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Recovery process for Liposuction: Timeline, Tips and Results

Medically reviewed by Jennifer Richman on February 26, 2024.

Welcome to our page on the healing process from liposuction, also called “lipo” or lipoplasty. Liposuction sometimes accompanies other body contouring procedures: namely skin excision (for example, an abdominoplasty or tummy tuck) and fat grafting (for example, a BBL). Here, we discuss the recovery timeline, tips for maximizing your results, warning signs during recovery and other frequently asked questions from our patients. 

Our board-certified plastic surgeons have experience in body contouring procedures to help patients meet their desired results. You can schedule a free, virtual consultation with one of our surgeons today to create a unique plan for meeting your goals and to discuss any specific questions you might have about recovery.

How long does liposuction recovery take?

Most liposuction procedures are out-patient, meaning you can expect to return to your home after the operation. Patients can expect to experience moderate pain, bruising and inflammation through the first three weeks after surgery. Most patients can return to work two weeks after liposuction, although you should wait at least six weeks before resuming strenuous exercise and weight lifting. 

When can I see my liposuction results?

By 6 months, most patients will begin to see their final results. At this point, we will be able to see how your body has responded to removing stubborn, unwanted fat. It can take a year for results to settle due to inflammation.

If your procedure includes scarring from removing excess skin, those scars will take a year to fully mature. For this reason, we recommend that patients keep their scars out of the sun or covered with sunscreen for the first year.

What areas can I get liposuction on?

In 2022, liposuction was the most commonly performed cosmetic surgery procedure in the United States, with over 325,000 procedures performed. The WPATH has recognized that for many transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming patients, liposuction and other body contouring procedures are not cosmetic, but necessary gender-affirming care.

Liposuction is a procedure designed to remove stubborn, unwanted fat deposits in areas of the body that do not easily reduce with diet and exercise. Patients often solicit liposuction in the following areas pictured below: the outer upper arms, inner upper arms, the waist or trunk, the buttocks, the outer and thigh, the front and inner thigh and the back thigh.

The liposuction healing timeline

First 1-2 weeks post-op:

• Pain management:
  • Pain, inflammation and bruising will peak during the first three to seven days after surgery. Prescription pain medications are prescribed and typically utilized on an as-needed basis during this time frame.
  • Moderate to severe pain should subside around 5 days post-op and patients can expect mild soreness to last for around 3-6 weeks.
  • Do not operate a car while on prescription pain meds.
  • Rest as much as possible to help reduce inflammation and pain.
  • If you underwent lipo and/or skin excision in the lower extremities, elevate your knees while you sleep to reduce inflammation. We recommend a few pillows under the knees and calves.
• Compression garment and bandages:
  • You will need to wear a compression garment and/or compression wraps day and night after surgery. The location and size of your compression garment and/or wraps will depend on where you got liposuction. The garments and/or wraps can be removed briefly to take a shower.
  • Compression garments need to be worn for a period of time after surgery according to your surgeon’s preferences. This is typically anywhere between 3 weeks to 3 months. Compression helps reduce swelling and allows for improved uniformity of body contouring results.
• Incision care:
  • Incisions are most often closed with absorbable sutures that will not need to be taken out later by your surgeon.
  • Typically there will not be any dressing changes or incision care required for small (about 1 centimeter long) liposuction incisions.
• Drains:
  • Occasionally, a surgeon will need to insert surgical drains. This is not common for liposuction-only procedures, but will likely be needed after a skin excision procedure such as abdominoplasty/tummy tuck. Drains are used to expel unwanted fluid. It is normal to see blood in the first few days after surgery. You can learn about the instructions for caring for your drains here.
  • If drains are present, they will be removed around a week after surgery by your surgeon in a post-op appointment.
• Diet:
  • We recommend a low-sodium diet to reduce inflammation for the first 2 weeks after surgery.
  • Staying hydrated with water or electrolyte drinks is important during your recovery.
• Bathing:
  • Wait 24-48 hours after your procedure for the first shower if drains are absent. If you were sent home with drains, you need to wait until after they are removed by our staff before you are cleared to shower.
  • Showers only. Do not submerge yourself underwater (bath or swimming) until at least 3 weeks from surgery.
  • You can remove the compression garment to shower. Gently pat incisions dry after showering, before you put the garment on again.
• Physical activity:
  • Light walking daily is important for your circulation and blood clot prevention.
  • Please have a care person to help you especially during the first 3 days after surgery with household tasks like cleaning. 
  • If you get an abdominoplasty: try to avoid standing up straight during this time.
• Returning to work:
  • Most patients will return 1-2 weeks post-op.
  • If your job involves heavy lifting, you will typically need to wait until at least 6 weeks.
• Care for your results:
  • Continue wearing the compression garment day and night, with the exception of showering. Consistency and dedication are key to reducing inflammation and shaping your body to get desired results.
  • We encourage you to be patient with your results. For some patients, swelling, lumpiness and bruising persist through the first month of recovery.

