If you’re considering liposuction, you may be wondering if you’re a good candidate for the procedure or how successful the procedure is likely to be on a person such as yourself. A qualified plastic surgeon can evaluate your health and weight loss or body contouring goals to help you decide if liposuction is right for you. Here are the top five qualities of an ideal liposuction candidate to help get you started.

1. You have firm, elastic skin. Liposuction isn’t always ideal for areas with significant cellulite, because it can sometimes exacerbate cellulite (be sure to consult with your physician because this isn’t always the case). When normal fat deposits just beneath the skin become enlarged, they push up against the skin’s surface, producing the dimpled appearance called cellulite. Cellulite usually only occurs on the lower buttocks and thighs, however, so don’t rule out liposuction as an option for other parts of your body if you have it. Liposuction also isn’t ideal for older people whose skin has naturally lost a lot of its elasticity with age.

2. You are in good health. Like any medical procedure, liposuction works better on healthy people because they recover faster, experience fewer side effects, and are more likely to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly in order to maintain the results of their liposuction treatments. Liposuction is not recommended for people with major mental or physical health issues, including depression and eating disorders. If a patient with a scheduled liposuction procedure becomes sick with a common cold, flu, or other illness, it is usually recommended to postpone and reschedule the procedure.

3. You have reasonable and realistic expectations for the results. Liposuction won’t give you a perfect body, but it will remove at least some of your unwanted fat. You have to optimize the results of liposuction treatments by maintaining a healthy lifestyle afterward. That’s why liposuction isn’t recommended for unhealthy people looking for a quick and easy fix. A qualified plastic surgeon can discuss your body contouring goals and liposuction expectations with you to see if an alternative or additional procedure may be an option for you. While the results are different for everyone and can take several weeks to take their full effect, liposuction probably won’t give you the “perfect” body.

4. You already eat a healthy diet. Eating a healthy, balanced diet that’s low in processed food and simple carbs like sugar and white flour will keep most people at a healthy weight, but it won’t tone problem areas like the buttocks and abdomen. It’s imperative to eat a healthy diet after receiving liposuction surgery to help speed the recovery process, to increase the results of the procedure, and to help keep the body toned post-surgery. It’s much easier for patients who already eat well before their liposuction procedure because they don’t have to make a lifestyle change post-surgery and the procedure is even more successful.

5. You are physically active and your body is in good physical condition, but certain areas of your body do not respond well to exercise. This type of person is the most common candidate for liposuction and he or she also makes a successful one by being active and at a healthy body weight to begin with. It’s never easy to begin an exercise routine, but it’s especially difficult when you’re recovering from liposuction surgery, so plastic surgeons recommend that patients begin exercising routinely at least six weeks before a planned procedure. Even patients who are active pre-surgery will need to ease back into their physical routines after taking a short break after liposuction surgery.

Remember, only your plastic surgeon will be able to accurately assess your individual liposuction qualification. Be sure to ask any questions you have to feel confident in your choices. With a healthy lifestyle, realistic expectations, and a positive outlook, liposuction surgery should be very successful for you.