Body Lift vs Smart Lipo

I am 63 years old and in medium condition and within the average weight category. at my age, I am worried that the lipo may leave sagging skin.. I would like feedback on these options

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17 Doctor Answers | Asked by flowerpowerlady in southwest colorado

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Liposuction v. Body Lift

Liposuction is best used in people with good skin elasticity. People in the sixth decade do often have good enough skin elasticity for liposuction but you would want to have your particular circumstances evaluated by an experienced surgeon, certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Liposuction removes only fat. A body lift or tumy tuck remove extraskin as well. A lift or tummy tuck give youa better shape usually, but have the tradeoff of more... more

Valid concerns

I share your concerns. Liposuction is a wonderful treatment when skin quality and elasticity are good. It can make saggy inelastic skin look worse if significant volume is removed exceeding the ability of the remaining skin to tighten. If the skin is already lax, removing more volume from it will only make the problem worse. I do not believe the laser lipo systems cause significant skin tightening. Seek out a board certified plastic surgeon to evaluate you and help make... more

As You Get Older, The Greater The Chance Of Sagging Skin with Lipo

As we age, the skin loses its elastic recoil ability, which means it will not snap back to a tighter position compared to when you are in your twenty or thirties. Because of this, liposuction often makes the skin looser and more saggy appearing. This goes for any of the liposuction modalities - VASER, Ultrasonic, Smart Lipo, etc. None of them can stimulate the skin to tighten enough on its own, no matter what the marketing companies or paid surgeons report. This... more

Lipo vs. lower body lifting

Really, this needs to be addressed on a patient by patient basis. Yes, generally, above 40 years old, the skin doesn't bounce back as well as when we are younger so liposuction may lead to saggy skin... Which surgery will give you the goals you want to achieve depends on your specific goals. I had an older patient come in for liposuction surgery. I informed her that her skin wouldn't "bounce back" because of her skin elasticity and she said that her "goal"... more

Body lift vs. lipo

Body lift surgery and liposuction are two different ball games. If you have excess skin, then you will likely need a procedure such as a tummy tuck or a body lift for definitive treatment (depending on your areas of concern). liposuction can be added as an adjunctive procedure. Liposuctioning helps to sculpt and remove fat. skin does shrink a bit with lipo, but at 63, liposuction alone will likely not achieve the best results for you if you indeed have extra/excess skin... more

A body lift treats excess skin

If your problem is excess skin, due to weight loss or due to a general loss of skin tone, you will need some sort of skin tightening procedure. Liposuction, with or without laser (SmartLipo is laser-assisted liposuction), will remove fat, but could leave loose skin sagging even worse. A body lift will tighten the back, buttocks, and some of the thigh. The inner thigh is least effected. Body lifts are frequently performed with an abdominoplasty. more

Body lift or liposuction

If you are choosing between a body lift or lipo then more than likely you have a lot of loose skin. Liposuction will only make that worse. An exam is critical to assess what would be best for you.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Body lift vs lipo

At 63, you will have saggy skin if you do lipo almost for sure. No kind of lipo, Smart, laser or otherwise will change that fact. You would need a body lift.

Body Lift versus Lipo

I do not believe lipo by itself will give you a significant result. You will most require a skin removal procedure such as a tummy tuck or body lift, followed by liposuction to contour your result.

Body lift vs liposuction

You hit the nail on the head. Liposuction removes the excess fat from a given area, but will not remove the excess skin. Liposuction relies on the skin's own elastic properties to tighten following the removal of the fat. If there is skin excess already present or the skin has lost its ability to "snap back" then liposuction is not a good option. In patients that have gained and lost significant weight and in older patients, the skin has lost some of its elastic... more