Liposuction is a surgical cosmetic procedure that uses a suction technique to remove unwanted body fats from specific areas of the body.
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, almost 250,000 Americans underwent liposuction surgery in 2014.
In this article, we are going to cover the costs of getting liposuction in different body parts, whether liposuction can be covered by insurance or not, how to pay for liposuction in installments and much more.
How much does it cost to get liposuction on your body?
how much does liposuction cost is a question that every patient planning to go for liposuction seek to find answers to.
Ironically, the costs of liposuction to some extent, tells a lot about the quality of the procedure you are likely to get.
Liposuction costs vary extensively depending on a number of factors.
To arrive at the total liposuction cost, several factors are considered. This includes:
- Surgeon’s experience and reputation: Most reputable surgeons are expensive. However, it’s better to choose a reputable surgeon than a lowly-qualified surgeon because by so doing you will be avoiding chances of errors. Revision surgery for a poorly done liposuction is very costly than getting liposuction done by a reputable surgeon.
- The number and/or nature of treatment areas: For example, abdominal liposuction is cheaper than midsection, flanks and thighs liposuction.
Neck Liposuction cost
Patients with excess fat in the chin or neck area are good candidates for neck liposuction.
The cost of neck liposuction ranges from $1000 to $4000 depending on your location, the experience of the surgeon, the amount of fat removed and the technique used.
Laser Liposuction cost
Laser Lipolysis also referred to as Laser liposuction fat removal is a minimally invasive cosmetic procedure technique that melts fats and tightens loose skin.
When we call it minimally invasive surgery it means that it has fewer drawbacks.
Laser liposuction uses heat from fiber-optic lasers in a repeating pattern of traveling energy in form of light or sound to melt body fat.
The cost of having laser liposuction or laser lipolysis ranges between $2,500 to $5,000 per treatment area. While laser liposuction has an average cost of $5,450
Chin liposuction cost
Fat under the chin can make a big difference when it comes to your appearance.
This fat can be removed by surgery such as Double chin surgery, Minimally invasive procedures such as Chin AirSculpt® or chin liposuction to improve your facial proportion and appearance.
Unlike surgery, chin liposuction takes less time to perform and recover.
The cost of chin liposuction vary depending on the area to be treated and your body size. Typically, chin liposuction cost between $1,500 and $5,000 for traditional liposuction. While the laser liposuction cost up to $7,500.
Arm liposuction cost
Arm liposuction is a procedure done to remove unwanted underarm fat that has refused to go away by taking diet or doing weight loss exercises.
The fat may be as a result of weight gain or aging. You are expected to pay between $1,500 and $5,000 for arm liposuction if conducted on both arms.
Stomach liposuction cost
Liposuction in the stomach area is conducted to remove excess fat from the abdomen. The fat may have come as a result of pregnancy or excess weight gain.
In most occasions, stomach liposuction or abdominal liposuction is accompanied with Tummy tuck procedure.
A tummy tuck is done after stomach lipo in order to remove excess skin that is left.
When done alone without a tummy tuck, stomach liposuction costs between $4,000 and $8,000.
Thigh liposuction cost
Excessive fat deposits on the outer thighs on some women can be quite distressing. This is because it affects their appearance. It even makes it difficult to wear a cloth of your choice.
Thigh liposuction may be performed to remove this excess fat. Some of the areas that are common for thigh include; the inner thighs, outer thighs, and around the knees.
Just like many other cosmetic procedures, the cost of thigh liposuction varies from one location to another and one patient to another.
Thigh liposuction usually cost $2,000 to $6,500 for one area. This may be either, the inner thighs, outer thighs, or around the knees.
Full body Liposuction cost
If you have several areas of concern with your body, then you might consider going for a full body liposuction.
Fully body liposuction is done to remove excess stubborn pockets of fat from several areas of your body. This may include; Neck, chin, abdomen area, arms, and thighs.
