Could Smart Lipo Work for Me Without Having More Wrinkly Skin?

asked 1 year ago by K2066 in Bellevue, WA
Latest answer by Tom J. Pousti, MD
Question viewed 1,384 times
Tags: age 35-44, abdomen, wrinkles, female, candidate

I am 37 and have 2 kids. I have been working out for 2+yrs.and still can't loose the belly fat. I also have diastasis recti, but have done PT and pilates for a year with improvment in my core muscles. I don't want a tummy tuck. I have had an ultrasound and CAT scan to rule out a hernia at the belly button. My concern with smart lipo is that I will end up with more wrinkly skin, especially around my belly button. Will this be the case and is there a better procedure that I should look into?

11 answers to Could Smart Lipo Work for Me Without Having More Wrinkly Skin?

Lipo VS. Smart Lipo VS. Tummy Tuck - For BEST Results Define your Cosmetic Goal

Regarding: "Could Smart Lipo Work for Me Without Having More Wrinkly Skin? I am 37 and have 2 kids. I have been working out for 2+yrs.and still can't loose the belly fat. I also have diastasis recti, but have done PT and pilates for a year with improvment in my core muscles. I don't want a tummy tuck. I have had an ultrasound and CAT scan to rule out a hernia at the belly button. My concern with smart lipo is that I will end up with more wrinkly skin, especially around... more

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

Choices for the abdomen

As a plastic surgeon near you I can only recommend that you please avoid laser liposuction. I can show you multiple photos of patients destroyed by the technique misapplied to someone like you. The best treatment for you because of your dramatic muscle laxity is a tummy tuck. Please look at those I have posted on RS under tummy tucks and mommy makeovers including new ones today and you will see results you can't get from lipo. You'd be better doing... more

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Liposuction Candidate?

Thank you for the question. Based on your description, I am concerned that you will not be a good candidate for liposuction surgery. “Ideal” liposuction patient candidates present with isolated diet and exercise resistant adipose tissue collection, with overlying skin that demonstrates adequate elasticity ( to “bounce back” after the adipose tissue has been removed). Furthermore, good skin elasticity is an important attribute ... more

Tom J. Pousti, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

Smart Lipo is great, but not when extensive laxity is present

While I love SmartLipo and perform many cases of it, the most important thing is to know when you need to have more extensive surgical procedures. In your case, it looks likely that you will have laxity afterwards, so I would think about surgery/abdominoplasty instead of SmartLipo. On the other hand, we see many people who have assumed they need a tummy tuck, which leaves horrible scars in many patients and a weird looking belly button after surgery, when all they need is... more

Joel Schlessinger, MD
Omaha Dermatologist

www.LovelySkin.com

Tummy tuck vs. liposuction vs. thermage

There is no doubt that you would get the best possible result by having an abdominoplasty with muscle tightening and skin removal. If you refused to have surgery but would consider liposuction, the skin will not look good even if it retracts a little. SmartLipo may not tighten the skin and could cause irregularities, or worse, if the skin is allowed to heat up too much there could be scarring. Thermage external radiofrequency treatment may improve the waviness of the skin but it will not... more

Ronald Shelton, MD
Manhattan Dermatologist

Choice for abdomen

You probably need a tummy tuck. The lipo will only make the skin looser and you probaly need the muscles tightened.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

You need tummy tuck

Your pictures shows lax skin over the lower abdomen and laser lipo will not help. i do laser lipo and you are not a good candidate.

Kamran Khoobehi, MD
New Orleans Plastic Surgeon

Smart Lipo Work for Me Without Having More Wrinkly Skin

Thanks for all the photos. As a Smart Lipo Clinical Trainer I would be fearful of you having a poor result with the type of skin you have in the lower abdomen. Also the muscle laxity will not be improved by Smart Lipo. So I am recommending as an option a extended mini tummy tuck with lower muscle repair and Smart Lipo Triplex of the upper abdomen and waist. From MIAMI Dr. Darryl J. Blinski

Darryl J. Blinski, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tuck vs. laser lipo

Based on your photos, you have a lot of abdominal wall laxity (the muscles are loose) which is really common after pregnancy. Liposuction of any kind would at best simply remove the small amount of fat that you have between the skin and your muscles, and even if your skin tightened, liposuction does nothing to the muscle wall. So you may look just a bit better, but I certainly don't think it would be worth the cost or time. The best choice would be a tummy tuck, and... more

Shahram Salemy, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

When Smartlipo isn't so smart

Your photos show muscle laxity (round in the middle, not at all from fat) and loose skin. ANY type of liposuction would give you more crinkly, loose skin, even Smartlipo. I do laser-assisted liposuction in my practice, and I would not recommend it to you. I know you said you don't want a tummy tuck, but anything less than that would leave you disappointed, I'm afraid. I'm sure you could go to a cosmetic surgeon (NOT a plastic surgeon) who would gladly... more

Carmen Kavali, MD
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Laser lipolysis and wrinkled skin.

I would completely agree with Dr. Rand's admonitions. Laser lipolysis is a fantastic technology that sounds great but I would urge caution in anyone with any degree of skin laxity. There is not way to prevent skin wrinkling.