Ask any plastic surgeon what the most reliable surgery is to remove unwanted fat while contouring the body, and you’ll receive a resounding, “Liposuction!” Different from noninvasive techniques that use heat or cold to destroy about 20 percent of the fat, “Liposuction is a one-time procedure, and you can remove as much or as little fat as you like through a two to four-millimeter incision,” says Newton Centre, MA plastic surgeon Joseph Russo, MD.

A sculpting procedure that should not be used for weight loss, Richmond, VA plastic surgeon Ruth Hillelson, MD, explains that patients ultimately will lose inches from liposuction, but weight loss should not be a reason to undergo the procedure. “The goal should be sculpting.”

The contouring effects of the treatment are unparalleled, but the amount of time it takes for a pre-lipo body to be bikini ready may be longer than expected. We spoke with four plastic surgeons for the lowdown on why it takes upwards of six months for the results to fully set in.