Weeks 3-6 post-op:

• Physical activity:

• • • Lighter activities can be taken up (such as biking at a leisurely pace, yoga, slow jogging and lifting up to 25lbs). 
    • After 6 weeks, you can return to full exercise.

• Pain, swelling and compression:

• • Pain usually subsides during this time.
  • Majority of inflammation reduces during this time with consistent use of compression garments. You’ll be able to get a sense of what your final results look like in 6 weeks. It will still take 6 months to a year for everything to settle.

How can I speed up the healing process after liposuction?

• Smoking and alcohol consumption: Do not smoke tobacco for at least 3 weeks before and 3 weeks after your procedure, as this can lead to significant problems with delayed wound healing. Please do not drink alcohol for at least 1 week before and after surgery. Alcohol can not be taken with prescription pain medications.

• Diet: Eat regular, nutritious meals. Some doctors recommend patients eat smaller meals at a higher frequency. Additionally, we recommend 2 weeks of a low-sodium diet to reduce inflammation after surgery. 

• Staying hydrated: drinking lots of water helps combat dehydration which can be common after surgery.

• Avoid drastic weight fluctuations: Trying to maintain post-op weight is key to maintaining your results. By six weeks, you will get a sense of your final results; however, drastic weight gain can undo them.

• Compression: wear your compression garment and/or compression wraps 24/7 except for bathing to help your results from the procedure hold.

• Exercise: Walk regularly. Slowly incorporate exercise as your healing progresses. Start slowly with walks throughout the day.

Warning signs: when should I call my doctor?

If you experience the following symptoms during the initial recovery period, call your doctor for urgent help.

• Moderate to severe pain that lasts beyond the first 2 weeks 
• Fever
• New areas of swelling, bruising or redness of the skin that were not present previously
• Shortness of breath, painful breathing and/or chest pain
• Signs of a blood clot:
  • Redness, swelling and/or pain concentrated in your arm, leg, groin, calf or at the back of the knee
• Blood or other fluids leaking out of surgical incisions.
  • If you experience abnormal bleeding, compress with firm pressure for 10 minutes until it stops
  • If heavy bleeding go to urgent care and inform your surgeon

How can I maximize my body contouring results through recovery?

Besides trying to avoid drastic changes in body weight, which can undo the results of body contouring, closely following the recovery guidelines can help you preserve your body contouring results. Dr. Facque (he/him) talks about this more in the following video:

What other procedures can I get simultaneously with liposuction?

• Body contouring: It is common to combine liposuction with other body contouring procedures like fat grafting or skin excision. Skin excision is solicited when a patient would like to get rid of excess skin. Fat grafting: putting the liposuctioned fat into an area you would like to get augmented. This is most commonly the buttocks and/or hips.
• Top surgery: chest reconstruction, breast reduction or breast augmentation can be done simultaneously with liposuction. 
• Bottom surgery: Some bottom surgery procedures can involve a simultaneous liposuction. For example, panniculectomy is common with a metoidioplasty and phalloplasty to make the penis look more visually apparent.
• Facial surgery: We usually do not recommend that patients get liposuction alongside a facial surgery because of the intensity of the recovery.

Liposuction vs. skin excision (e.g., abdominoplasty/tummy tuck): what’s the difference?

• Liposuction involves small incisions being made to the targeted zones, wherein a cannula or thin suction tube will be inserted to remove the desired amount of fat. Incisions are then closed, and the treated areas will be wrapped in surgical dressings and an elastic compression garment.
• Skin excision is a separate procedure, but is sometimes combined as a part of the surgical plan. Common areas where we can “lift” or excise skin include: arms, stomach, under belly button, buttocks, outer thighs.
• Both procedures can help flatten an area of the body.
• The primary difference is that liposuction removes fat but does not remove any skin. We often see a variable degree of tightening of the skin after liposuction-only procedures. Skin excision may be chosen alone or alongside liposuction procedures if the skin overhang is expected to exceed a desirable amount. We will try to make scars as concealable as possible (e.g., in the bikini region for an abdominoplasty/tummy tuck). 

Is liposuction painful?

• You will not experience pain during the operation because you will be under general anesthesia. Patients should expect some discomfort once the recovery after surgery begins.
• Pain can take 1-4 weeks to subside. Pain will be managed with prescription and/or over-the-counter medications.
• Complications such as fibrosis, can lead to prolonged pain. Please notify your surgeon if you have persistent pain past 4-6 weeks from surgery.

Will my results be permanent?

• The results seen after the first 6 or so months after surgery are typically considered to be a “final result”.
• Drastic weight fluctuations are an exception and can alter the amount and distribution of fat cells in the body.

Will my procedure cause scarring?

• Small incisions (about 1 centimeter) will be present from liposuction cannula that typically heal and fade very well to be barely perceptible.
• Skin excision scars are more apparent. We try to place them in more concealable areas whenever possible. Scar care is important if you want to reduce the visibility (size and discoloration) long-term. You may find more information about scar care here.

Can my procedure remove cellulite?

• Liposuction removes fat, not the fibrous tissue underneath the skin that causes cellulite. Some patients do experience a reduction in cellulite, however, after their liposuction procedure.