Loose Skin After Liposuction – What You Need to Know
Liposuction is one of the best ways to get rid of stubborn pockets of fat in areas such as your thighs, waist and abdomen but what happens to your skin after surgery?
Many future liposuction patients want to know whether they will be left with loose, sagging skin after their procedure – this is what you need to know.
The Quality of Your Skin Matters
Skin contraction will be different for everyone after liposuction. It’s only natural for the skin to contract to some degree after a surgical procedure as a part of the healing process.
Patients who have good skin elasticity will experience smoother, more natural results after liposuction. For those with poor skin elasticity, there may be some wrinkling and looseness after the procedure.
Some of the factors that affect skin elasticity include age, stress, genetics, sun damage, rapid weight loss or gain, dehydration and poor diet.
Visible stretch marks and cellulite are a sign that your skin’s elasticity has been compromised and could be an issue after surgery.
How Surgical Techniques Influence Skin Quality
Liposuction is designed to improve your overall shape by getting rid of stubborn fat cells for good.
Today’s modern liposuction techniques will encourage the skin to retract after the procedure is complete. Following your surgeon’s post-operative instructions such as wearing your compression garment will also enhance the natural healing process.
Using Cosmetic Procedures to Treat Sagging Skin
Patients will only see the final results of their liposuction procedure several months after their surgery. Loose and sagging skin will continue to retract throughout the recovery process, so it’s important to have patience during this time.
According to cosmetic surgeon Dr David Sharp, it’s also possible to include additional surgical and non-surgical procedures in your treatment plan to tighten your skin after surgery, laser treatments being a particularly popular choice. Laser technology heats up the subdermal layer of the skin in order to increase collagen production and elasticity.
For more dramatic results, there is also the option of combining liposuction with a tummy tuck, which will get rid of all the additional loose skin. Instead of tightening the treated area, the excess skin will be removed completely.
Another route that many patients take is to use the excess fat to enhance another area of the body such as the buttocks. The Brazilian butt lift is a safe and effective procedure that will give you a shapelier appearance after surgery.
If you are really keen on liposuction but have some concerns, it’s best to schedule a consultation with a qualified and experienced surgeon who can take you through these details face to face. Cosmetic surgery can be life-changing and while the recovery process and results will be different for everyone, there are ways to work around minor problems such as skin laxity, so this shouldn’t be the reason you decide not to undergo surgery.
Choosing the right surgeon for your procedure will also ensure that you receive the very best care and advice.