Liposuction is a great way to remove stubborn pockets of fat in various areas of the body. It is a minimally invasive procedure and provides excellent results for patients in San Francisco who are struggling to lose those last few inches.
Liposuction is a surgical procedure, and as with any other surgical procedure, one or more incisions will be made into the skin to allow for the removal of fat cells. Because incisions are required during liposuction, many of Dr. Furnas, Dr. Canales, and Dr. Culbertson patients want to know about residual scarring that could occur as a result. Below you will find more information about scarring after liposuction, so keep reading!
The Liposuction Procedure
Dr. Furnas, Dr. Canales, and Dr. Culbertson perform liposuction in their AAAASF-certified facility at Plastic Surgery Associates in San Francisco. This allows patients to receive all of their care at one location in a professional, private, and safe environment.
Liposuction is performed using a small tube called a cannula that is inserted into the skin through a tiny incision. The cannula works by melting sold fat into a soft form before carefully sucking it out from the body. By gently moving the cannula in a back and forth motion, our doctors are able to carefully dissolve targeted fat cells and permanently remove them from your trouble areas, providing a desirable contour.
Scarring After Liposuction
As experienced plastic surgeons, our doctors know how to properly perform liposuction in order to minimize scarring. As a result, the incisions they make will be very small—about 0.5 cm or less—and will heal quickly without the need for stitches. Dr. Furnas, Dr. Canales, and Dr. Culberston will place your incisions in discrete areas that are easily hidden in order to minimize their visibility. How many incisions you will need for your liposuction procedure will be based on the areas you choose to have treated and how much fat needs to be removed.
Though they will be very small, patients in San Francisco should expect some degree of scarring to be slightly visible on the skin after you have recovered from liposuction. When you have been released to return home after your procedure, our doctors will equip you with information and easy steps you can take to reduce the appearance of scars, which will include:
- Wearing a compression garment for 4-8 weeks. This will encourage the skin to shrink and conform to the patient’s new figure.
- Waiting to return to non-physical work after 48-72 hours.
- Taking time off if you have extensive liposuction or you have a physically demanding job.
- Instructions to prevent your incisions from opening.
- Using topical gels to encourage the healing of your incision sites.
Depending on your skin tone, you could expect your liposuction scars to easily blend into your skin, or they might heal slightly darker than your natural skin tone and be a bit more noticeable. If you have a history of Keloid scarring, please let our doctors know prior to your liposuction treatment. This will help as they develop your treatment plan.
Call Plastic Surgery Associates to Learn More
If you have more questions regarding scarring after liposuction, or you would like to make an appointment to discuss liposuction with one of our doctors, call us today at (415) 278-7441, and a member of our friendly team will be happy to help you.
