Pronounced hip dips and fat sagging after full leg liposuction - how can I fix this? (Photos)

Question

I had full leg (thighs, calves, both back and front) done in June 2025. Since then, I've noticed my hip dips, especially on my left side, have become extremely pronounced. My butt cheeks also seem concave now and sagging. When I asked the doctor about this, he first said that I needed more time to heal. Then, when I asked again, he said it was due to my posture. When I asked a third time about these issues, he said that I should've gotten additional skin tightening treatments on my butt and that I would need additional procedures to fix it. However, it seems less like skin laxity and more like the fat is no longer being adequately supported. What options do I have?

Frank Agullo, MD · Answer

You are reading this correctly, and honestly so is your surgeon, just not the whole picture. If you look at your photos, the dips above the hip look way worse now because fat was removed over the hip bone and then further accentuated as fat was removed over the curve itself and pulled downward as it got to its lower extent near the hips. It does appear to be worse on your left side too, just like you said. On top of all that, the upper part of your buttock has lost shape, appearing flat, with some looseness of the skin and visible waviness. All of this is true. That procedure is not a two-in-one fix. To get the butt curve back, I graft your own fat into the dips over your hips and the concave portion on the top of your buttock to restore fullness and reduce the visual depth of the dips. To deal with the loose skin, I use more tightening procedures or potentially a lift, if your skin is too loose during your hands-on examination.

#StayBeautiful,

@RealDrWorldWide

#StayBeautiful,

@RealDrWorldWide

Yasemin Aydinli, MD · Answer

What you're describing &mdash; pronounced hip dips and concave-appearing buttocks after full leg liposuction &mdash; is a known complication of overly aggressive or uneven fat removal. When too much fat is removed from the lateral thigh and hip area, the underlying support for the buttock and hip contour is lost, which can cause exactly what you're seeing.
The most effective correction is fat grafting (similar to a Brazilian Butt Lift) to the hip dip area and possibly the posterior buttock to restore volume and improve contour. This uses your own fat harvested from another area of the body, which gives natural-looking and feeling results. Depending on your specific anatomy, some patients also benefit from targeted liposuction of adjacent areas to improve the overall shape balance.
I'm sorry your surgeon's responses were dismissive &mdash; what you're experiencing is a real and recognized complication that deserves proper evaluation. I would strongly recommend seeking a second opinion from a board-certified plastic surgeon with expertise in body contouring revision. An in-person assessment is essential to determine how much donor fat you have available and to plan the correction properly.

Pronounced hip dips and fat sagging after full leg liposuction - how can I fix this? (Photos)

Answers (2)

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