Will my Skin Retract After I Recover from my Liposculture?

Question

Hi, I am 19 years old at 155 lb before lipo with a height of 5'7 & was removed 3.5 liters of fat. Post-19 days of my procedure.i had lost 70 lb before my lipo that left me a few stretch marks and a bit of lose skin.As of today, I see my skin really loose & I'm worried I will be left with saggy skin.ive wore my compression garment as instructed till today and plan on wearing it for a total of 3 months like my PS recommended. What can I do to make sure it retracts?Or will it retract? Please help!

S. Larry Schlesinger, MD, FACS · Answer

First of all, I would like to congratulate you on losing 70 pounds at age 19.  You are obviously highly dedicated and motivated.  No one but your personal plastic surgeon (who had the benefit of a physical exam and actually look at and touching your skin) can determine if liposculpture or skin resection or both would be the correct procedure for you.  At 19 and as tall as you are, you should get a reasonable amount of skin retraction.  You didn't mention whether you had been pregnant or not.  If you had been, this would have, of course, decreased the amount of retraction on your abdomen. 

	 

	I agree with all previous responders that waiting 3 to 6 months will give you the final answer as to the amount of retraction you would receive.  But I would be optimistic if I were you.  Continue to work out since I am sure you did to lose all those pounds.  Wearing a compression garment for 3 months is a bit much.  I think 1 month is more than enough.  The good news is you haven't burnt any bridges.  If there are some areas, your inner thighs, your abdomen, or even your upper arms, that show skin sagging after the 6 months, these will be easily treated with skin resection, and by having done the liposculpture first, less skin will have to be resected.  Don't forget, you didn't get all that loose skin in 19 days, give time, time.  I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised.

Jed H. Horowitz, MD, FACS · Answer

hello clawdii19  Excess skin would usually shrink back over the area of the body, liposuction is used to reduce volume not tighten skin.  We now have a number of non surgical devices such as ThermiSmooth radiofrequency and VelaShape3 to help tighten skin after liposuction for patients who will benefit from this additional care. This allows us to provide our patients with the best results possible. #looseskin #retract

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Skin resiliency and the presence of stretch marks will determine the extent of skin retraction after liposuction. We recommend laser skin tightening to further tighten and retract skin after liposculpture. Raffy Karamanoukian MD FACSLos Angeles

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

With any large amount of weight loss, the skin may indeed be loose.  You should wait for at least 6 months to assess skin quality.  Kenneth Hughes, MD liposculpture Los Angeles, CA

Jeffrey M. Darrow, MD · Answer

At this stage, you must be patient and allow the healing process to mature.  In approximately 6 months, you will know if your skin will retract as much as you would like.  You have youth on your side.  Young skin is more elastic and even with some stretch marks, can improve in the months to come.  The fact that you lost 70lbs and had some loose skin before the procedure does raise some concerns about the elasticity left in your skin.  Being patient, eating right and having a good exercise regiment is the best option now.

Will my Skin Retract After I Recover from my Liposculture?

Answers (10)

Answer: 19 Days after Liposculpture and Loose Skin

Answer: 19 Days after Liposculpture and Loose Skin

Answer: Time will tell if your skin will retract.

Answer: Time will tell if your skin will retract.

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Liposculpture

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

Will my Skin Retract After I Recover from my Liposculture?

Answers (10)

Answer: 19 Days after Liposculpture and Loose Skin

Answer: 19 Days after Liposculpture and Loose Skin

Answer: Time will tell if your skin will retract.

Answer: Time will tell if your skin will retract.

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Liposculpture

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