How To Reduce Liposuction Scars

Whether it’s elective or not, surgical scars are a reality anytime you go under the knife. But not all surgical scar healing is created equal; there are a number of things that factor into the visibility of surgical scars, as well as the steps you can take to minimize the look of your surgical scars. The good news is that, besides the incredible benefits of liposuction, the body-sculpting procedure also leaves very little scarring. 

What is Liposuction?

Sometimes, no matter how dedicated you are to your workout routine or how consistent you are with counting calories, there’s that pouch on your stomach, those extra inches on your thighs or that jiggle on your arms that just won’t go away. Think of liposuction as the icing on top of your diet and exercise cake: it won’t replace a healthy lifestyle, but it can remove stubborn areas of fat that don’t respond to traditional weight loss methods. It contours areas of the body by removing fat deposits to achieve a slimmer, more sculpted shape.

How Does Liposuction Work?

Usually performed on an outpatient basis, liposuction is performed via several tiny incisions, through a fine cannula needle. Very few, if any stitches are needed after liposuction since the incisions are small enough to heal on their own. Recent medical advancements, new technologies and improved techniques have vastly improved surgical outcomes and the amount of pain commonly associated with liposuction procedures.

How long is recovery from liposuction surgery?

Generally speaking, you should give yourself about two weeks to recover: three days of solid downtime and relative downtime for the remainder of the two weeks. Some patients feel comfortable returning to work after five days, while others take longer, depending on the amount of liposuction. You may have some minor discomfort, swelling and bruising immediately after your lipo, and should rest as much as possible to give your body time to heal, with the exception of some light walking to get the blood moving and prevent blood clots.  In the weeks following, you may have left over swelling and bruising in the area of your liposuction, and you may be able to resume light physical activity around the two week mark, and you will most likely be able to return to your normal activity level and any swelling, bruising and/or discomfort should be gone or minimal four to six weeks after.

Do Liposuction scars go away?

The great thing about liposuction is that the incisions are so small (typically the size of a pencil eraser or the tip of your pinky finger) that you can hardly see them, and they tend to heal very well. They also tend to be located in very discrete areas of the body. For example, if taking fat from the abdomen, your surgeon will access the unwanted fat through the belly button; if taken from the flanks, it’s accessed on the bikini line; from the inner thigh, it’s taken from the groin crease; from the arms, it’s taken through the elbow; and from the neck, it’s taken right underneath the chin.

The right scar treatments.

Dr. Barrett has a carefully curated postoperative scar regimen to ensure the only reminder of your procedure are your desired results. Specifically, he recommends Skinuva®, a surgical scar healing cream that’s backed by science and uses highly selective growth factors which are shown to be twice as effective as silicone cream. Skinuva® is ideal for treating newer scars, typically ones that are less than a year old, and healing scars after plastic surgery that are still red, raised, thickened, tender, itchy, and/or darkly pigmented.

Another key treatment in his postoperative scar regimen is LightStim, an easy-to-use, at-home device that combines therapeutic light energy with patented technology to treat scars from within. It works by using red light therapy to penetrate the body at the cellular level with specific wavelengths of light, reducing inflammation and supporting tissue repair and regeneration.

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