Does Liposuction Cause Loose Skin?

People who want to revamp their bodies to look their best often opt for liposuction. This popular minimally invasive procedure is used to reduce stubborn fat in various areas of the body. It can involve the thighs, hips, abdomen, back, arms, and chin. While liposuction can do much to shape the body, it cannot tighten the skin. This is an essential aspect of body contouring because if not thought and planned correctly, the skin can look saggy and saggy after liposuction. Here we discuss why this is the case and what you can do to prevent it.

Is Loose Skin A Byproduct of Liposuction?

If the skin looks loose after liposuction, then liposuction may be the cause. Liposuction removes volume under the skin by targeting excess fatty tissue. But after such a procedure, skin that does not have good laxity will not become as tight and taut as one would like. 

Different chemicals naturally produced by the body are responsible for helping tighten, firm, and smooth the skin and superficial tissues. These include collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid. Around age 20, the cells that produce these essential proteins begin to degenerate. That's why lines, wrinkles, folds, and other problems sometimes appear as early as your 30s or 40s. 

Another reason skin may not retract after liposuction is that it has been stretched too much, similar to what happens to patients after losing significant amounts of weight. 

Loose Skin Post-Liposuction

In the case of tissue stretching after liposuction, it's best not to wait and see what happens. How the skin will react to the underlying volume reduction can, in many cases, be predicted ahead of time. 

In body contouring, a common approach to loose skin is to address it during liposuction surgically. Surgical methods include lifts, tummy tucks, and skin tightening using lasers or other focused energy types. These techniques are unique because they dramatically restructure the problem area. 

Today, we can also use innovative technologies to tighten loose skin during fat removal. This can be done with Renuvion, a cold plasma treatment that produces a tightening of the tissue by touching the underside of the skin. Like a surgical lift, Renuvion can be performed simultaneously with other procedures, including liposuction or AirSculpt®.

How Can Renuvion Be Best Used?

Renuvion is best coupled with AirSculpt®, a next-generation fat removal and body sculpting technique. This patented technology offers targeted, permanent fat reduction by plucking fat cell by cell through a minuscule entry point, which minimizes side effects and allows for under 48 hours of downtime. Contrast these benefits with traditional liposuction, which uses a manual and abrasive technique to scrape away fat, often leaving loose skin behind and necessitating weeks of downtime.

AirSculpt® represents the pinnacle of fat removal technology, as it is well-regarded for providing results without using scalpels, needles, stitches, or general anesthesia. And now, they are proud to offer Renuvion skin tightening to complement their fat removal and transfer offerings.  

Also called AirSculpt®+, this single minimally invasive treatment still requires under 48 hours of downtime and offers a comprehensive transformation. When performed alongside AirSculpt®, patients can remove fat for good and dramatically tighten their skin to its newly slimmed shape.  

AirSculpt®+ is designed to provide patients with a comfortable approach to body sculpting without many of the risks of more invasive surgery. Skin tightening results comparable to a tummy tuck or skin lift can be achieved while removing fat with unmatched precision. To get started working with us, call one of our many offices nationwide to schedule your in-person or virtual consultation.