Every year millions of people all around the world choose to use cosmetic surgery to transform their bodies. The list of procedures and treatments that are available these days seems almost endless, but there are a few €old favourites' that will always come close to the top.

Most people have areas of their body that they'd like to tone up, and perhaps trim down and lose an inch or two of fat. For years liposuction was the cosmetic surgery procedure of choice, and many people decided to take this route instead of heading to the gym for months of gruelling exercise and hard work. For every person who goes ahead with liposuction, though, there are many more that are put off because of a number of reasons. Every surgical procedure carries an intrinsic risk, no matter how routine the procedure to be performed is. Any time you are given a general anaesthetic, you are risking a reaction from which serious complications can ensue. Unexpected complications can always arise during the operation, and it's always possible to pick up an infection in the wound which will prolong the recovery process. For these reasons, many people simply refuse to undergo any sort of elective surgical procedure. Others are put off liposuction simply because of the gory nature of the treatment, and they may have a point €" having an incision made in your body so that fat can be suctioned away through a tube can't be too high on many people's wish list.

Ever aware of the custom that they are missing out on, cosmetic surgeons have tried to come up with a more acceptable way of giving their patients the same great results as liposuction, but without having to put them through all the risks and inconveniences that are detailed above. Using advances in technology, they were able to develop non invasive liposuction to give their patients a choice that they've long been waiting for.

Instead of cutting into the body to suction excess fat away, a laser is used to effectively melt this layer of fat through the patient's skin, and the liquefied fat is then able to be passed naturally through the body as waste material. As no incisions are made and no anaesthetic is required, the risks to the patient are greatly reduced and they are able to return to their every day routine quicker than ever before. With the traditional form of liposuction there is a recovery time of between one to two weeks, with non invasive liposuction this is cut down to less than an hour. The patient may suffer a little tenderness and blistering in the area treated with the laser, but this usually clears within a couple of days.

Since introducing non invasive liposuction patients have been able to get a treatment in far more convenient ways. As the treatment is non surgical, specialist clinics have sprung up in many towns and cities, and because of the practically non existent recovery time many are able to book in for an appointment during their lunchtime. These sorts of non invasive techniques could really transform the whole outlook many people have about cosmetic surgery, and open it up to a much wider client base in the years to come.