We are leaders in cosmetic surgery, facial aesthetics, and medically supervised weight loss, serving the entire San Francisco Bay area. Whether you live in the Bay Area or are coming in from out of town, we’re happy to answer any questions you may have on your path to your new self. Book your cosmetic surgery intro call or Med Spa consultation today and take the first step towards realizing the look you’ve always wanted for yourself.
Liposuction
Is sagging and lumps normal during arm lipo recovery?
It can take up to 6 months to see the final results of skin tightening after liposuction. What may help your post-op progress is a compression garment which will help keep the edema down and aid in skin retraction, though at three months the utility of the garment is minimal. The lump itself may represent a hematoma or unaspirated fat depending on the liposuction technique. Continue massage and reassess at six months. Of course you should discuss your post-operative progress with your treating surgeon.
Clinical Context
Arm skin is thinner than abdominal skin and generally has less ability to tighten on its own after liposuction. How well it retracts depends largely on your skin's elasticity going into surgery — age, sun damage, and prior significant weight loss all reduce that capacity. Removing a large volume of fat in one session can also leave more unevenness if the skin can't shrink down as quickly as it would with a more gradual approach. These factors vary from patient to patient, which is part of why healing timelines and final results differ.
Related Questions
