Liposuction: Info, Prices, Photos, Reviews, Q&A

Liposuction typically shows results almost immediately after the procedure.

However, the swelling from liposuction can take much longer to subside in order to see the final and permanent results of liposuction. I tell my patients that this is a process that can take months to complete.

Most swelling has subsided by 3 months, but usually additional changes can be seen at 6 months. In some cases the last bit of swelling could take as long as a year. (John K. Wakelin III, MD, FACS, Columbus Plastic Surgeon)

Final Results from Liposuction

It is very common to see the most improvement after liposuction immediately after surgery before any swelling kicks in. After that and within the first few days a lot of the improvement can be lost due to swelling and then it will gradually resolve over time.
I like to show patients their appearance the day after surgery so they have an understanding of what to expect over time because much of the improvement is temporarily lost in the first few weeks and months from swelling.

How long patients have to wait to see their true final results depends on the person although, I think for most patients the majority of the results would be noticeable within 3-6 months and some small improvement will continue beyond that point as well.

In addition, many patients will further improve their results, after they have healed, with a well balanced diet and exercise program. (Robert Cohen, MD, Santa Monica Plastic Surgeon)

The development of post-operative swelling in the areas treated is the culprit for your ‘vanishing’ liposuction results. As this swelling gradually fades over the course of several months, you will continue to see contour improvements and your more final results.
With any liposuction procedure I inform patients that their final results cannot be assessed until they are 6-12 months out from surgery. While I recognize that that is a long time to wait and see changes, it will take this long until all of the swelling dissipates and for full results to be visible. (Stephen T. Greenberg, MD, Woodbury Plastic Surgeon)

After surgery, patients will visibly see a smoother shape wearing a compression garment. After swelling and bruising resolve, and with proper diet and excerise, patients may see their final results after 6-9 months. (Jeffrey Weinzweig, MD, Chicago Plastic Surgeon)

It is important to maintain a healthy diet after having liposuction. It is not uncommon to have some swelling that lasts for weeks and even months after liposuction.

It is best to get back into your healthy diet and exercise regime as soon as you’re physically able to resume your normal activities.

This will maintain and even improve the results obtained from the surgery itself. (Yannis Alexandrides, MD, London Plastic Surgeon)

The results you noticed immediately after surgery were from a reduction of fat in the area you had treated and that’s great! Afterwards, yoy started to swell and swelling changed the appearance of the area.

The good news is, this is completely normal and it will go away. If you’re patient, you’ll notice a steady improvement over the coming 6-9 months and a final result at 1 year! (Elizabeth Morgan, MD, PhD, Atlanta Plastic Surgeon)

Final liposuction results 6-12 months

Most of the initial swelling is down in the first three weeks. Prior to this if one is thinner to begin with they may actually be slight larger and not fit into previously worn clothing.

From this point on the improvement due to continued shrinkage of the area is gradual so that in most patients 80% of their result is at the 3 month mark.

Then due to continued remodeling of the tissue and tightening of the skin the final result is between 6-12 months depend on the area.

The outer thighs and hips is more rapid while the calves and ankles will take up to a year. (David Amron, MD, Beverly Hills Dermatologic Surgeon)

The initial swelling after your lipo can be very deceptive as far as your final silhouette. What I commonly tell my liposuction patients is that they will see early results around 3 months and it is likely they’ll continue seeing improvements for some time after that as well.

This is because although the majority of the targeted fat cells are completely removed from the body during lipo, the suction process is not going to get every single cell.

After liposuction, your body’s natural elimination process will have to take care of the ruptured fat cells that were left behind, and this can take a while. (David N. Sayah, MD, FACS, Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon)

Liposuction patients can see results of their procedures as early as 10-14 days after the procedure, but improvements continue 4-6 months afterwards as swellings and irregularities resolve. (Jed H. Horowitz, MD, FACS, Orange County Plastic Surgeon)

On the average, you will see more results 6-8 weeks after your procedure, but your final results can take up to 6, 9, or even 12 months, which means each month you will see more improvement.
Staying active & living a healthy lifestyle will only enhance your results. (Kara K. Criswell, MD, FACS, Charlotte Plastic Surgeon)

After liposuction, the development of swelling is often delayed, which is likely why your results were briefly visible before “vanishing.”

After liposuction, we typically tell patients to wait approximately 4 months for “final” results, but sometimes minor swelling lingers or recurs intermittently for 6 months or longer. The change won’t happen overnight. Instead, you’ll see a gradual improvement as swelling decreases.

