Maintaining skin elasticity after liposuction can be a concern for many patients. Generally, we expect the skin to retract to fit its new shape much like a water balloon, though there are some circumstances where this won’t occur without specialised skin-tightening procedures.
Liposuction can often provide some natural skin lift, particularly to the breasts; however, already-loose skin may not bounce back quite as readily.
Liposuction when the skin is already loose
Results of body fat reduction techniques like liposuction rely heavily on the state of the skin at the time of the procedure. If we perform liposuction on younger, elastic skin, we expect it to bounce back and tighten around its new contents without issue.
If the skin is already very stretched, such as might occur after pregnancy or significant weight loss, we’ll likely need to employ a skin-tightening regime combined with fat removal.
Liposuction at older ages
A person of almost any age can undergo liposuction procedures; however, skin elasticity decreases as we age. Skin cells that produce collagen become less active; thus, skin strength and flexibility reduces and skin doesn’t behave as it does when we’re young.
It’s not only your age that can affect your skin tone. Your sex, skin type, weight and muscle tone, can affect your skin cells’ elasticity, and they might need a little skin-tightening boost after liposuction.
Using one of our high-tech devices to stimulate neocollagenesis (which occurs in the human body as a natural process of wound repair and induces the formation of new collagen deposits) can help strengthen and tighten the skin post-liposuction.
Body fat removal using multiple tools
There are only some situations whereby just one cosmetic procedure by itself gets the results. Each of you has your wish list for your body, we may recommend a multi-pronged approach.
Liposuction may be accompanied by further skin tightening, cellulite or skin treatments, depending on your goals. Because our state-of-the-art cosmetic equipment is so specialised, there isn’t a one-tool cosmetic procedure, rather a collection of treatments that work in concert for outcomes.
How to tighten skin after liposuction
At ENRICH Clinic in Melbourne, we have several tools for skin tightening, including:
- TruSculpt
- Venus
- Ultrasound
The process is similar across all devices: targeting layers of collagen with energy (heat, ultrasonic, radiofrequency) to tighten while also stimulating fibroblasts to produce more collagen post-treatment months.
These energy-based skin-tightening treatments work . The treatment chosen depends on the individual, their needs and skin type.
When do I need skin tightening after liposuction?
It is a misconception that if you remove fat, the skin will sag. Skin is much smarter than that and adapts to volume changes, much like it does if you gain or lose some weight.
Most liposuction procedures remove only a relatively moderate amount of fat since liposuction isn’t a weight-loss method, but a fat removing tool. Skin typically retracts and in most cases without any intervention.
In some cases, there may be mild to moderate skin laxity where the use of one of our skin-tightening devices can prove effective. If loose skin is extensive, we will assess you personally and discuss your options.
I’ve lost weight and have some loose skin
A lot of effort goes into losing weight, but the outcome of this volume loss can be sagging, loose skin that makes clothes fit poorly.
Liposuction can help remove fat in stubborn areas, while skin tightening treatments can improve skin laxity. Our Melbourne clinic can also address skin texture issues and cellulite-affected regions. Please know, however, that there isn’t just a fix-all situation. Patient results can vary, and as each person is unique, their responses to treatments are also.
Skin tightening after liposuction – what you can expect
Individual results will vary, since your age, skin type, and the amount of fat removed will affect how your skin bounces back after liposuction. We will wait to see your liposuction treatment results to assess lingering skin laxity. Then, we can decide if treatment is warranted. You may be delighted with just the liposuction.
How skin tightening works
Special skin cells, fibroblasts, produce collagen and elastin. These proteins make up our connective tissue: skin, ligaments, tendons, and the 3D web holding us together, fascia.
Fibroblasts produce collagen at a rate depending on our individual biology and external factors such as trauma and age. When fibroblasts experience trauma, their response is to produce collagen to repair skin, as we see in a scar. Scars are collagen fibres that ‘patch holes’.
Tiny traumas – also known as microtraumas – do not produce a scar but result in an increase in collagen production within the skin. Cosmetic dermatologists capitalise on this natural process to trigger fibroblasts to produce more collagen using a little gentle bullying, i.e. causing the cell to think it is under minor attack, so it produces collagen.
Microtrauma (from radiofrequency, ultrasonic or thermal energy) triggers greater collagen production, thus resulting in skin tightening and strengthening.
A fibroblast will continue to produce collagen for several months after the treatment, so results are seen after 2-3 months . Repeated treatments, as part of a treatment plan, can maintain your individuals results.
You can read more about skin tightening procedures in this scientific study.
What to do next
If you’re unsure whether you’ll need skin tightening after liposuction, call us to arrange a personal assessment and consultation.
Contact us for a consultation.
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