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?

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11 Doctor Answers | Asked by snoozy123 in UK

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Loose skin and liposuction

A good question desrves a good answer. The quality of your skin can be hard to judge. Whether there will be any laxity depends on the area, the amount of change you are looking for and sometimes a little good fortune. It is important to properly contour an area, leave the superficial fat intact and be on the conservative side so as to not create deformities. If you have pre-existing deformities or laxity, this will not be improved with any particular device - in this situation, grafting... more

Definition of loose

When you remove fat, the skin almost alweays becomes more loose, if you are talking about tensile strength and elasticity unless you generate enough subdermal scar tissue. However, most patients are referring to their contour when they are concerned about looseness. Looseness from hanging, excess skin is not the same as looseness from loss of tensile strength and elasticity. You might have a flat abdomen with skin that is loose and pliable, sort of like a form-fitting silk shirt which is... more

Robin T.W. Yuan, MD

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Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

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

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... more

Every Patient has the Potential to Develop Loose Skin Following Liposuction

Every patient has the potential to develop loose skin following liposuction surgery. It’s therefore important that this topic be part of the preoperative discussion and informed consent process. The potential to develop loose skin varies from patient to patient. This determination is based on physical examination alone. Some patients have excellent skin tone with minimal laxity and aren’t likely to have difficulty with skin sag. These patients are often younger and are close to their... more

Loose Skin Post Liposuction

This sounds as though it may be true. If you are removing a large pocket of fat from an area that has been stretched out, you will end up with sagging skin. He is telling you this in advance to keep you aware that you may not acheive the results you are asking for.

Skin Laxity Following Liposuction

Redundant skin after liposuction is a concern when the skin elasticity is poor. Stretch marks are a major contributor to poor skin elasticity and recoil. Advanced age doesn't help either. Your surgeon likely has concerns about your skin quality and should be able to state why he or she is so concerned. Do you have loose, redundant skin in the upper abdomen now, in the "full" state? Is the belly button readily visible? Truly redundant skin... more

Loose Skin After Liposuction?

When liposuction is done properly the skin re-drapes and retracts to conform to the underlying tissue. Most times the skin becomes tighter because it has retracted (pulled back) and this tends to prevent further loosening of the skin. If the skin tone is already too loose then the patient may not be a good candidate for liposuction.

Skin should tighten after liposuction.

Hi. I think you should get another opinion. Women with really loose skin (usually after childbirth) need a tummy tuck. Others can get a flat stomach with liposuction. With good superrficial technique and subdermal tunnelling, the skin is tightened after liposuction, not made looser.

If you are not over weight and haven't had children it is unlikely that you will have loose skin.

The skin in the upper abdomen usually responds well to liposuction as long as your skin has good elasticity. I commonly perform liposuction of the upper abdomen under local anesthesia. You would need to wear a compression garment for about 3 weeks after surgery.

Loose skin after liposuction depends most on skin elasticity to begin with

The elasticity of the skin will be the biggest factor as to whether you will have loose skin afterward. Even if you have a sizable pocket of fat, if your skin is of good quality, you should do fine. However some people have loose skin due to their age, or previous obesity, or just their genetics. Some tightening may occur with liposuction, particularly with laser liposuction or water assisted liposuction, but this tightening won't be dramatic. Try to get down as close to your ideal... more

Liposuction and loose skin

Without examining you it is very difficult to tell you if you will have loose skin after liposuction. However, if your fat pockets are large or you are older, the likelihood that you will have loose skin with aggressive liposuction is greater.