A few recent news stories suggest that celebrities like Madonna and Keira Knightley are sporting one of the hottest new looks: ultrathin shoulders. Allegedly, more than a few women are using liposuction to slim their shoulders for this “celebrity” look. But as a plastic surgeon performing liposuction in Las Vegas, I can tell you that this kind of celebrity-inspired trend is far from the best solution for great-looking shoulders – and I can offer some better alternatives.

Liposuction in Las Vegas: How It Works

This procedure helps men and women tighten and tone the loose, flabby areas that resist diet and exercise. Excess fatty deposits may be created by genetics, rapid weight loss, or hormonal imbalance, and I target them through surgery by first breaking down and then removing the unwanted fat cells.

Good candidates for liposuction in Las Vegas work hard to keep fit already – the procedure is not meant to achieve weight loss but instead creates a better body tone and shape. Often, women find that the upper arms are a particularly challenging area to tone because loose skin and excess fat serves to hide any muscle that would create an attractive contour.

Clearly, many women could benefit from cosmetic enhancement of the upper arm and shoulder area. However, speaking as a board-certified Las Vegas plastic surgeon who understands how different factors contribute to your aesthetic appeal, I can say that shoulder liposuction alone will only provide minimal benefit for most women looking for a slimmer upper arm and shoulder appearance.

Procedures to Slim Your Shoulders

If you have only a very small area of fat on your upper arm or shoulder, liposuction alone may be able to create a slimmer contour. But for a large number of my patients, only performing liposuction would cause an unflattering result. This is because the skin and tissue of the upper arm is susceptible to sagging and in most cases will not easily “shrink to fit” the slimmer arm after liposuction. No fashion magazine is going to point to sagging, deflated upper arms as the new hot trend.

The solution for many women is arm lift, a procedure that eliminates fat and tightens flabby skin on the upper arm to highlight existing muscle tone. By eliminating excess skin and fatty deposits, you can trade in your loose, rounded shoulder shape for a more sculpted contour.

Women looking into liposuction in Las Vegas should remember that Keira’s and Madonna’s shoulders are so thin because these celebrities are remarkably (some would say abnormally) thin all over. Liposuction provides an excellent means for your plastic surgeon to help you achieve your aesthetic goals, but this and other plastic surgery procedures should be performed to compliment your existing figure, not to try to turn you into someone else.