If your swelling is extreme or accompanied by pain, please see your plastic surgeon for a follow-up. (Michael Weinberg, MD, Toronto Plastic Surgeon)

While the results of liposuction are immediately apparent it can takes at 3 months or more to see the final result. It simply takes that long for most of the swelling to dissapate. Compression garments limit the amount of fluid that can accumulate in the suctioned areas, thereby shortening healing time.
Massaging is also useful in removing the excess fluid buildup by stimulating and opening the lymphatic drainage channels. Often after liposuction, you see very nice results right away. Then, over the next day or two the areas may become very swollen and it looks like nothing was ever done.

Truly final results are not fully apparent until several months go by . Finally, just because you had liposuction, it does not mean that you can continue your old habits. You need to continue to exercise and eat a nutritious diet to maintain your new figure. (Marvin F. Shienbaum, MD, Brandon Plastic Surgeon)

After a liposuction procedure I like to tell my patients that they will see a good result after a few weeks but that over the course of six months to even a year they will continue to see added results. (Francis X. Fleming, MD, Kennewick Plastic Surgeon)
After 3 months about 85% of the swelling has resolved it takes on average a full year to see the final result. (Stephen M. Chen, MD, Richmond Plastic Surgeon)

I tell my patients that the final results of most liposuction cases will take a full 6 months to fully mature. Although you should see some results immediately, swelling and skin tightening take much longer to fully resolve. (John Mancoll, MD, Virginia Beach Plastic Surgeon)

The final result after liposuction can take up to one year. Most of the swelling decreases over the first several months, but there may be some residual swelling that takes a few more months to resolve.

After the fat is removed the skin should contract to re-drape over the body. This can take up to 6 to 12 months for the process to be complete.

So, most patients notice an improvement in their appearance after the first one to two months, with some continued improvement up to one year after the procedure. (Austin Hayes, MD, Portland Plastic Surgeon)
Contour improvement from liposuction will be apparent at 48 hours when the garment is first removed. For the next several days, there will actually be some increase in swelling, partly because there is no longer a firm compression garment, and partly because this is the nature of how the remaining fatty tissue recovers from liposuction.

The vast majority of swelling will be resolved by about 1 month following the procedure, with all swelling generally gone by 3-4 months following the procedure. Liposuction of low areas such as the calves may take up to 6 months for all swelling to resolve.

Similarly, secondary or revisional liposuction may be swollen for up to 6 months. (David P. Rapaport, MD, FACS, Manhattan Plastic Surgeon)

It is very common to see excellent results immediately after the surgery, only to have them “disappear” for months. The good thing is that they “reappear” after the swelling subsides. The results are not really disappearing and reappearing, but there is swelling in response to the surgery.

This swelling usually peaks at 6 weeks, then starts to fade rapidly. By three months there are excellent results, but the final outcome is not apparent for 6 months. (Gary Lawton, MD, FACS, San Antonio Plastic Surgeon)

I typically tell patients that it takes about 3 months to see your definitive results from liposuction. Most of the swelling subsides after the first 4-6 weeks, but the residual swelling may take up to 3-4 months to completely subside. At that time, your true representative results will be manifested. (Bill Kortesis, MD, Charlotte Plastic Surgeon)

Final liposuction results vary from patient to patient. It also depends on the amount of fat removed. Commonly, one would expect approximately 80% of the swelling to subside within the first three to five weeks. The final 20% might take as long as four to six months. (John J. Edney, MD, Omaha Plastic Surgeon)

Liposuction swelling 3 days post op

Swelling will persist after liposuction for at least 3-4 months. Wearing your compression garment as instructed by your surgeon the first four weeks will minimize the excess swelling in the early weeks but will not eliminate it entirely.

Your results will continue to improve over the first 6 months after your procedure. Maintain your weight and keep your post op appointments. Your Board Certified Plastic Surgeon should have taken measurements prior to surgery and will be able to track your progress. (Christopher J. Morea, MD, Raleigh-Durham Plastic Surgeon)

It is very common to see an immediate change the first day after liposuction, then the result fade over the next few days. This is because swelling has kicked in. I usually find that 85-90 percent of swelling resolves by 6-8 weeks and the remainder by 4 months.

Keys to a successful result are good uniform compression and deep tissue massage to any areas of prolonged swelling. (Paul S. Gill, MD, Houston Plastic Surgeon)