If you eat less and exercise more often, you may lose weight. In contrast, if you increase your food intake and skip the gym, you may gain weight. But is this also true for liposuction? Does this procedure experience a similar dynamic, one that changes based on your lifestyle, or are the results unaffected by your day-to-day habits? The truth is, it depends. Dr. Neal Goldberg, our experienced plastic surgeon, explains that no two bodies are alike; however, by maintaining a healthy, stable body weight, the potential for permanent results exists.
After liposuction, the rules of weight gain and loss as they apply to you remain the same. If you tend to gain weight when you eat more and exercise less, this will still occur after the procedure. However, you may not experience weight gain in the same way. The fat may accumulate in an untreated area instead—or it may not. Again, this will depend on factors unique to your biology. Liposuction removes fat cells, which cannot spontaneously reform. Fat cells can grow larger, though, and appear to “refill” the trouble spot you had addressed. It’s important to note, if you gain weight and the fatty tissue collects around, but not in, the treated area, your body contour may be less smooth than you would like. In many cases this can be corrected with another liposuction treatment if desired.
Dr. Goldberg will explain the liposuction process in more detail during your initial consultation. One of the best pieces of advice, whether you choose to have liposuction or not, is to try and maintain a healthy body weight.