American women spend millions of dollars each year on treatments and therapies to remove cellulite. Cellulite, which is the appearance of bumps and bulges on women's thighs, legs, buttocks and sometimes arms and stomach, can be difficult to remove. Hormones, genetics, poor nutrition, dehydration, age and loss of collagen are all thought to create cellulite. Because it is so hard to get rid of, women who are conscious of their appearance often consider plastic surgery, and in particular, liposuction, as a quick fix.

Cosmetic surgeries are generally not covered by health insurance, so the cost is something that most will carefully consider. It is going to vary from surgeon to surgeon. Some doctors base their fee on how much fat is suctioned during the surgery, while others will structure the fees on how many procedures are done during the cellulite liposuction surgery. Some surgeons bill by the hour, calculating the time spent during the entire surgery as the cost basis.

Costs aside, when considering liposuction as a cellulite reduction treatment, it is important to evaluate the risks and long term effects. It is also important to understand that cellulite surgery alone will not work as an anti-cellulite solution.

Risks include allergic responses to the anesthesia, infection, blood clots and nerve damage. Other risks associated with liposuction are friction burns, fluid accumulation and excessive fluid loss.

Cellulite treatment liposuction is obviously something that must first be discussed with a medical professional. It might be a good procedure for women who want localized bulges of fat tissue removed because this fat does not seem to disappear with weight loss or exercise. Women who have large amounts of cellulite throughout their bodies aren't good candidates for cellulite treatment liposuction because they can develop skin irregularities due to the correction of the localized fat deposits.

Long term effects can include a browning of the skin where the procedure was performed, as well as an unevenness of the area after surgery.

The recovery can include weeks or even months of pain. Fortunately, new technology is making the healing time faster and some patients are able to return to work within days. For example, "tumescent liposuction" is a method that reduces invasion and allows for a quicker recovery because anesthetic, saline and adrenaline are injected directly under the skin. Patients report less pain under a local anesthetic and less pain post-operatively.

As part of a cellulite liposuction surgery, compression garments such as those used for severe burn recovery, are used in the healing process. These compression garments not only help the wound heal, but they often help prevent blood clots.

Liposuction is sometimes used in conjunction with other cellulite reduction treatments such as "Endermolgie," which is a non-invasive technique using a machine for creating skin folds using massage and suction. These folds utilize deep tissue mobilization to increase blood flow and lymphatic drainage.

Is the expense worth it? If you are considering liposuction or plastic surgery as a cellulite treatment, discuss your options, risks and benefits with a trusted surgeon. While liposuction may appear to be a quick fix on the surface, there is much more involved than meets the eye.