Will I Be Left With Wrinkled Or Hanging Skin After Stomach Liposuction?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am 31 years old, 5’4” and weigh 162 lbs. I have had three children and my stomach certainly isn’t what it used to be. There is stretch marks and loose skin. I really need to get my body in better shape but I don’t want to undergo a tummy tuck even though I know that would probably be the best thing to do. I don’t need to look like a model but I don’t want to have loose hanging skin afterwards if I undergo liposuction. I know that I will not have perfectly smooth skin after liposuction but I am concerned if I will have loose hanging skin afterwards. Online I have seen stomachs just like mine that show good results afterwards with just liposuction. So do you think I will have wrinkled or hanging skin after liposuction?

A: While I don’t know what your stomach looks like, you have described several critical points about your abdominal liposuction concerns. Given that you don’t want a tummy tuck, your only abdominal contouring option is liposuction. With that decision you also recognize that the results will not be perfect. Skin irregularities are always a potential issue with any form of abdominal liposuction but that risk dramatically increases when loose skin is present. This is the issue to ponder when one is using liposuction as a substitute for a tummy tuck. As a general rule, if the abdominal skin does not overhang the waistline only irregular wrinkled skin will result. If there is an abdominal overhang, expect that removing fat will still leave you with a loose skin overhang.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis,Indiana