How Much Weight Can You Lose From Liposuction?

a photo of a woman's midriff

How Much Weight Can You Lose From Liposuction?

One of the most frustrating parts of trying to contour your body through a strict diet and regular exercise is that you can’t spot-reduce fat. Where your body stores fat is determined by hormones, including stress hormones, and genetics. Similarly, genetics determine where your body will burn fat from when you’re at a caloric deficit. That’s why Southwest Michigan Plastic and Hand Surgery in Portage, MI proudly offers liposuction.

Liposuction, sometimes referred to as lipo, is a fat removal procedure that has been used for decades. It is FDA-approved to remove excess subcutaneous fat deposits from areas of concern in most adults. However, it is not safe and effective for everyone. Today, we’re looking at how much weight you can lose from this procedure, what contour improvements you can expect, and who generally qualifies. Read on to learn more.

You can generally expect to lose between one and three pounds of fat from liposuction if you are already at your goal weight. If you are not yet at your goal weight, you may be able to lose closer to 10 or 11 pounds from lipo safely depending on your body mass. We recognize that one to 11 pounds is a large range; we can give you a much better idea of how much weight you should expect to lose after we have evaluated your areas of concern and body mass.

How Soon Will I Be Able To See My Results?

You may notice that your treated areas feel slimmer once you have woken up after surgery. However, it will be a little while before you can see your final results. You will need to wear a compression garment for three to six weeks post-op to help your skin heal faster from the incision. You can remove this garment while showering, but you shouldn’t be surprised if it takes around a month for you to fully enjoy the results of the fat removal.

How Long Will the Results of My Procedure Last?

Lipo improves your contours in just a couple of simple steps. Once you have been prepared for surgery, an incision is made in your area of concern, and a cannula with a suction device is inserted into the incision. A significant portion of the subcutaneous fat in the area is suctioned out of your body so there are fewer fat cells in the area of concern. Unlike every other type of cell in your body, fat cells cannot be regenerated.

In other words, the number of fat cells you have in your body when you are 25 years old is the maximum number of fat cells you will ever have. Since this procedure suctions out fat cells and your body can’t produce more fat cells, there will forever be fewer fat cells in your treated area. However, your contours may change if you eat at a caloric surplus because the remaining fat cells in the treated area can expand to store the excess energy.

Where Can This Procedure Be Used?

You can use liposuction to remove unwanted subcutaneous fat from just about anywhere. However, it is very important that you attend an initial evaluation to verify that lipo will be right for you; if there is too much excess fat in an area of concern, you may not be satisfied with the results of your procedure. Furthermore, this procedure may not be very effective if there is very little subcutaneous fat in your problem area.

Typically, men use lipo to remove unwanted fat from their chest, flanks, and lower back. Women usually use lipo to remove excess fat from their upper arms, lower abdomen, and bra line. However, lipo can be used to remove unwanted fat from smaller areas, like the submental region, underarms, and backs of the knees. Furthermore, lipo may be the ideal body contouring solution for you if you have excess fat in your calves or thighs.

How Many Inches Can I Expect To Lose?

You shouldn’t be surprised if you lose an inch or two after getting lipo. Typically, an inch of fat is around five pounds. Therefore, if you lose five pounds of fat from this procedure, you will lose roughly one inch from your area of concern. If you lose 11 pounds of fat, you will lose approximately 2.2″. While it may not seem like this procedure results in a lot of inches lost, you will be amazed by how much more confident you feel post-op.

How much-localized fat this Liposuction procedure can remove depends on many factors, including the size of the area of concern. Lipo can remove around 26% of the localized fat in a large area, like the back, chest, or stomach. If you’re targeting a small area, like your chin or neck, an astonishing four-fifths of the localized fat can be removed. Even if you don’t lose a lot of inches or pounds, your contours will drastically be changed for the better.

Am I a Good Candidate for This Procedure?

To reiterate, you need to attend an initial evaluation to verify that lipo will be safe and effective for you. As a general rule, we look for people who are no more than 30 pounds from their goal weight, relatively healthy, and concerned about areas with at least an inch of pinchable fat but not too much fat. However, in addition to your physical health and body composition, we must consider your mental health.

The best lipo candidate is confident they can do a pretty good job maintaining their weight post-op. If you gain a few pounds of fat after your procedure, you may remain satisfied with your new and improved contours. However, if you gain 13 or 14 pounds of fat post-op, you may need a follow-up procedure. It is also important to note that you should only get lipo for yourself, not a relative or romantic partner.

Will I Qualify for This Procedure If I Plan To Get Pregnant in the Future?

This procedure is not appropriate for women who are pregnant or nursing or recently stopped nursing. If you want to be pregnant and are not actively taking steps to prevent pregnancy, you will not qualify for this procedure. On the other hand, if you are currently taking steps to prevent pregnancy but want to become pregnant once you’ve recovered from your surgery, you may be a good fit.

Just keep in mind that a follow-up procedure may be necessary depending on how much fat you gain during your pregnancy. A lot of the weight women gain while they are pregnant is from extra blood circulating throughout their body. If you monitor your caloric intake closely, it is possible that you will not gain any fat at all throughout your pregnancy. If you don’t have a handle on your caloric intake, though, you may gain several pounds of fat.

How Will I Need To Prepare for My Surgery?

One of the steps we will take to verify lipo will be safe for you is advising you on all of the preparation steps you will need to take in advance of your surgery. If you can’t abide by all of the preparation guidelines, you will be considered a poor fit for this procedure. One of the most important preparation steps expected of you is to not smoke or drink alcohol prior to the operation. Nicotine and alcohol can wreak havoc on your blood pressure.

Also, you will need to minimize UV exposure to mitigate the risk of skin irritation. We can’t perform your surgery on your scheduled date if your skin is irritated. Another important preparation step you must take is to make sure you are well-nourished and hydrated when you come in for your operation. Whether you have to fast pre-op depends on the type of anesthesia administered.

Schedule Your Initial Consultation Today

If you’re at your goal weight and just need to improve your contours by removing excess fat deposits, you may be able to lose between one and three pounds from liposuction. If you still have quite a bit of weight to lose, it may be safe for 10 to 11 pounds of subcutaneous fat to be removed. To find out whether this fat removal procedure is right for you, book an appointment with us now at Southwest Michigan Plastic and Hand Surgery in Portage, MI.