What Can I Do to Prepare my Skin Before/after Liposuction?

How to optimize your liposuction results.


Most importantly choose a doctor with a lot of experience and very high satisfaction ratings.  If you go wrong with this step nothing else matters.

Maintain a stable weight range which is sustainable.  DO NOT go on a fad diet (HCG or others) to get to your goal weight right before your liposuction treatment.  These diets do not result in sustainable weight loss and most people will gain most or more weight back.

Maintain a healthy lifestyle and diet.  This speaks for itself.

Inquire about lymphatic massage or SmoothShape treatments after your liposuction.  Manual drainage and massage can offer more rapid healing and improved results.

Follow your doctor's instructions carefully regarding compression garments and resuming exercise or activity.


In my Salt Lake City, Utah plastic surgery office I try to help my patients achieve their optimum results.  By following the outline above I believe that you, too, can optimize your liposuction results.

It is best to be in a healthy, stable weight category prior to liposuction.  Skin quality is assessed prior to the procedure to determine whether or not the individual is a good candidate for the proposed treatment.  If there is moderate to significant loss of skin elasticity, folds and striae liposuction is not beneficial.  In fact it can lead to worsening of the appearance of the skin when the underlying fat is removed.

There are no truely proven methods to change the inherent quality of the skin prior to liposuction to offer superior results.  An experienced Plastic Surgeon can advise you as to whether or not liposuction is beneficial or if a tuck procedure is indicated. 

To help get the best results for liposuction:

-Choose a doc with a lot of experience in it and who does the tumescent technique local anesthesia with the microcanulas. He can stand you up and fine tune the results easily.

-take arnica pre/post op to reduce swelling and bruising

-get up and start walking right away and as much as possible starting the following day

-wear your compression garment as your doc tells you to

-take your pain meds as instructed-no need to suffer. you will be more active if comfortable

-start exercising and massaging at 1 week or when your doc recommends

-don't miss your follow up check ups with your doc

-let your doc know all your medical history and meds etc...

-stay away from gimmicky procedures with unproven results and risky side effects

-avoid general anesthesia if possible

-any big concerns, contact your doc immediately

There are other things but these cover the basics well.  Sincerely,

David Hansen,MD