How to get rid of saddlebags?
Saddlebags affect the vast majority of women. This fatty mass, which settles on the upper thighs, buttocks and hips, often resists the strategies you put in place to eliminate it, whether by dieting or applying a slimming cream. Cosmetic surgery is a tried-and-tested solution for losing saddlebags. The doctors and surgeons at Clinique du Lac explain who can benefit from liposuction and what you can expect.
Best practices in the fight against saddlebags
If you're one of those women who store fat in the saddlebags area, you may find it difficult to dress and have developed a real complex. You need to adopt a healthy lifestyle right away, by balancing your diet and exercising regularly.
A healthy, balanced diet
If you suffer from saddlebags, the aim is not to lose weight, but centimetres. Try to eliminate from your diet foods that turn to fat and those that promote water retention. Limit processed and refined foods, and cut down on salt and alcohol. Give priority to omega-3s (walnut or rapeseed oil) and focus on fiber by combining vegetables and starchy foods.
Sport and targeted exercise
Sport can help you slim your figure, sculpt your legs and tone your buttocks. Take up water sports (swimming with flippers or aquabike), running or skipping rope. To these cardio exercises, add muscular strengthening with squats, lunges and sheathing for a more toned body.
Massages to remove dimpled skin
Massage, and in particular the palpate-and-roll technique, activates lipolysis (the destocking of adipose tissue) in localized areas such as the saddlebags. Kneading the skin and subcutaneous tissues also promotes circulation and helps reduce cellulite.
Cryolipolysis or coolsculpting
Cold can be an ally in losing your saddlebags. The aim of cryolipolysis is to remove localized excess fat using a device that cools the area to be treated to below zero degrees. The cooling causes the death of fat cells, which are then eliminated by the body in the weeks following treatment. This technique also works well for treating fat on the stomach or knees.
Our doctors welcome you to Clinique du Lac for your cryolipolysis session in complete safety. They carry out a complete clinical examination of the areas to be treated and explain the procedure in detail.
Cosmetic surgery to eliminate saddlebags
When excess fat remains despite your best efforts, liposuction is the solution for reshaping the buttocks, hips and upper thighs. This cosmetic surgery procedure involves the suction of fat using a cannula that the surgeon inserts under the skin.
Liposuction is intended for women who have saddlebags but are not overweight. It is not a method for losing weight, but only for sculpting the figure in a targeted way, and in no way replaces a healthy lifestyle.
The procedure is performed under general anesthesia or spinal anesthesia. Round-tipped foam cannulas are inserted through tiny incisions. The tip of these cannulas is perforated and connected to a closed circuit where negative pressure is generated: excess fat cells are thus sucked out without trauma.
Once the operation is complete, a shaping bandage is applied and a soft support (panty) is worn for 1 month. Scars are virtually invisible, and swelling and bruising gradually subside.
Final results are visible around six months after the operation, as the skin adapts to the new shape of the silhouette. The quality of the result depends on the quantity of fat cells removed, the quality of the skin and its ability to retract.
If you're having trouble losing your saddlebags, make an appointment at Clinique du Lac and meet with our practitioners to determine which technique is best for you.