Fat fell from face after chin lipo? (Photo)

Question

41yo, stable weight but have lipedema stage 1-2. Had chin lipo & renuvion. Surgeon took 100cc's, said it was a record for him & fat was 'falling from my face' during procedure. After healing I'd lost 3/4" ear to ear but still have a visible double chin & look the same in photos. Surgeon said more fat fell from my face, but I don't see any change in face. Is this common? I can't seem to find others that have has this experience & need 2nd lipo.

Anna Chacon, MD, FAAD · Answer

It's important to note that results after liposuction can vary greatly from person to person. Factors such as the individual's skin elasticity, the area treated, the amount of fat removed, and the individual's overall health can all affect the outcome of the procedure.

Your surgeon removed a significant amount of fat (100cc's) from your chin, which indeed should have had a noticeable effect on your appearance. However, it's possible that due to your lipedema, your body might be storing fat differently, which could affect the visibility of the results.

Since you're still seeing a visible double chin and not noticing a significant difference in photos, it might be beneficial to schedule a consultation with your surgeon or another board-certified plastic surgeon for a second opinion. They can evaluate your current condition and discuss possible reasons why you might not be seeing the expected results, as well as potential next steps.

In some cases, a second liposuction procedure might be recommended to achieve the desired results. However, this decision should be made in consultation with your surgeon, taking into consideration your overall health and recovery from the first procedure.

Lastly, please remember that healing from liposuction can take time. It's common to have swelling for several weeks after the procedure, and the final results might not be visible until several months after the procedure. Therefore, it's crucial to give your body enough time to heal and adjust to the changes.

Michael P. Morrissette, DDS, FACS · Answer

It sounds like you are mostly happy with your results. Sometimes following liposuction of the chin and neck there can be a small area that may need further treatment. If the area is small, one or two Kybella treatments can improve the contours. Further liposuction is still an option.

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

To make an assessment regarding the outcome of any plastic surgery procedure, we need to see complete proper before and after pictures.
If you don’t have before, and after pictures and ask your surgeon to forward the pictures they took.
Without knowing what you look like before we can’t compare.
 Facial aesthetics are generally determined by bone structure.
It is the facial skeletal structure that determines each unique persons facial appearance, and this includes the lower 1/3 of the face.
Issues related to the lower 1/3 of the face are based on the shape and size of the mandible.
 Even if your doctor removed a substantial amount of fat, it is your mandible that determines what this part of your face looks like.
Your double chin was not related to an abnormal fat distribution.
That said well done Liposuction can give substantial improvements if done correctly on individuals who are good candidates. Candidacy for Liposuction can be summarized as someone who is “Young tight pudgy”. 
Most plastic surgery outcomes are based on two variables.
The first is patient candidacy and the second is provider selection.
Delivering consistent quality Liposuction results is more difficult than most people realize.
The number of plastic surgeons who approach mastery of Liposuction is really small. 
Most plastic surgeons think they’re better at Liposuction than they actually are.
Liposuction results also take time.
Liposuction results should not be assessed until patients are at least three months out from surgery.
What does your provider say about your outcome?
During your consultation, how many before and after pictures did your provider show you? Did those patients have the same candidacy for the procedure as your own?
Similar age and similar amounts of subcutaneous fat?How many consultations did you have before selecting your provider? 
In regards to age, I usually stop doing liposuction on people who are above the age 50.
It’s not an absolute but as people approach the age of 50 they usually lose skin elasticity, and this is going to lessen the potential impact of Liposuction.
Aggressive fat removal on people who have lost skin elasticity could also compromise what the skin looks like. As patients age, they generally lose their candidacy for liposuction and generally become better candidates for a neck lift.
My first-hand experience with Renuvion is that it doesn’t add anything to the outcome of liposuction on its own, 
I purchased the device initially, but sold it because in my opinion and all of my patients opinions it didn’t deliver anything.
In my opinion Renuvion completely fails to deliver what it claims. 
Based on what you describe, I think the lack of results are primarily due to the fact that your surgeon lacks sufficient skill and experience in combination with you being a less than ideal candidate.The number of plastic surgeons who can deliver consistent stunning Liposuction results is really small.
I would say less than 5% of plastic surgeons have mastered this procedure. in reality, it may be even smaller. this means the chance of an average patient finding a plastic surgeon who is mastered Liposuction is less than one in 20.
Unless you find a plastic surgeon who exclusively does liposuction for a living or works for a specialty clinic where they perform only Liposuction every day the chance of finding the right provider is small
Finding plastic surgeons who are really good at liposuction is inherently difficult.
Patients generally are unable to differentiate who is good and who is not at this procedure.
The biggest mistake I see patients make is first having only one consultation and then scheduling surgery.
The second biggest mistake I see patients make is assuming that a plastic surgeon who is board certified has decade of experience and a handful of positive reviews has mastered most plastic surgical procedures.
To make quality assessment, we need quality information.
That generally means at a minimum we need to see a complete set of proper before, and after pictures and know the timeframe of when your surgery was done.
If one round of Liposuction didn’t give you a result, it’s unlikely that doing more of the same will.
Whether the problem was that you’re not a good candidate for Liposuction or that your surgeon doesn’t have sufficient skill or that expectations were dialed in incorrectly we cannot tell you. 
Most likely it’s a combination of all three.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom MD

Fat fell from face after chin lipo? (Photo)

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Fat fell from face after chin lipo? (Photo)

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Everything you need to know about Chin Liposuction

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