.
‘Once the swelling had subsided I was thrilled with the results, more so
because I’d dropped a dress size to a ten.’
A non-surgical approach to back fat
For those patients wanting to explore a non-surgical approach to
removing their stubborn back fat, CoolSculpting could be the answer.
This non-invasive procedure has proven to be highly effective at
targeting excess fat cells without the need for surgery or recovery
time.
The breakthrough treatment essentially freezes fat cells by exposing
them to extremely low temperatures. This crystallises and destroys the
fat before the body naturally removes it in a similar fashion to food.
step by step coolsculpting
Contrary to Vaser Liposuction, patients may need a couple of treatments
to achieve the desired results. This can be carried out within a week
of the initial CoolSculpting consultation.
Am I a good candidate for cosmetic surgery to eliminate my back fat?
Jennifer was the ideal candidate for Vaser Liposuction as she was
healthy, fit and had tried to eliminate her back fat naturally through
diet and exercise. Vaser Liposuction is more suitable for those
patients who are looking to target stubborn areas of fat, rather than an
extreme weight loss solution as there are limits of how much fat can be
removed during the procedure.
CoolSculpting is suitable for those not wanting to undergo surgery,
however, like Vaser Liposuction it is not a weight loss solution. On
average this procedure can see a 20 percent fat reduction in the
targeted area per treatment. It is also a great procedure for those who
are unable to allow the required recovery time post-surgery. In fact,
often patients return to work shortly after the procedure.
Removing the back fat hasn’t just improved Jennifer’s physical
appearance. It has improved her confidence and self-esteem. Prior to
the surgery the back fat “…was the only thing I saw when I looked in the
mirror”, she says. Now Jennifer has the figure she has worked hard to
achieve and is happy to show it off.