However, it should be understood that liposuction is not a way to help you lose weight. If you are looking for ways to lose weight, this is not one of them.
How much is a full body liposuction?
Excluding anesthesia and other fees, liposuction averagely costs between $2,000 and $3,500 per treatment area. Plus other costs, for a single treatment area, liposuction will cost about $9,200.
Below is a table for the approximate cost of liposuction surgery for different body parts.
| Bo | Lower range($) | Upper range($) |
| Full body(abdomen +arms +back +breasts +buttocks +chin + cheeks +neck +inner& outer thighs/knees+ hip/waist) | 21,000 | 60,000 |
| Inner Thighs & knees | 3,300 | 6,500 |
| Outer Thighs | 2,500 | 6,000 |
| Stomach/upper & lower abdomen | 3,000 | 8,000 |
| Hips | 2,500 | 6,000 |
| Male, flanks | 2,500 | 6,000 |
| Male, breasts | 3,000 | 8,000 |
Source: Liposuction.com
- If liposuction is done together with other procedures such as tummy tuck. It is cheaper to do liposuction with other procedures.
- Type of liposuction performed: unlike traditional liposuction, lasers and radiofrequency liposuctions give better results. However, new technologies come at a higher cost. Traditional liposuction involves the use of a cannula which is cheaper compared to lasers or radiofrequency. On the other hand, smart liposuction, commonly referred to as Smartlipo, is a type of liposuction that uses a single laser fiber to melt away excess body fat deposits and tone the body. Smartlipo reduces the recovery time to two days. Averagely, a smart lipo costs about $5,000. However, the price can fluctuate depending on the size of the treatment area.
The most important factor to consider before you go for liposuction surgery is the quality of the procedure. You do not want liposuction that will develop scarring or any other complication.
You want liposuction that will leave you smiling and with high confidence levels.
After quality, another very key factor to consider before you decide to undergo liposuction is the cost.
However, you do not have to always go for expensive liposuction. If there is an opportunity to cut down on the cost of liposuction, you need to go for it.
Does Insurance cover Liposuction?
Liposuction is a cosmetic procedure. Most patients undertaking liposuction want a lean, well-toned and youthful body.
For these kinds of patients, no insurance covers are given they will have to pay for liposuction from their pockets.
Most surgeons accept cash, checks, credit cards, and sometimes third-party financing companies. There are other surgeons who offer their own payment plans.
However, in some instances, liposuction can be covered by insurance:
- If it’s done to remove the development of fats as a result of chronic steroid treatments.
- If the excessive fats are as a result of Cushing syndrome –a condition which leads to the development of a fatty hump between the shoulders as a result of prolonged exposure to high levels of the hormone cortisol.
- If the stubborn fats are due to Lipedema, an odd condition which leads to legs accumulating fatty tissue, as a result, impacting on mobility.
- if it’s done to reduce breasts’ sizes for women with overly large breasts that make them experience back pains or
- any other medical reason prescribed by a certified doctor.
Apart from the surgeon’s fees, other liposuction costs include:
- Surgical facility fees
- Pre-operative medical tests
- Anesthesia or local anesthesia –local anesthesia costs less than general anesthesia. Local anesthesia is recommended if the treatment area is small. However, for large-scale liposuction, general anesthesia is recommended.
- Supportive surgical garments.
- Pain relievers, compression garments, and therapy, which are sometimes used to hasten liposuction recovery, influences the cost.
Conclusion
Most surgeons quote liposuction costs differently. There are those who use the global liposuction price, which is the sum of surgical and no-surgical fees plus all related costs, while other surgeons only quote the surgical fee.
Remember to inquire about the prices given. Also, do not rely on telephone estimates because they are not precise.
Lastly, be wary of surgeons who quote so lowly –their low prices might be an indication of the low-quality services they are likely to offer.
To ensure you get accurate for your treatment, it is recommended that you consult from a surgeon who is a specialist in that area.
Cost of other related treatments.
Tummy tuck cost – $5,992.
