Plastic Surgeon Questions Liposuction

Does liposcution help one lose weight or does it only tighten the skin?

I am planning to get liposuction around my tummy area because I am unable to lose the fat there. Does liposuction only help in skin tightening or does it also help in weight loss?

18 Answers

Weight loss after liposuction is a bonus. The goal of liposuction is to improve contour. Vaser/ultrasonic liposuction does provide a component of skin tightening. It does not replace skin removal if the skin excess is significant. Liposuction enables the surgeon to selectively remove fat in areas where you are having a difficult time with weight loss alone.
Even though fat removal by liposuction can reduce your weight, liposuction is not meant as a weight loss treatment nor does it tighten skin. Liposuction is best for those who are near their ideal weight who have stubborn areas of fat excess. Liposuction can then be used to remove that excess and to sculpt and contour those areas to create a better looking figure.
Thank you for your email. The liposuction procedure is designed for patients that are close to their ideal weight, eat healthy, and work out regularly, but have an area or two with extra fat that does not change no matter what they do. It is not performed as a form of weight loss, however, because fat is removed, the patient will weigh less.
Liposuction helps to lose weight in certain areas. You need to diet and exercise to help with the appearance.
Thank you for your question. Liposuction is almost never a way to lose more weight. In fact, fat weighs less than water, so you may in fact only lose 1-2 lbs after a typical liposuction procedure. It also does a relatively poor job of skin tightening in and of itself. However, other modalities such as Vaser can improve upon this. A consultation is the best way to see if you are a good candidate for liposuction.
Liposuction removed fat. Amazingly, fat does not weight that much and there is usually very little weight change following liposuction. Contour and full changes are readily seen, but the scale rarely changes appreciably.
I am sorry to inform you that liposuction doesn’t do either. It will reduce the fatty tissue where it is performed. This leads to a small weight loss. Your skin might tighten in that area, but if you are over 40 or have stretch marks, it can stay as it was. This results in looking flabbier because there is less tissue underneath.
Liposuction does neither - all it does is remove some fat. If you are grossly overweight, it is not the procedure for you. It is only safe to maximally remove 5L of fat at one sitting which is only about 12 pounds, so if you need more removed, then diet and exercise is the way to go. Also, if you have a lot of loose skin, it does not tighten the skin. People say that smart lipo, or vasar lipo tightens skin, but only minimally. If you need skin tightening, then perhaps a tummy tuck is needed.
Localized liposuction achieves debunking of fat around stubborn areas such as the abdomen, flanks, and thighs. Though not used in weight loss regimens, liposuction obviously can decrease a patient's weight simply by the mass it removes out of the patient. However, it should never be perceived as a replacement for a good weight control program of dieting and exercise.
It does not help in weight loss. It contours the area by removing fat cell volume. Skin may ‘shrink’ due to intrinsic elasticity but the concept of active skin ‘tightening’ is elusive and suspect. It depends on the type and technique of the liposuction. Dr. Yuan
Suction assisted lipectomy removes fat. That’s it.
Thank you for your interesting question. Liposuction is not a method to lose weight. It is for reshaping the body by removing fat, which is unable to be removed with diet or exercise. Some methods of liposuction may also tighten the skin, but this will take 3-6months. The healthier and more physically active you are, the better the results would be.
The advantage of the technique I use at my office is that I can perform liposuction safely under local anesthesia with minimal discomfort and faster recovery.

Dr. George M. Varkarakis, M.D.
Liposuction does help somewhat with weight reduction but its purpose is usually shaping. Skin contracture depends on factors as age, skin,previous pregnancies and other factors. Laser,ultrasound assisted liposuction may help skin tightening however BodyTite radiofriquency assisted liposuction can be a better way to tighten skin. You should consult with a Plastic Surgeon to determine best procedure for you. Good luck
Liposuction is neither a weight loss procedure nor a skin tightening procedure. It is a fat loss procedure that contours the body areas where it is done. It is great for those who want to look good in their clothes. You see, Fat itself does not weigh very much.
I highly suggest ensuring that you see a board certified plastic surgeon. If you are considering liposuction it may help with tightening and removing weight. Liposuction is more of a contouring procedure than one to help you lose weight.
Liposuction is primarily aimed at improving problem fatty deposits and is very effective when used correctly, but it relies on the skin’s ability to shrink after the underlying fat has been contoured. There are some modalities such as “Bodytite” that enhance such shrinkage, but fat removal must always take into account this process to avoid dimpling and wrinkles post-operatively. So excessive fat removal aiming at weight loss usually is not recommended and is usually unsuccessful, given that only four or five pounds of fat can safely be removed at a time in most cases.

A very expensive way to try to loose weight.
Both. Lipo permanently removes fat cells. Once gone, they don’t come back. You can still gain weight in the other fat cells left behind. Generally, liposuction does tighten the skin but if too large of amount of fat is removed it can leave some laxity.
It may do neither, it only removes fat.