Rippled skin 1 year after liposuction. Can a revision improve my results? Are there nonsurgical options? (photo)

Dear Versatile192602,

I would have to examine you but it appears that this is a contour irregularity after liposuction. This happens often when areas the undergo liposuction are not feathered appropriately.

The good news is that it can be fixed and I have done so with good results before.
While there is always a chance for contour irregularities with liposuction, someone who takes their time and uses the appropriate sized cannulas should give you a superb result. I have all my patients wear compression garments and I use multiple sized cannulas to feather out the result.


Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Although not considered a substandard result, you clearly have irregularities after your liposuction that are easily visible. Gone are the days when this was considered normal, and getting a perfectly smooth result today is the norm for well trained, highly skilled, and experienced surgeons. To make matters worse though, you were scammed into purchasing treatment sessions with devices that would never make a difference in your results; I hope the surgeon who performed your liposuction wasn't the same person who recommended these useless procedures. The issue isn't your skin, it is the subcutaneous layer that is uneven with fat distribution and scar tissue. Your only hope for a smooth abdomen is revision liposuction. You will need to see a few highly regarded surgeons who can take care of this issue for you.

Hello
There is skin laxity, fibrosis in the subcutaneous tissues, and some areas of indentation due to liposuction. For this, excess fat can be removed with Vaserlipo from certain areas, and fat can be injected into the indented areas. Non-surgically, 4-5 sessions of PLA injection (Sculptra, Lanluma) can be applied to the loose and sunken areas.

Sculptra injections can be done in the areas where too much fat was removed. You will need more than one treatment.

To start with in order to make a good assessment we always need a complete set of proper before and after pictures.
If you don’t have it before and after pictures, then you should ask your provider to forward the pictures they took.
You should also follow up with your provider and let them know you’re unhappy with the outcome.
Your result is a direct reflection of how the procedure was performed.
The secondary treatments you mentioned are not going to improve your outcome.
Your results are on the new fat distribution, which is permanent and caused by the Liposuction.
When Liposuction is not done correctly Leave patient with an abnormal lumpy fat distribution.
This is a technical failure of doing the procedure correctly.
The only way to improve the outcome is to try to make an uneven fat distribution more even.
This is very difficult.
It’s hard enough, taking an even fat distribution, reducing it and leaving it even.
Starting with an uneven fat distribution and trying to make it even is very hard.
Secondary Liposuction is much more challenging than primary Liposuction and has a very real chance of making things worse.
This is especially true if people use aggressive equipment like VASER.
The only way to improve your outcome is by addressing the problem, which is your uneven fat distribution from the first procedure.
It may be possible to create subtle improvements from revision Liposuction, but recognize that any attempt at making things better can also make things worse.
By far the most important variable is provider selection.
Your outcome is based on selecting a provider who didn’t have sufficient Liposuction skills.
Finding the right provider is way more difficult than people think.
Considering that revision Liposuction is many times more difficult finding someone who has sufficient skill in secondary or revision Liposuction is even more difficult.
Unless you’re absolutely convinced you found somebody who is exceptionally talented at Liposuction you should probably not have permanent intervention.
To find the right provider, usually requires having multiple in person consultations.
For Second opinion, consultations always come prepared to bring with you a complete set of proper before and after pictures and a copy of your previous operative report.
These are all part of your medical record that you can request from your provider at any time.
During consultations insist providers, open up their portfolio and show you their entire collection of before and after pictures for whatever procedure they are recommending.
Highly experienced provider should have lots and lots of before and after pictures.
Ask them to show you examples of good outcomes, average outcomes and outcomes that did not turn out as well as they had hoped.
An honest provider will be willing to do this.
Experienced providers should have lots and lots of before, and after pictures to choose from it.
Recognize that secondary Liposuction is not nearly as common as primary Liposuction.
This means even really talented and successful providers may have more limited examples of revision work.
This makes vetting plastic surgeons, more challenging.
Providers should at least have some evidence secondary/revisio liposuction type procedures.
until you know you’re working with the right provider I suggest not going forward with any of the treatments you describe it.
Obviously, if they’re helping, then keep doing them, but none of the treatments you describe are going to correct and uneven fat distribution, which is the underlying problem.
I wish I could be more optimistic, but correcting poorly done. Liposuction is very difficult.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom MD.