Liposuction is one of the mostpopular cosmetic surgical procedures,and most people who underwentliposuctionsay they would do it again. However, the surgery is not without its risks and problems. If you or someone you love is considering liposuction, you may have a few questions. For example: Does liposuction affect your metabolism? Does it increase the risk of gaining weight after the procedure? Where do you gain fat if you put weight back on after liposuction?
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What Is Liposuction?
Liposuction is a minimally invasive cosmetic surgical procedure that removes fat from body areas. The procedure uses a thin, hollow tube, known as a cannula, inserted into the body through incisions to loosen and suction excess fat using a vacuum or a syringe.
Purpose of Liposuction
Simply put, liposuction is not a substitute for weight loss or exercise. It is not considered an obesity treatment and doesn’t promise lasting weight loss. It does not removecelluliteor tighten loose or sagging skin. The procedure is intended to remove areas of fat that don’t respond to exercise or diet.
Liposuction can target the following areas:
Liposuction and Weight Gain
Fat cells are permanently removed during liposuction. Therefore, they do not come back unless you gain a significant amount of weight. If you gain weight, it usually does not return to the areas treated with liposuction. However, fat will accumulate in both treated and untreated areas if you gain a considerable amount of weight.
Because the fat cells in the treated area of the body are removed permanently, there are little to no fat cells in the treated area to absorb the newly formed fat. Fat is deposited into cells in untreated areas of the body. This new weight gain will cause the remaining fat cells to grow wherever they may be in your body. As you gain more weight after liposuction, the procedure resultswill be less than ideal.
Weight gain is even more of a risk if you are inactive. The fat may return as visceral fat, which settles around the organs and increases your risk of diabetes and heart disease. You may have less fat around the treated areas, but you must stay physically fit and active to reduce health risks.
How to Avoid Weight Gain After Liposuction
If you are considering liposuction, but are concerned about weight gain after liposuction, the best approach is to lose as much of your excess weight as possible with a sensible diet and exercise regimen before undergoing the procedure.
Summary
A Word From Verywell
Liposuction can change the amount of fat in areas of the body that are resistant to change with diet and exercise. While liposuction can remove fat, it can still be distributed throughout the body into other fat cells if extra weight is gained. Therefore, it’s essential to maintain an active, healthy lifestyle after liposuction to maintain the results.
Frequently Asked QuestionsIt is not harder or easier to lose weight after liposuction because it is not a weight loss procedure. Liposuction only removes fat cells that are already in the body. Fat can still accumulate in the body in other fat cells or around the organs.Liposuction is the permanent removal of fat cells from the body. If a healthy lifestyle and weight are not maintained, fat can be added to other cells or distributed elsewhere in the body.The short answer is yes, you can have liposuction more than once. Many surgeons will limit the amount of fat removed from an area at one time for your safety. There should be at least several weeks between liposuction treatments because it takes time for the body to reduce swelling from the procedure.You can also have different areas treated with liposuction. Maybe the first treatment is for the belly and the next time it’s the arms. This can vary from person to person, depending on the amount of areas treated and the amount of fat to be removed.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is not harder or easier to lose weight after liposuction because it is not a weight loss procedure. Liposuction only removes fat cells that are already in the body. Fat can still accumulate in the body in other fat cells or around the organs.
Liposuction is the permanent removal of fat cells from the body. If a healthy lifestyle and weight are not maintained, fat can be added to other cells or distributed elsewhere in the body.
The short answer is yes, you can have liposuction more than once. Many surgeons will limit the amount of fat removed from an area at one time for your safety. There should be at least several weeks between liposuction treatments because it takes time for the body to reduce swelling from the procedure.You can also have different areas treated with liposuction. Maybe the first treatment is for the belly and the next time it’s the arms. This can vary from person to person, depending on the amount of areas treated and the amount of fat to be removed.
The short answer is yes, you can have liposuction more than once. Many surgeons will limit the amount of fat removed from an area at one time for your safety. There should be at least several weeks between liposuction treatments because it takes time for the body to reduce swelling from the procedure.
You can also have different areas treated with liposuction. Maybe the first treatment is for the belly and the next time it’s the arms. This can vary from person to person, depending on the amount of areas treated and the amount of fat to be removed.
4 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Society of Plastic Surgeons.2020 plastic surgery statistics report.
American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery.Liposuction.
Rinomhota AS, Bulugahapitiya DU, French SJ, Caddy CM, Griffiths RW, Ross RJ.Women gain weight and fat mass despite lipectomy at abdominoplasty and breast reduction.Eur J Endocrinol. 2008;158(3):349-352. doi:10.1530/EJE-07-0852
MedlinePlus.Liposuction.
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