Can Liposuction Cause Sagging Skin?

The popularity of liposuction has soared in recent years, increasing 23% just a year after the pandemic. Why is it so popular? Because liposuction is a safe, effective, time-tested way to finally banish stubborn pockets of fat that just won’t budge despite diet and exercise.

Even better: Liposuction can be used on many areas of the body, including your neck and chin, back, belly, flanks, knees, hips, buttocks, and arms. But because liposuction removes fat underneath your skin, many people worry they’ll be left with sagging, loose skin afterward. 

At Rostami OPC, Soheila Rostami, MD, and Joseph Davidson, MD, use state-of-the-art liposuction techniques to give patients beautiful results without worrying about baggy, saggy skin. Learn why sagging skin happens and how our team can help you avoid it.

Liposuction and sagging skin

First, it’s important to note that liposuction itself does not create or cause sagging skin. However, sagging skin can be a “side effect” of liposuction in certain people.

Less elasticity

When we’re young, our skin produces plenty of collagen and elastin, components that help your skin snap back and conform to your body’s contours. But as we get older, our skin produces less of these two proteins, leading to sagging, laxity, and even wrinkling.

If your skin is crepey or simply lacks a lot of collagen and elastin, it may take longer to re-conform to your contours. In some cases, it may not re-conform at all.

More fat

The amount of fat removed during liposuction can also influence skin tightness following treatment. 

Specifically, if you have a lot of fatty tissue removed, it’s harder for your skin to conform to its new contours. The same is true if you lose a lot of excess weight through dieting or other means. 

Remember, liposuction is especially effective for people who are at or near their ideal body weight. In those instances, liposuction removes smaller, isolated pockets of fat for sleeker contours without leaving behind extra skin.

Skin tightening: An option for sagging skin

The good news: Even if liposuction does leave your skin a little lax after your treatment, there are solutions that can definitely help. At Rostami OPC, we offer laser lipo, a treatment that combines liposuction with laser energy designed to tone and tighten skin.

We also offer separate skin-tightening treatments that use focused energy waves to gently heat deeper layers of skin, shrinking collagen fibers so your skin looks and feels tighter, sleeker, and smoother. 

These treatments can be used following liposuction or any time you want to tone up sagging skin.

Don’t let concerns about sagging skin keep you from enjoying sleeker, slimmer contours. Our team works with you to find a solution focused on ensuring you achieve the beautiful results you’re looking for. ‘

To learn more, call 571-568-8716 or book an appointment online with the team at Rostami OPC in Reston and Dulles, Virginia, today.