Thigh liposuction: how can I avoid loose or burnt skin?

Thank you for your question. I would suggest to be treated by board certified plastic surgeon with experience in this procedure and follow all the pre op and post op recommendation, to get the best desired results.

Respectfully,
Dr. Emmanuel Mallol Cotes.-

Dear Thrifty354651,
it is hard to tell for sure without an examination. If you are considering a surgery, I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Thigh liposuction is a surgical procedure designed to remove excess fat from the thighs. Loose or burnt skin can be potential complications of any liposuction procedure, but there are steps you can take to minimize the risk:

1.) Choose a Board-Certified Surgeon: Ensure your surgeon is board-certified and has experience performing liposuction procedures. They should be able to assess your skin type and the amount of fat to be removed to determine the best approach.

2.) Consultation and Evaluation: During your consultation, discuss your concerns with the surgeon. They can evaluate your skin elasticity and overall health to determine if you are a good candidate for liposuction. If your skin lacks elasticity, they may recommend other procedures or combination treatments.

3.) Realistic Expectations: Have realistic expectations about the results of the procedure. Liposuction can remove excess fat, but it may not completely resolve issues related to loose skin. Be prepared for the possibility of some residual loose skin.

4.) Proper Preoperative Care: Follow your surgeon's preoperative instructions carefully. This may include maintaining a stable weight and avoiding smoking and certain medications that can affect blood clotting.

5.) Tumescent Technique: The tumescent liposuction technique involves injecting a solution of saline, epinephrine, and lidocaine into the treatment area before removing fat. This can help minimize blood loss and reduce the risk of burns or complications.

6.) Gentle and Controlled Technique: Experienced surgeons use a gentle, controlled technique to minimize trauma to the skin and surrounding tissues. This helps reduce the risk of burns and other complications.

7.) Postoperative Care: Follow your surgeon's postoperative instructions diligently. This may include wearing compression garments, taking prescribed medications, and avoiding strenuous activities during the initial recovery period.

8.) Skin Tightening Procedures: If you are concerned about loose skin, discuss potential skin tightening procedures with your surgeon. These may include laser treatments, radiofrequency, ultrasound, or surgical options like a thigh lift. Combining liposuction with skin tightening procedures can often yield better results.

9.) Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle: After the procedure, maintaining a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet and regular exercise can help promote skin elasticity and prevent weight gain that might lead to skin laxity.

10.) Follow-Up Visits: Attend all scheduled follow-up appointments with your surgeon to monitor your progress and address any concerns promptly.

Remember that individual results may vary, and it's essential to have a thorough discussion with your surgeon about your specific goals and concerns before undergoing thigh liposuction. They can provide personalized recommendations based on your unique situation and help you understand the potential outcomes and risks.

We would be happy to discuss this with you in more detail. Please visit us online to request a consultation or chat with our friendly appointment coordinators via live chat.

In order to get the best outcomes you want to begin by selecting an experienced board certified plastic surgeon. An evaluation is needed to determine if you are a good candidate for the procedure. Loose skin can occur after liposuction and is more common with inner thigh liposuction. Your surgeon will let you know if this is a high risk based on your current skin laxity. Your surgeon should review your concerns including how and why loose skin or burns could occur during the consultation.

Liposuction by itself does not cause burns. Burns may happen with laser or radiofrequency, but they are a low risk. Skin by the inner thigh is loose on all women, so liposuction in that area needs to be done conservatively. Skin tightening with radiofrequency or laser can also be helpful in that area.

Fly Liposuction is often subdivided into inner thigh and outer thigh

Inner thigh Liposuction often does not deliver the results patients had hoped for because this area often has a significant amount of skin laxity that contributes substantially to contour. Removing excess of amounts of fat in the upper inner thighs in an attempt to get a more improved result can instead lead to skin compromise with hanging skin and contour irregularities.

Liposuction of the outer thigh especially women who have a true saddlebags response much better. When the problematic area is more on the backside of the outer thigh and I know they are young sometimes called the banana roll Liposuction usually does not work as well.

Gravity and skin laxity are the main reason lower extremity Liposuction is so challenging. That said some improvements can be had but lower extremity Liposuction is technically more difficult and patients should recognize the inherent limitations and results from these procedures.

Without posting pictures we can’t make any type of assessment. I suggest talking to local board-certified plastic surgeons in your area. I would be cautious of having this procedure unless your provider had substantial experience.

Lower extremity Liposuction done by inexperienced providers can lead to irreversible contour irregularities.

Best,

Mats Hagstrom MD

Hi and welcome to our forum!Burns to the skin usually occur during liposuction if a laser device or suction cannula is left in one position for too long a period of time or if the cannula was placed too superficially under the skin during the procedure. This can be avoided with careful technique.Liposuction will decrease the volume of fatty tissue beneath the skin, but will have little effect upon the overlying skin. Therefore, similar to a deflating balloon, a critical point is reached with fat volume reduction where skin elasticity fails to contract sufficiently and becomes wrinkly. A physical examination is required to determine if you are a satisfactory candidate for the procedure. If there is loose skin, a thigh lift may be required. Visit a board certified plastic surgeon for evaluation, examination, and discussion.Best wishes...

Burns are a possible complication of laser and radiofrequency addition to liposuction. Loose and irregular skin can occur from any liposuction. Of the thigh, the inner thigh is much more likely to have irregularity and problems than the anterior lateral and posterior thighs. The best way to assure a good result is to carefully choose the plastic surgeon doing the liposuction. Unfortunately, there are many people doing liposuction, many with no real surgical training and many with only minimal training in the liposuction itself. Also, there are many people calling themselves plastic surgeons who have never gone through the training to actually become a board certified plastic Surgeon. Be careful if the surgeon you see does not discuss all of this at length with you.