Can tumescent liposuction tighten/firm skin?

Question

I had lipo 6 months ago and saw my surgeon yesterday and explained I still wasn't happy with my stomach. I am small (size 6 AU/2 US) and lost 12kg years ago but could never get the last bit of fat-going to gym & eating healthy for over 5 years. He explained there isn't much more fat he can take out but he said he could go closer to my skin to aggrevate the skin to make collagen to tighten the skin? I've never heard of this but he said he uses this technique on double chins. Would this work?

Paul Whidden, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question.There are many products out that claim they can tighten loose skin by tightening the skin collagen during liposuction. I find that the results of these products are not very impressive or long lasting. In general, I feel that liposuction does thin the treatment area but does not tighten the skin to any significant degree. I also find that liposuction worsens the contour of the skin, exaggerating cellulite and skin waviness.As a plastic surgeon, I have many patient seeking a tummy tuck after a disappointing result from abdominal liposuction. Furthermore, If the liposuction was overly aggressive, it can lead to deep subcutaneous scarring that can worsen the final tummy tuck result.While I do feel that careful, conservative liposuction can be effective in reducing small areas of fatty accumulation, the results are not what are commonly depicted in advertisements or by doctors who do not offer more effective treatments. If the problem is skin looseness you must remove the skin to treat the problem. If the skin is tight and the problem is only a small area of fat, liposuction of any type might improve things.  I hope this helps with your decision.

Mariusz Sapijaszko, MD, FRCPC · Answer

Skin can definitely tighten after liposuction and I usually recommend BodyTite for this procedure. In addition, some additional treaments such as BodyFX or others can further tighten the skin.I hope taht helps and best regards. Dr. Sapijaszko.

Sugene Kim, MD, FACS · Answer

Hi, Dia92.The main reason to have tumescent liposuction is to remove excess external fat.Depending on your skin elasticity, the skin may tighten slightly but no significantly.If you are unhappy with your result and/or do not agree with his treatment plan, you should get a second opinion.

David Hansen, MD · Answer

Skin is elastic and will shrink and tighten some if you rough up the underside of it with the smaller cannulas during tumescent liposucton. Docs who don't know this usually are the ones who are using the larger cannulas which are more brutal and would be too aggressive and just poke a hole in the skin if they tried to get too close to the underside of the skin so they never get the great results that the Board Certified Dermatologic Surgeons get. Just undermining irregular skin tends to smooth it out if you know what you are doing to help improve dimpling and irregularities.

Can tumescent liposuction tighten/firm skin?

Answers (4)

Answer: Yes, you can get some skin tightening with using the smaller canulas during tumescent lipo.

Answer: Yes, you can get some skin tightening with using the smaller canulas during tumescent lipo.

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Everything you need to know about Tumescent Liposuction

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

Can tumescent liposuction tighten/firm skin?

Answers (4)

Answer: Yes, you can get some skin tightening with using the smaller canulas during tumescent lipo.

Answer: Yes, you can get some skin tightening with using the smaller canulas during tumescent lipo.

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Tumescent Liposuction

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