I understand lumps are normal after arm lipo but how likely is it they will go away by 6 months to a year? (Photo)

These changes in your arms warrant aggressive massage to smooth them out. The skin of the arms is thin and prone to wrinkling and will wrinkle if left alone. While everything is probably at it's absolute worst in terms of appearance at this stage, massage is your best option for avoid the need for future surgical work.

I would suggest waiting a little bit of time to see the final results.  Although, this is not the typical look of my patients post arm lipo at this stage.  I would consider starting ultrasound or radiofrequency treatments with massage at this point. I start my patients 3 weeks after their lipo treatments.  I would wait at least 3 months before undergoing a revision treatment, and consider a body contouring specialist if you do decide to get a second opinion.  Best, Dr. Emer.

Thank you for posting a photo. It looks as if
you are still in the healing phase after Smartlipo, it is important that you
stay patient during this time. It is important to wear your compression garment
and follow up with your surgeon to be sure you are healing properly.

A patient's maximum swelling typically occurs at 5-10 days. The potentially hard, lumpy phase is usually seen as the early scar tissue develops, typically at two to six weeks. The area should soften up starting at 6-12 weeks. Everyone is different. When liposuction is not done correctly, massages or other non-surgical treatments usually do not help the final outcome. For now, be patient and continue doing what you are doing.  I believe the body will take care of healing by itself better than anything we can do. There is nothing wrong with massages. I would not massage more than is comfortable.Our practice does more liposuction than any other procedure. We use a combination of Smart and Tickle lipo. No needles. No scalpels. No sutures. The postoperative expectations are covered in detail before surgery, though patients often have anxiety about final results early on during recovery.I hope that helps.Best of luck,Mats Hagstrom, M.D.