7 Things to Expect Following Liposuction

Curious about what to expect from Liposuction, including recovery time and results? We’ll break it down in this guide to life after Liposuction.

As with any surgery, there are things you should look out for.

If you’re thinking about getting liposuction but you aren’t sure you can handle the changes you may experience post-surgery, keep reading. We’re going to break down what you can expect after liposuction.

Your results may not be immediately noticeable

Liposuction, also known as lipoplasty, is a procedure that is designed to remove localised fat and change the contour of the treated areas.

During a liposuction procedure, a surgeon will remove fat through an instrument called a cannula. They literally suction the fat out through this device.

And while it might sound like that would offer immediate results, often times there are other things to contend with.

First of all, after liposuction, the area that had the procedure will be wrapped in compression bandages. You’ll have to keep these on for a number of weeks.

The compression bandages are there to prevent excess swelling to the area. Your body is naturally going to respond to liposuction with swelling that could become troublesome if left untreated.

Because of this swelling and all the bandages, it can be difficult to see the effects of your liposuction right away. Be patient with yourself and your body!

Scarring after liposuction

The device used to suction the fat from your body is small, so the incisions are usually small. Liposuction still leaves scars, and how they heal varies between individuals.

There may be more than one incision area, though. It’s important that the doctor get the right vantage point on the fatty tissue that you want to remove, so they need to come at it from multiple angles.

Surgeons usually try to place incisions in discreet areas.

Pain after liposuction

After getting liposuction, you can expect some pain. No surgery is without its fair share of pressure or bruising.

The entire area will feel as though it is very bruised. This can all depend on the area that the surgeon treated, as areas with more nerve endings will be more painful than areas with less.

Dr Rizk will advise you on pain relief after your surgery.

If you work on staying active, eating healthy, and moving the area that you had surgery, you can minimize any pain you might experience.

If the pain is more than you expected or you notice that your incision areas feel hot to the touch, you should call your office for more instructions.

It can be hard to predict how much fat will be removed

In order to make sure that your liposuction is a same-day procedure, the volume of fat removed is limited for safety; Dr Rizk will assess this for you.

However, the exact amount of fat that your surgeon removes depends on a variety of factors, like how much fat you have in the area, the kind of look you want to achieve, and whether or not the area starts to bleed while the doctor is treating it.

The procedure isn’t as simple as just sticking a vacuum under your skin and sucking out the fat until the machine turns off. It’s a complicated process that your surgeon won’t be able to predict perfectly.

Liposuction won’t treat excess skin

Even though getting rid of excess fat sounds ideal, there are still some things you should consider when it comes to your post-procedure body. The main thing people don’t expect is the possibility of loose skin.

Over time as we age and as excess fat causes our skin to stretch, our skin loses its elasticity. That means that if you get liposuction in an area with a lot of stretch marks or on a place with thin skin, you’ll probably wind up with some loose skin.

Over time, some of this skin may snap back into place. But the reality is that without a skin lift, it won’t go entirely back to normal.

Removed fat cells don’t grow back…

Once your liposuction procedure is over, there will be fewer fat cells in that area. As long as you stay close to the same weight, fat is less likely to return to that area.

…but weight gain can happen

However, liposuction doesn’t mean that you won’t ever gain weight again. While you have less fat cells in that area, those cells can still get bigger with weight gain.

What’s worse, because those fat cells won’t ever come back, if you gain a lot of weight after liposuction, other areas of your body will appear to get disproportionately larger.

A healthy diet and exercise help keep your weight stable after surgery.

Life after liposuction: what to expect

After liposuction, you can expect soreness, swelling and bruising. Like all surgery, liposuction carries risks, including bleeding, infection, blood clots, contour irregularities, changes in sensation and scarring, and results vary between individuals. Dr Rizk will discuss the risks and expected recovery with you at your consultation.

For more information about liposuction, contact us to arrange a consultation.