Liposuction. How long can the black or blue marks / spots on the body last until they totally go away?

bruising after liposuction typically lasts for about one to two weeks. Some patients heal quicker, some take longer. Swelling following liposuction usually takes many months to completely resolve.

In our practice we do massage, hyperbaric oxygen and compression post treatment to improve results and speed the healing process. Best, Dr. Emer.

The black and blue patches you are referring to is due to bruising.  The duration of bruising will vary between patients depending on how easily you bruise and bleed.  Bruising is always expected after liposuction, the severity is also determined by how aggressive or how much liposuction is being performed.  So there are many factors - but with that being said, the black and blue for most patients usually are gone within 2-4 weeks.  There are medication such as Arnica that can help decrease the duration and intensity of these marks.Yes liposuction will contour your body and can get you excellent results.  I would probably wait one month after liposuction to get a full body massage as your body is still healing and it can be tender.  Once your body is fully healed from liposuction, then there should be no residual pain - it should be back to the way it was before surgery.Best of luck and hope this information helps!- Dr. Roger Tsai

Dear Jessica.albaThank you for the question. It is normal to be swollen and to have some black & blue after a lipo. They will typically go away between 1-2 weeks after surgery, heparin gel could help dissolve them faster. Swollen start to get better after 4 weeks and this give you an idea of the way you will look; but to finally appreciate real results you should wait at 6 months post-op. Massages help to eliminate swollen and help the skin to retract I usually recommend them. Best wishes.   

Most bruising is gone within about two weeks after liposuction. It will take about 6 to 8 weeks to get rid of 75% of the swelling in an additional five months to complete the task. Massage has no benefit on the outcome of liposuction and if it is to vigorous over an an area that has been treated can be painful and even harmful.

Thank you for the question and with all surgeries there is a short period of time with possbile obvious bruising and swelling that resolves completely over one to two weeks.  More subtle swelling may take months.  Pain or tenderness in the area also usually resolves within a week or two allowing the patient to resume full activities and massage particularly lymphatic massage is recommended.Dr. Corbin  

Each person differs in how bruised and swollen they become however on average the bruising is gone within two weeks and the results look great by six weeks after the procedure.  Subtle swelling remains for about 3-4 months.  The less bruising seen right after the procedure, the sooner it will be gone and of course the opposite is true.  The video above will give you my views about what you can normally expect after lipo and how to minimize bruising and swelling.Enjoy your results!
Jon A Perlman MD FACS
Certified, Am Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, Am. Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS)
Beverly Hills, CA

Great question, but not one with an exact answer. Bruising typically last up to a couple weeks but can differ from person to person. The bruises will generally start out blue/purple and will fade to more of a green/yellow before they finally go away. Swelling can take up to 6 months or so to completely go away. You will notice an immediate difference after liposuction but will not have a full result for several months.