Aesthetic & Cosmetic Surgery in New York
Allure Plastic Surgery
Liposuction permanently removes localized fat that does not respond to diet and exercise, refining the abdomen, flanks, thighs, arms, neck, and other areas. At Allure Plastic Surgery in NYC, Dr. Elliot Heller, MD, has performed more than 10,000 procedures over 20 years, with an emphasis on natural, proportionate results.
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20 YEARS+
EXPERIENCE
Your Surgeon
Dr. Elliot Heller, MD, is a plastic surgeon at Allure Plastic Surgery. He has practiced in New York for over 20 years and performed more than 10,000 procedures across the face, breast, and body.
He performs every procedure himself and oversees the surgical and non-surgical care at the practice. His priorities are simple: natural results, patient safety, and a plan built around you.
Facility
Every procedure takes place in our AAAHC-accredited surgical facility, meeting the strictest safety standards. Board-certified anesthesiologists monitor your vital signs continuously throughout surgery, ensuring complete comfort and safety.
Philosophy
“Liposuction is not about perfection, it's about proportion,” explains Dr. Heller. “My goal is to remove stubborn fat that doesn't respond to diet and exercise, creating contours that look naturally enhanced rather than overdone.” The result is a body that looks like yours, refined, not reworked.
Before & After
Overview
Liposuction removes localized fat that diet and exercise will not shift. Weight loss only shrinks fat cells. Liposuction removes them, and they are gone for good. Working through tiny incisions, Dr. Heller uses a thin cannula and the tumescent technique to draw out fat beneath the skin.
The tumescent solution, a local anesthetic with epinephrine, numbs the area, limits bleeding, and makes the fat easier to remove. “Liposuction is not dangerous if all the necessary precautions are taken, such as limiting the volume that's removed and ensuring patient safety,” says Dr. Heller.
The incisions are 2 to 3 mm and sit in natural creases, so they are hard to see once healed. Dr. Heller works in controlled passes, shaping smooth, even contours as he goes.
Dr. Heller also offers SmartLipo, a laser-assisted technique. The laser liquefies fat before removal, reduces bruising, and stimulates collagen for mild skin tightening. “With the new laser liposuction, contour irregularities are very rare,” he explains. It works well on the chin, neck, and arms, where patients want fat removal and a degree of skin tightening in one step. Learn more about SmartLipo.
Liposuction is not a weight loss solution. It's body sculpting for people near their ideal weight. “Having liposuction done should not be looked at as a weight-loss method, but rather removing stubborn fat deposits that don't respond to healthy eating or exercise,” Dr. Heller emphasizes.
Myth: Fat won't return after liposuction.
Reality: Removed cells are gone forever, but remaining cells can enlarge with weight gain.
Myth: More fat removed equals better results.
Reality: “We rarely remove more than five liters. Up to four or five liters can be safely removed with adequate hydration and medications,” notes Dr. Heller. Safety comes first.

Candidacy
“A good candidate will have fat removable under the skin,” explains Dr. Heller. “But some fat is deep behind the muscle, that's visceral fat and not suitable.” At your consultation, Dr. Heller examines the area and tells you honestly whether liposuction is the right approach for your body.
Consider alternatives if you:
For men, liposuction targets the abdomen, flanks, and chest (gynecomastia). Dr. Heller shapes flat, angular contours rather than soft curves, and often pairs liposuction with gynecomastia surgery to address the chest in one procedure.
He gives an honest assessment and will recommend a different procedure when it serves you better.
Where We Treat
The abdomen is the most requested area for both men and women. Dr. Heller treats the upper abdomen, lower abdomen, and flanks. Lipo 360 addresses the full torso, front, sides, and back, for a slimmer waistline.
Removes upper-arm fat. For mild skin laxity, Dr. Heller pairs it with J-Plasma to firm the area.
Removes bra-line bulge and upper and lower back rolls for a smoother line.
Removes saddlebags for a balanced contour.
Reduces fullness that causes rubbing and reshapes the leg.
Removes fat deposits around the knee for a cleaner leg line.
Submental liposuction removes a double chin and sharpens the jawline. It takes 30 to 60 minutes with little downtime, which is why it is popular with Manhattan professionals.
Dr. Heller removes excess chest fat and glandular tissue to create a flatter, firmer male chest.
Gold standard for safe liposuction. Dr. Heller infuses diluted local anesthetic and epinephrine to numb areas, minimize bleeding, firm up fat cells, and reduce post-op pain. “Liposuction is not dangerous if all necessary precautions are taken,” emphasizes Dr. Heller.
Vibrating cannula breaks up fibrous tissue more efficiently. Particularly effective for back, male chest, and dense fat areas. Allows more precise contouring with less trauma.
Laser melts fat before removal, reduces bruising, and stimulates collagen for mild skin tightening. “With new laser liposuction, contour irregularities are very rare,” Dr. Heller explains. Ideal for chin, neck, arms, and smaller areas.
Twilight Sedation: Deep relaxation with local anesthetic. Faster recovery, fewer side effects.
★★★★★
I had liposuction with Dr. Heller and the contour is exactly what I wanted. He removed the stubborn fat that never budged with diet or exercise, and it looks completely natural. The team made recovery easy.Marisa T., Google Review
Result Comparison
Liposuction: Predictable, dramatic results in one session. Immediate difference (under swelling). Best for significant improvement.
CoolSculpting: Non-surgical fat freezing eliminating ~20-25% of cells over 2-3 months. Subtle, gradual. Best for minimal fat.
