14 months after lipo and I still have this discoloration will it ever go away? (worse when skin is cold)

Question

I was told “it’s just shading” didn’t believe her then and still don’t. Not only do I have to live with this now, I was told after a certain period of time your family and friends will be able to tell you look skinnier(never happened). I truly believe my doctor didn’t remove much fat(she claimed 2.5 liters between thighs and stomach) and to makes matters worse I don’t remember my surgery or the next day because I was given way too strong of medication. Any advice?

David Hansen, MD · Answer

I would bet that you had either Smart Lipo, Vaser, or J plasma under general anesthesia. I hope you didn't gain 20 lbs since the lipo since it looks like you really need lipo yet.  These procedures are notorious for this kind of results.  You really need to get lipo again but get it done under tum. local (NEVER GENERAL) with the smaller micro canulas so the doc can really have you turn in all positions and even stand up to see what needs to be fine tuned and do it right then and there.  When you are under gen. anesthesia, the doc is using old techniques and probably larger canulas and trying to reach areas that are not easily reachable since the patient isn't able to turn etc... Also gimmicky techniques like laser Smart Lipo or Vaser ultrasound or J plasma can really burn the skin and nerves and cause a lot of damage such as you see the cutis Marmorata where the blood vessels and skin are injured. IPL treatments can help alot with the discoloration problem and will need to be done a few times. Morpheus8 can also make a huge improvement and is a 1 or 2 time treatment.

George Marosan, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question and photos. You do not state what kind of liposuction you had: traditional, Smartlipo, VASER lipo, PAL, Waterjet? Was your surgeon a plastic surgeon, a dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon? Although liposuction is very common, bad results happen often because a lot of physicians who are not well trained do it too. In your case, it seems you had very superficial liposuction done with injury to the subdermal plexus (small vessels right in the deep part of the skin). This ends up in a condition called cutis marmorata (marble skin). Unfortunately, might not get better or might get some improvement over the years. Hope this helps in understanding the condition.

14 months after lipo and I still have this discoloration will it ever go away? (worse when skin is cold)

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14 months after lipo and I still have this discoloration will it ever go away? (worse when skin is cold)

Answers (2)

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Everything you need to know about Liposuction Revision

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.