How Long Does It Take for the Skin to Tighten After Abdominal Liposuction?

The younger you are,  the more elasticity your skin has and so the faster your skin tighten up after liposuction. Skin is elastic. ex) pregnancy. Some patients skin just shrinks back down with no stretch marks. The older you are, the longer it takes to tighten up and 6 months is not unusual. There is a big difference in the amount of tightening depending on several factors but one of which is the roughening up of the underside of the skin during the liposuction procedure.  The micro canulas  tend to be able to roughen up the underside of the skin much, much better than traditional larger canulas since larger canulas can't get that close to the skin without poking a hole in the skin. Lasers can irritate the underside of the skin which does the same effect as the micro canulas but with un-wanted side effects of marbled skin color or puckering of the skin from too much heat. Therefore not worth the risks. This is why micro canulas under local anesthesia tends to give the best results in liposuctions and tend to usually improve cellulite- but not always. The experience of your lipo doc is sooooo important but he/she also has to be doing the right lipo method and micro instruments to really take liposuctions to a whole new level. Sincerely,

David Hansen,MD

Swelling in the first few weeks can be significant.  Swelling and healing as well as scar maturation can persist for 6 months and sometimes up to 1 year following liposuction.   I would follow with your doctor at this point.

 

Kenneth Hughes, MD                                                                                                                                      

Los Angeles, CA

It is variable.  It depends on the amount of skin laxity, your age, and the elasticity of your skin.

I have been doing laser surgery for years. I am surprised how slow the tightening takes. It often takes months - six months on the average.

Skin Tighening after abdominal liposuction depends on your age, and the amount of fat removed.  One way to help things along is to wear your abdominal surgical garment 24/7, with exception of bathing.  Follow your Plastic Surgeon's follow up instructions for a great recovery!