Arm Liposuction Recovery

I had my arms Liposuctioned almost 3 months ago. I had great elasticity before the procedure, so the doctor told me I was an excellent candidate. However, now I have some sagging skin on one arm, and while most of the lumps are gone, I still have a big lump on the other arm. I massage it daily but it won't go away. The doctor said I should get some more retraction, but I'm not too sure about that. Are these things normal after Liposuction?

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13 Doctor Answers | Asked by likklean cute in jamaica

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Skin retraction after liposuction

It can take up to 6 months to see the final results of skin tightening after liposuction. What may help your post-op progress is a compression garment which will help keep the edema down and aid in skin retraction, though at three months the utility of the garment is minimal. The lump itself may represent a hematoma or unaspirated fat depending on the liposuction technique. Continue massage and reassess at six months. Of course you should discuss your post-operative progress with your... more

Liposuction most effective in the BACK of the arms.

Hi. That's where most of the fat is and where the skin is tightest. When liposuction is done on the undersides of the arms, that can lead to more sagging. I am afraid that at 3 months you are close to the final result.

I would continue to follow the advice of your plastic surgeon as he/she knows and you the best!

Skin and soft tissue irregularities are known complications following liposuction. I usually do not perform revision surgery following liposuction until at least 3 to 6 months, depending upon each patient’s physical findings. I would continue to follow the advice of your plastic surgeon. He/she knows and you the best and understands the surgery performed. Potential revision surgery may require additional liposuction and/or possible skin excision (brachioplasty). I hope this... more

Time will help

Hopefully, you will have some more retraction of the skin and evening out of the lumpy areas. Give it a little more time. It can take six months to a year for full healing.

Wait a bit more

Lumpiness can be from swelling or areas that were not adequately liposuctioned. However, it is a bit early to revise anything. Massage is unlikely to improve the lumpiness at this time. The skin laxity will probably not improve.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Two issues

You mentioned you had two issues with your liposuction: lumpiness at 3 months' time and sagging skin on one arm. Presumably there is an asymmetry since one side is sagging and the other not. The best course is generally to wait for about 6 months before considering revision liposuction, if any is needed at all. Lumpiness after liposuction generally responds to massage and time. Small irregularities generally respond to revision liposuction, if they are bothersome to the patient. At the... more

You will likely need a touch up procedure

It sounds like there may be a small area of fat that is still remaining, but this can easily be treated with a procedure under local anesthetic. Give yourself a minimum of 6 months before undergoing a repeat procedure, but it should do the trick.

It is not usual to have some lumps at the three month stage after liposuction.

However you probably will not have that much more retraction of the skin at this stage. You may need to have a mini-brachioplasty to correction the loose skin. Hopefully you are enjoying and benefitting from the results of the surgery when wearing tight sleeved tops and sweaters. I would suggest waiting at least a year before contemplating any other procedure.

You may need an arm lift

Hello, Liposuction in the arms can leave sagging skin. The "Real" question is whether or not the problem you have is skin or fat-related. I agree to give it time (at least 6 months) to sort out. The alternative may be a brachioplasty which involves a skin excision and a long scar, so waiting at this point is very reasonable. Some swelling in the area is very normal at your stage. How much of what you are seeing is swelling, of course, can be hard to tell. Best Regards.... more

Irregularities after liposuction

In the early postoperative period, some irregularities are normal following liposuction. Resolution of swelling and localized areas of infammantion can take up to a few months to improve, and often are helped with massage and compression. Especially in bilateral procedures such as yours, when you have a second similar site like your other arm to compare to, irregularities may seem more apparent to you. But the good news is... if your irregularities are swelling and inflammation, they will likel more

Loose skin after Liposuction

Some contour irregularities are common after liposuction. Typically, your skin will shrink over 6 months after the surgery. So, you still have a couple of months of further skin retraction left. As for the lumps, massaging and compression garments may help further. Make sure you follow-up with your surgeon and discuss all your concerns. If there is any sagging skin remaining after 6 months, then a brachioplasty or armlift may be the solution.

Wait, massage - Liposuction revision may be needed

Loose skin 3 months following liposuction is better treated by compression and exercise. I have seen many cases where great improvement was made by conservative management. The very few cases where an excision surgery is needed are probably cases where liposuction was not the best procedure to start with. Having a lump following Lipo is usually some fat atrophy, but other conditions should be ruled out, especially if the mass does not go away or increase in size. I hope that helps.... more

A little liposculpting touch-up may be necessary

After arm liposuction it can take up to 6 months for the skin to tighten so be patient for a little while more on the one arm. The other arm which has a fullness or lump yet probably will need a touch up liposuction just to that area under local anesthesia which is quite easy and quick. That is the beauty of liposculptures - most everything is fixable. Sincerely, David Hansen, MD