How Long Will the Results of Chin Liposuction Last?

Liposuction of the upper neck and chin region involves removal of unwanted, excess fatty deposits. If done at the proper time, your skin will shrink wrap up to provide you with an enhanced neck and chin contour.

You are correct in assuming that your skin will eventually begin to sag down. Hopefully, this won't occur for many years and you will enjoy the results of your liposuction procedure.

You were incorrect in assuming that the fat will accumulate once again. You are born with all the fat cells you will ever have. Once removed with the liposuction procedure, they will not return. The residual fat cells have the potential to enlarge and recreate unwanted fullness. However, this usually only occurs when patients weight increases with poor diet and lack of exercise. 

Good luck with your procedure.

Thank you for your question. The submental fat removed during chin liposuction does not return as long as you maintain a stable weight after your procedure. If the skin was tightened during the procedure, those results should last quite a while as well. Over time, gravity and aging will have an effect on the area, resulting in some skin laxity. At this point, there are procedures available to address the laxity and restore definition to the jawline.

There are two components to contouring of the chin with liposuction. The first is the fat removal which is permanent because the number of fat cells do not increase significantly after puberty is completed. Instead, the cells get larger or smaller depending on our weight status. If you maintain a steady weight after chin lipo, the absolute number of fat cells is permanently decreased by about two thirds or more depending on how aggressively the fat is removed. However, the remaining fat cells can still expand if you gain a lot of weight afterwards. The second part is the overlying skin where the act of liposuction will cause some retraction due to inflammation. Some surgeons believe that laser, ultrasound or radiofrequency will increase this retraction effect. In any case, the skin will continue to age and change over time but the overall combination of careful fat removal and skin re-draping will help you enjoy the improved countour for many years.

It’s fair to say that when plastic
surgeons perform neck liposuction, they set the clock back, but don’t stop it
from ticking.  Normal facial aging,
weight fluctuations, environmental factors and genetic tendencies can all
continue to impact the aesthetics of this area.

For these reasons, the best and the
longest lasting results occur when this procedure is accompanied by life style changes.  This
means eating healthy, avoiding significant weight gains and exercising
regularly.  When these steps are
taken neck liposuction results last longer and are associated with high levels
of satisfaction. 

The success of chin liposuction depends on your age, the amount of fat present, and how much loose skin you have. If you already have loose and sagging skin, liposuction can make your appearance worse. You may need to combine a neck lift or Ultherapy with liposuction to help tighten your skin. You may also have the appearance of a double chin based on your anatomy and a chin implant combined with liposuction may be an option. These procedures for the most part are permanent but, nothing stops the aging process. Consult with a board certified facial plastic surgeon to determine what treatment, double chin solutions is best for you.

The results of liposuction of the chin and neck are frequently spectacular and long-lasting. Liposuction removes stubborn fat deposits directly beneath the skin, but does not remove deeper fat pockets beneath the platysmal muscle. Nothing lasts forever, and unfortunately, liposuction does not stop the aging process. The fat should not re-accumulate if your weight remains relatively stable. I have observed that liposuction does have a protective effect on further aging of the neck, possible due to the deposition of collagen during the healing process. Healthy lifestyle changes, such as exercise and avoidance of sun exposure, smoking, and large weight fluctuations delay the aging process. Eventually, a neck lift or a cheek and neck lift may be recommended to correct loose skin, jowls, or neck bands.

I would recommend a consultation with a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon to discuss your options

Best regards,

Andrew Lyos, MD, FACS

Liposuction results are permanent even if the patient puts on a few pounds afterwards. I am not referring to massive weight gain where liposuction is not suitable therapy.
Aging of the neck will occur after liposuction, however, as in people who have not had liposuction. Over time, the platysma muscle might descend and the skin can become excessive. Operations other than liposuction are indicated to correct these problems.

You are correct in that a double chin is generally attributable to localized fat. Liposuction permanently removes the fat but does little to correct skin redundancy. In mild cases, liposuction creates fine tunnels of intentional and favorable fibrous (scar) tissue that makes the skin stick to the underlyng neck muscles.
However two conditions can occur:

If the neck skin is too loose (commonly from age, repeated weight gain/loss, or extensive sun damage) you may be left with redundant skin
If the underlying muscle (platysma) is loose, you may be left with redundant skin and muscle which the lay public terms the turkey neck. In this case you may be better treated with a neck and/or face lift.

Many diffferent techniques for improving skin contraction have been developed but few have stood the test of time or remain a reliable option in preventing skin laxity. These include: weekend alternative to the facelift (co2 laser), radiofrequency (thermage), ultrasonic liposuction, laser assisted lipolysis (smart lipo), etc.

Nothing lasts forever, but chin liposuction results are generally good for many years.  This assumes that you do not gain or lose a large amount of weight, which will obviously affect the appearance of all parts of your body (not just your neck).  Many patients find that their necks age more slowly after the procedure since the scar tissue formed by liposuction can help reduce future sagging of the neck.

 Patient's are all born with a certain amount of fat cells. The fat cells themselves get bigger or smaller depending upon weight gain or loss. Once the fat has been removed with liposuction you will not be gaining weight in the area that was liposuctioned. As with any type of aging process over 50-60 years of age skin tone in the neck becomes an issue, and then a face lift is required In addition to the fat removal.  A neck lift alone does not remove skin in our practice, a facelift is required when there is loose skin. For many examples, please see  the link below to our neck lift photo gallery