Liposuction can be one of the biggest decisions to make - especially if you've recently lost a lot of weight. But far from seeing it as a form of surgical defeat - you've been working hard, after all - it's a much better idea to look at is as the final step to the new you. With the right kind of lifestyle maintenance, liposuction results can be pretty much permanent. But why is this?

Fat cells - far from being a nuisance in normal circumstances - are some of the most interesting cells in the human body. Long ago, when our species fought for survival, fat cells we harbored within our bodies helped us survive when our circumstances became chilly - figuratively and literally!

Fat provides a store of energy in times of famine, providing our bodies with the fuel we need to do what we do every day. Fat cells also insulate us against the cold - an abundance of a special kind of fat called brown fat helps babies survive. The right amount of fat in our bodies helps us remain sensitive to insulin, avoiding the onset of diabetes. So it's important to note that we do need a certain amount of fat and not all fat is bad - our bodies need it to remain healthy.

The problems start, however, when people accumulate too much fat. Modern lifestyles make this not only possible, but increasingly common. People spend more time in their cars, or sitting at office desks and much less time in active pursuits. When we look around, it seems everything has become automated in recent times. All this means that food taken in at lunchtime and during the day is not burned completely by supper time. The extra calories are stored as fat.

However, procedures like Vaser liposuction in a healthy person can extract some of the fat cells, shaping the body in a pleasing manner. We have our full number of fat cells by the time we reach puberty - we generally don't develop new fat cells, the ones we have shrink and grow throughout our lives.

The fat cells removed by Vaser lipo therefore do not re-grow unless a very large amount of weight is gained, making the procedure permanent if a healthy lifestyle is maintained afterward.

Of course, liposuction isn't a cure-all for the overweight. The most important thing is to ensure that the large amount of excess weight is lost before cosmetic surgery takes place. However, many slim people have areas of fat they dislike - stubborn areas that simply won't shift. In these cases, liposuction can be very helpful. Body contouring surgery like liposuction can give an enormous boost to self-esteem.