Laser Lipo on stretch marks, will my skin retract back?

Question

Hello there, I was very over weight as a teen which left me with stretch marks all over my body. In my early 20s I lost a good 70lbs and have been able to keep it off ever since. I have never acquired any new stretch marks since then. I have some problem areas that I would like to get laser lipo on but I am fearing that due to the stretch marks my skin will not retract back and will be left loose or sagging. Any advice please would love to start with my uppers body arms and sides. Thank you

Derakhsh Fozouni, MD · Answer

Hello, congratulations on achieving that! It is not easy at all. Skin retracting back is a very important factor to consider when doing any liposuction and many factors determine whether your skin will bounce back or to what degree.Age is a great factor and because you are very young, your chances to have a "better outcome" when it comes to the skin are higher than older patients. Because you lost weight in the past, that can influence your skin's elasticity. Diet and lifestyle have a great impact as well.

Craig Schwartz, DO · Answer

Patients often ask me that if they have lipo will the skin just hang there? I respond that as the body area contracts down over time, that the skin will contract very nicely with the area. However, I always warn patients that if they have loose or saggy skin at the start, they will still have loose skin at the end - lipo will not overcorrect for loose skin that you already have. Therefore, in cases like this, we generally recommend some type of skin tightening along with lipo. The good news is that technology has continued to improve, and we have great options for tightening of skin and stretch marks that can be done either with lipo, or as an adjunct, depending on how aggressive you want to be. There are non-invasive devices that can be performed over a series of treatments to help reduce the size and visibility of the stretch marks. But even better, we have minimally invasive treatments, for instance, Renuvion, that can be done at the same time as lipo, and allows for tightening of the skin from underneath, at the subcutaneous level, right where we want to see the tightening effect. To be clear, we cannot completely get rid of stretch marks, but should be able to shrink or contract them, to be less visible. I would recommend that you find an office or physician who performs these types of treatments as well, rather than just lipo.

Randy Dean, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

Hi and welcome to our forum!
Stretch marks indicate the presence of permanently damaged overstretched skin usually occurring during pregnancy or significant weight fluctuation where when pregnant or heavy, the skin's dermal elastic fibers rupture, resulting in the loss of elasticity and the development of depressed streaks on the skin surface. The skin will stretch over a greater surface area and will predispose to sagging.
The performance of laser liposuction will have a subtle skin tightening effect. However, there is a limit to its effectiveness depending upon the extent of the skin laxity. The stretch marks themselves unfortunately are permanent.  In many cases, there are procedures available to lessen the visibility of stretch marks. Without photos, I am unable to be more specific.
Visit a board certified plastic surgeon for evaluation and discussion. 
Best wishes...

Kristine Brecht, MD (license suspended) · Answer

Congratulations on the weight loss!
Skin can be a real problem after a lot of weight loss, stretch marks also make the recoil of the skin worse.
Skin excision of excess skin is the gold standard treatment.
In select patients I have had great results with Vaser liposuction and Renuvion j plasma in combination in one procedure.
Best. DrBrecht 
Seattle, Wa

Gokhan Temiz, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

Hello and thanks for your question. Laser liposuction have a stretching effect on the treatment are but to see if laser liposuction procedure give you the good result, we have to assess your pictures. It depends on the level of the stretch marks and sagging.

Laser Lipo on stretch marks, will my skin retract back?

Answers (5)

Answer: Liposuction with skin tightening or excision

Answer: Liposuction with skin tightening or excision

Answer: Laser Liposuction on Stretch Marks

Answer: Laser Liposuction on Stretch Marks

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Laser Lipo on stretch marks, will my skin retract back?

Answers (5)

Answer: Liposuction with skin tightening or excision

Answer: Liposuction with skin tightening or excision

Answer: Laser Liposuction on Stretch Marks

Answer: Laser Liposuction on Stretch Marks

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Laser Liposuction

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