Everyone's anatomy is different, and it's difficult to...

Shahram Salemy, MD answers: Will I have loose skin after liposuction?

I am considering lipo on my upper and lower abdomen. I have a strange pocket of fat on my upper abs which does not completely go away with exercise although it does shrink depending on my weight. I am not considerably overweight (just untoned) however my surgeon says I will probably be left with loose skin. Is he just saying this to cover himself or will I really be left with folds of loose skin? Should I lose weight first so that the skin doesn't need to shrink back too much?


Shahram Salemy, MD
15 months ago
By Shahram Salemy, MD - Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Everyone's anatomy is different, and it's difficult to know or predict what your results will be without examining you.

The factors that can increase your risk of having loose skin after liposuction include:

  • too much skin to begin with
  • poor quality skin
  • poor healing after the procedure

I will often use ultrasound during the liposuction procedure, as I find this will help the skin tighten after the procedure. Laser heat can also be used for this purpose, but if your surgeon is concerned about it, I would take him at his word and understand this as a risk before going forward with the procedure.

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