Liposuction for Different Body Shapes

Updated for 2019.

Dr. Francesco Campanile is familiar with the unique challenges faced by women and their body shapes. There are several common problem areas for women that may remain despite proper diet and exercise. In this case, liposuction may be able to achieve the results that have remained elusive until now.

Why Women Are Different

You’re not imagining it: women really do store more fat than men. This is because women have higher levels of estrogen in their bodies. Estrogen affects body shape, promoting breast and hip development at the onset of puberty. Estrogen levels increase during pregnancy and may decrease during menopause. Estrogen also determines where fat deposits are stored, which is why women typically have different problem areas from men.

In women, fat usually settles around the hips, thighs and buttocks first before other areas.

After menopause, when estrogen levels decline, fat stores migrate to the waistline and abdomen.

There are four main female body types:

Apple

These women have broader shoulders and narrower hips, so their bodies are an inverted triangle shape. They tend to have slim thighs and legs, while their abdomen and chest appear larger than the rest of their bodies. Most often, fat in this body shape is stored in the chest, face and abdomen.

Pear

Pear-shaped women keep their weight in their buttocks, hips and thighs, and are smaller in the bust area. As body fat increases, deposits may distribute through the waist and upper abdomen also. Their body shape is like an upright triangle.

Hourglass

Women with an hourglass figure typically have hips and bust of equal or similar size which curve out above and below a comparatively narrow waist. Fat stores are distributed evenly across the top and bottom halves, so the body remains balanced. Fat deposits in the chest, hips, and buttocks will increase prior to collecting fat near the waist or abdominal area.

Banana

Fat is distributed evenly in women who have a banana shape. Their waists are very close in measurement to their hips and bust size, lending an overall “rectangular” look. Fat stores collect across the abdomen, bottom, chest and face but are likely to remain proportionate.

 

Solving Problem Areas

Exercise and weight loss don’t change your estrogen levels. That’s why those fat deposit areas sometimes stubbornly remain no matter how hard you try to get rid of them. Liposuction is a great option to help remove the fat cells from those spots.

Before getting lipo, all women of all body types should be at or near their ideal body weight and eliminate certain unhealthy habits such as smoking. Dr. Campanile can work with your body type to help you achieve the body contours you desire.