As a La Jolla plastic surgeon, I consult with hundreds of Southern California residents about liposuction every year. And during their initial consultation, they often bring a list of questions about the procedure. One of the most common questions that I’m asked is whether or not the results of the procedure are permanent. The answer to this question is “Yes, but it depends on your future weight.” Let me explain.
Liposuction Permanently Removes Fat Cells for Good
Many of my La Jolla plastic surgery candidates are happy to hear that when they undergo liposuction, the fat cells that are removed during the procedure are gone for good. They are permanently removed from the patient’s body. There’s no way that these removed fat cells can ever grow back. This means, if you undergo the procedure and maintain a stable weight in the future, your results are going to last.
Adjacent, Remaining Fat Cells Can Grow in Size
The way the human body works is that everyone is born with a set number of fat cells. They’re just initially small in size. As you age, grow and gain weight, these fat cells can increase in size but not in quantity. That means your once small fat cells can get bigger, thus giving you the appearance of a problem area or overall heavier weight.
When La Jolla patients undergo liposuction the fat cells that are removed during the surgery are gone for good. They’ll never grow back. However, the adjacent fat cells that are remaining in and near the problem area are still there. And if you gain weight after your procedure, it’s possible that these remaining, adjacent fat cells will grow in size and potentially negate your results. This is part of the reason that I’m so careful to counsel my potential patients that the procedure isn’t a weight loss surgery, and that maintaining a healthy diet and exercise regime after your procedure is important to maintain your surgical results.
What Can I Do to Maintain My Results?
If you choose to address your problem areas surgically, it’s probably a given that you want these results to last. For this reason, I have a few guidelines for my La Jolla patients on how to best maintain their surgical results for good.
- After your surgery, make sure you maintain a healthy diet so that you don’t gain additional weight.
- Keep up your exercise regime to stop adjacent fat cells from growing and negating your results.
- If you’re on medication that causes weight gain, postpone the procedure until you can be weaned off it or if possible, transfer to a different medication that doesn’t cause metabolic changes. If neither is possible due to your health condition, then this procedure might not be right for you.
- If you’re a woman who is planning on having children within one year, consider postponing your treatment until after your family is complete.
Schedule a Consultation Today
If you’re interested in learning more about how you look and feel better in clothes and on the beach and maintain your results for good, the best thing you can do is to call to schedule an initial consultation.
To make an appointment, call Brucker Plastic Surgery in La Jolla today at (858) 450-1776.