Body fat can be stubborn, and extremely hard to get rid of. Even very fit individuals can have stubborn body fat that is resistant to diet and exercise. Fortunately, when fat puts up a fight and refuses to leave, the patient can win when they undergo liposuction.
Liposuction is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures on the market and for good reason. The procedure targets unwanted body fat with laser precision, producing near immediate results. As the targeted fat is removed, it sculpts a beautiful silhouette. With 222,051 procedures performed in 2015, what’s not to love about liposuction?
If you’re considering liposuction, you’re probably enticed by the dramatic results that come after just one procedure. But you may also be concerned about longevity, which is only normal. At our office, our liposuction patients frequently ask us, “Can the fat grow back or return after liposuction?”
Liposuction Permanently Removes Fat Cells
While there are various liposuction techniques, they all remove unwanted fat cells from targeted areas of the body; for example, the hips, abdomen, back, thighs, etc. Each liposuction technique uses a hallow tube known as a “cannula” and a suctioning device called an “aspirator” to suction the unwanted fat.
“Does liposuction permanently remove fat cells?” Yes, it does, but under certain circumstances it is possible for fat to return after the patient has had liposuction. Essentially, liposuction does not prevent one from gaining weight. So, if a patient has the procedure and he or she gains a significant amount of weight, it will minimize their results.
“How do I prevent the fat from returning?” To maintain your dramatic post-lipo results, you’ll want to maintain a healthy weight. For example, if a patient weighed 130 pounds before the surgery and she had 5 pounds of fat removed, the fat will not return if she maintains her weight of 125 pounds or less.
Suppose she gained 5 pounds after the procedure. In this case, the fat cells throughout her body will get slightly bigger. Though her slight weight gain will impact her liposuction results, she’ll still look better because of the liposuction. The treated areas of the body will have less fat cells, so they will not enlarge as much as untreated areas.
Considerable Weight Gain After Liposuction
Liposuction is most effective when patients maintain an ideal body weight after the procedure. When a patient gains 10% or more of their body weight after liposuction, new fat cells can develop in the parts of the body that had liposuction.
However, since new fat cell creation usually occurs evenly throughout the body, fat cells tend to accumulate less in the treated areas. So, even if a liposuction patient gains a considerable amount of weight after the procedure, they typically look better than if they never had liposuction.
Related: 5 Facts About Liposculpture