“Non-invasive options work for patients with small fat amounts wanting modest improvement,” notes Dr. Heller. “But if you have noticeable deposits and want significant change, surgical liposuction delivers far superior results.” Compare CoolSculpting.
FAQ
Having liposuction done should not be looked at as a weight-loss method, but rather a means of removing unwanted or stubborn fat deposits from the body that don’t respond well to eating healthy or exercise.
These types of procedures are not a method to reduce the appearance of cellulite. The procedure is often used to improve the contour of the body by removing stubborn or unwanted fat deposits. Other methods do exist for the removal of cellulite, and it’s best to talk with your surgeon about this.
The surgeon that performs your procedure will take care to ensure that scarring is very minimal. A skilled surgeon should be able to make it not noticeable after healing. The length of the incisions done by the surgeon are small (two to three millimeters), and a skilled surgeon should be able to put them in discreet places.
Brachioplasty, more commonly known as an arm lift, is a great procedure for resolving loose, excess skin. It reduces excess skin and fat residing between the armpit and elbow, and contours your arm, giving it a smoother appearance. If the skin is tight, liposuction is a good option for reducing a lot of fat. They can typically be done simultaneously, but you can’t be too aggressive with the liposuction at this time because it’s important to maintain healthy blood supply to the skin so the incision used for the brachioplasty can heal as nicely as possible. Sometimes it’s best to perform the liposuction first, which allows the surgeon to achieve good excision of the skin.
When someone loses a massive amount of weight, excess, loose skin typically results in different areas of their body. Most of these patients will have loose skin on their arms, which makes them an ideal candidate for brachioplasty, also known as an arm lift. Liposuction is only a good option for people who have sagging skin if they have a good amount of fat present. Brachioplasty requires an incision that begins in the armpit or underarm area and runs along the inner part of your arm down to the elbow, which allows your surgeon to remove the excess skin and somewhat conceal the scar. Then using the most advanced techniques, he/she will close the incision, which should heal into a thin white line.
Brachioplasty is a surgical procedure specifically designed to reduce flabby and sagging skin from the upper arms. It also helps to stop underarm skin rashes and irritation caused by this skin. Prior to an arm lift or any kind of body contouring procedure, it’s best to lose as much weight as possible. This allows the plastic surgeon to remove an optimal amount of loose skin, which gives even better results. It’s best to use a plastic surgeon in New York who has lots of experience with contouring the arms, and closely follow their guidelines.
If you are considering undergoing a procedure to remove your excess fat, SmartLipo is a great option. It yields the best results when used to treat small areas and only requires local anesthesia. Once the fat is removed, it is permanently removed. However, if you don’t maintain a healthy diet or exercise plan, any remaining fat cells can enlarge, making it appear as if the fat has returned. When combined with a healthy diet, SmartLipo produces wonderful results that have a high rate of patient satisfaction.
Following SmartLipo, we advise that compression garments be worn for at least three to six weeks. The pressure applied by compression garments helps the skin heal tighter in the areas that were treated. The chance of severe bruising is reduced with proper wear of the garments. While some patients heal fine within only a week of wearing the garments, wearing it as much as possible for six weeks ensures that you achieve the best results.
Liposuction is a specialized procedure that reduces fat in specific areas of the body. Brachioplasty is different in the fact that it removes excess skin, and contours your arm to give it a more toned appearance. Since you are looking into getting an arm lift done, you should know that liposuction could be performed at the same time if you need it. The best way to identify what type of procedure or combination of procedures you need for sure is to participate in a consultation with an experienced NY plastic surgeon.
It’s not unlikely that a patient will have some sagging because of their poor skin elasticity. Upper arm skin is thin, so it’s more common in this area because it doesn’t contract as well following liposuction. If there is a good amount of loose skin to be removed, then a brachioplasty (arm lift) procedure may be necessary. Brachioplasty involves removing excess skin with an incision that starts under the upper arm area and runs down to the elbow.
Liposuction is the best solution to rid your mons pubis of unwanted fat. It requires local anesthesia and there is little to no down time involved. Aside from some minor swelling and soreness, there are no serious risks involved. Your sexual capabilities are not directly affected by this surgery. We do suggest that you attempt to get as close to your target weight as possible prior to your procedure.
While heat or ice may make you feel better, they don’t really help to reduce swelling. Patients are typically given a compression garment to wear, which will help to reduce swelling over time and encourage skin to heal tighter. The swelling will take time to subside so in this case, patience is a virtue. As long as you continue to follow your post op instructions and wear your garments as requested by your surgeon, your results, healing time and comfort level should be typical.
The healing after liposuction is relatively short. It often takes less than a week before you can resume everyday activities and return to work. Our physicians do not advocate tanning but we will say that it would be better to wait a couple of weeks after surgery or until all the bruising subsides. You should also shield the liposuction incisions from UV exposure for a month after the procedure to aid healing and to decrease redness.
Liposuction is an excellent option for improving the area you are concerned with. Since the subcutaneous skin of that area doesn’t contain any major vessel or nerves it is very safe. We can also use an abdominoplasty to improve the excess skin and fat of the tummy and at the same time to achieve great overall improvement. As long as you are in good health, you should be a good candidate for both procedures.
Take the next step toward the body you've been working toward. Dr. Elliot Heller and the Allure Plastic Surgery team are ready to guide your transformation with expert care and exceptional results. Schedule your free liposuction consultation in NYC today.
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Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please schedule a consultation with our team to discuss your individual needs.