Skin tightening after liposuction?

Question

I had liposuction just over 6 weeks ago on my abs and flanks. I know that I need to wait 3-6 months to see the full result. The results look great so far, but now I have a bit of loose skin on my abs. It is not enough to warrant a tummy tuck, so I'm wondering if there are any other alternatives to tighten the area.

Dima Ali, MD · Answer

Thanks for your question. There are many alternatives that are non-invasive to minimally invasive (done under local anesthesia). They range from Venus Legacy or Velashape (about 8 treatments with no downtime) to Thermitight, Renuvion, Profound and others that are one and done type procedures. My preference is to usually use a radiofrequency based technology for skin tightening, whether it's on the face/neck or body, although Core Co2 Laser can work well with certain skin types. I hope this helps! Dr. Dima

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Morpheus 8 is a non-invasive skin and soft tissue tightening treatment that is consistently amazing in our patients. We use the Morpheus to exact fractional induced RF into the skin or tissue in order to tighten collagen and stimulate contraction of the tissue. For acne scars, it is quite useful to build collagen in patients who have atrophic scars but is not very productive for ice-pick scars which require TCA Cross. For tissue tightening, Morpheus is ideal for the face and neck and we often combine it with CO2 laser or Ultherapy to further enhance results. Chemical peels and skin resurfacing should be done at least 5 to 7 days after, but can be performed earlier, depending on treatment severity. Avoid exfoliating skin treatments before Morpheus and expect a period of 2-4 weeks for skin contraction to set in.

Best, 
Dr. Karamanoukian 
Realself100 Surgeon

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

sounds like you werent a candidate for liposuction alone and you needed renuvion heating or tummy tuck. right now you can do morpheus, trusculpt flex and thermage. I suggest seeing an expert. start peptide injections we can ship to you.

my whole practice is doing lipoabdominoplasty, or at least liposuction with internal heating (which is not the gold standard for skin tightening with body contouring).

the smaller you are before liposuction the more contouring you can get from the procedure. most of my liposuction patients get pre and post surgical optimization with hormonal therapy (see link to help boost their weight loss before surgery and help them heal after).

You need a formal evaluation by an expert in body shaping and contouring to determine what is best.  Traditional liposuction awake and smart liposuction are old methods and do very poorly for tightening skin or significant skin tightening or contouring.  Small problem areas can be improved slightly by these methods.  The best in body contouring not only removes fat with energy devices like VASER ultrasound but also internally heat the skin with radio-frequency devices such as J PLASMA/RENUVION, InMode BodyTite, ThermiRF to heat the under surface of the skin and tighten it at the same time as fat removal. These combinations are called 4D HIDEF VASER contouring and can only be done by a well . trained body contouring specialist. At the same time fat should be harvested, PRP and stem cells added and injected into muscles or indentations/cellulite to get body shaping and contouring.  This is known as a Brazilian butt lift when you inject the fat to the buttock for contouring and lifting, but fat can also be used in areas such as the chest/breast, arms/shoulders, calves and face.  Cellulite should also be treated with cellfina, sculptra, subcision and/or fillers such as bellafill, renuva synthetic fat, or sculptra.  If skin is very loose before surgery then it will need to be removed such as lower abdominal skin (tummy tuck/abdominoplasty), breast skin (breast lift), arm skin (brachioplasty).  Overall you need a full assessment, but simple liposuction alone will not tighten skin and needs a combination of various methods -- fat removal, skin tightening, defining, fat grafting, skin removal -- to get the best in body contouring and body sculpting.  Dr. Emer.

Kristen Aliano Messina, MD · Answer

Thanks for your question. You are correct in that you have to wait to see how your skin responds and retracts after liposuction. If 6 months after the procedure, you have some loose skin, there are treatments that can be offered to address this issue. One option that I offer to patients is Morpheus, which is a non-surgical skin tightening treatment. Please do talk to your surgeon about your concerns to see what he or she may be able to offer.
Be well!Kristen Aliano Messina, MDPlastic Surgeon at Beyond BeautifulPlano, Texas

Skin tightening after liposuction?

Answers (4)

Answer: Concern for Excess Skin

Answer: Concern for Excess Skin

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Everything you need to know about Skin Tightening

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Skin tightening after liposuction?

Answers (4)

Answer: Concern for Excess Skin

Answer: Concern for Excess Skin

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Skin Tightening

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