Is Liposuction Permanent?

Millions of people have undergone successful liposuction throughout its 30-year history. Its ability to sculpt and shape the body in many different areas and remove unwanted excess fat is well-established.

Despite its long history and proven track record, many misconceptions and questions remain about the procedure. One question we hear from our patients is, “Will the fat come back?”

The short answer is, “no.”

Your new shape is yours to keep

Liposuction permanently removes fat cells in the targeted areas, and once removed, they cannot “grow back.” The new shape you achieve after your liposuction procedure is yours for life. But, certain factors such as normal aging and significant weight gain or loss may alter your results over time or may make your improvements less noticeable. Your body will not try to compensate for the lost fat cells by getting bigger in the treated areas. The fat cells removed are gone for good.

How fat cells work

When you gain weight, existing fat cells may get larger, causing your weight to increase. When you lose weight, fat cells shrink back down. One reason why liposuction is such a popular and effective procedure is because it’s the only known way to reduce the number of fat cells you have, giving you a leaner, more sculpted appearance, while getting rid of annoying fat pockets that can’t be eliminated with diet and exercise.

Your results over time

Although you’ll look great after having liposuction, your appearance will change over the years as part of normal aging. Basically, you won’t look exactly the same in 20 years as you do after the procedure: liposuction cannot halt the normal aging process. But, provided you maintain a healthy lifestyle, your enhanced figure will still be apparent, and you’ll likely age more beautifully than if you’d never had liposuction to begin with. Before you decide upon any cosmetic procedure, it’s good to recognize that your body will change over the years. But, you can still enjoy this new, improved version of you, no matter what your age!

Your life after liposuction

Liposuction results are permanent. Taking good care of your body with a healthy lifestyle and avoiding significant weight gain will enhance your results and help ensure you look great for years to come.