Liposuction and Skin Elasticity and Firmness

A liposuction procedure is designed to remove small pockets of fat that may remain, despite a regular, fat-burning exercise routine and a sensible, low-fat diet. Although fat cells can be removed from a number of areas of the body, the most common area is the abdomen. Our surgeons at Jefferson Plastic Surgery are committed to providing the highest quality of care so that all of our liposuction patients are pleased with the results from their procedure.

However, it is important to remember that your final results may depend on your skin’s elasticity and firmness. You may see more wrinkling and unevenness to your skin tone if you do not have good skin elasticity and firmness. What are some of the causes for poor skin elasticity and firmness? What can you do to improve your skin’s quality prior to liposuction? How might that affect your results from liposuction?

Causes for Poor Skin Quality

• Aging: The natural aging process is perhaps the main cause for your skin quality to deteriorate, leading to a loss of elasticity and fullness. One of the main components of your skin that provides fullness is a protein called collagen, which forms into a fibrous network to fill out your body over your skeletal framework. Over time, as you age, your body will naturally lose collagen, which can cause your skin to sag and droop.
• Excessive sun exposure: Too much time in the sun without proper skin protection can lead to an excess of ultraviolet B (UVB) light exposure, which dries out your skin and also breaks down collagen fibers, making it more prone to sag and lose elasticity.
• Dramatic weight loss: If you have lost a dramatic amount of weight, your skin may have been stretched to a point at which the collagen fibers have broken down, so your skin will not conform to your new, slimmer body contours. This happens most often to women after childbirth and breastfeeding.

Improving Your Skin Quality

Although you cannot control the genetic process of aging, you still can preserve the quality of your skin as much as possible throughout your life. A good-quality moisturizer is the best thing you can do to keep your skin firm and full. Find one that you can use daily, but that is not heavy or greasy.

If you spend time outdoors, use sunscreen with a high sun protection factor (SPF) and a built-in moisturizer. Invest in a wide-brimmed hat and wrap-around sunglasses that will protect the delicate skin at the outside corner of your eyes.

If you are planning to undergo liposuction after weight loss, have a regimen of regular exercise and a healthy, low-fat diet in place. Your weight should be stabilized at close to your ideal goal. If you are planning the procedure following pregnancy, our surgeons recommend waiting until at least six months after you have stopped breastfeeding so that any further changes in your body due to hormones will have subsided.

How Might Poor Skin Quality Affect Liposuction Results?

While it is true that you may not get the same results from liposuction as somebody with good skin quality, our surgeons believe that you can still benefit. Certain areas of your body may show some degree of wrinkling, such as around the inner thighs or upper abdomen. However, your results would still show an improvement in your overall body contour by having excess fat cells removed and the amount of skin wrinkling may also be reduced.

Taking care of your skin should be as much of a commitment as regular exercise and a sensible diet. If you can minimize collagen loss from your skin as part of your wellness lifestyle plan, you should be able to safely undergo a liposuction procedure with good results, even if your skin is not completely full or firm.