Does liposuction leave a scar?

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as scarless liposuction.

Regardless of the type of liposuction, whether traditional liposuction or tumescent liposuction, your plastic surgeon will need to make an incision for the cannula, a thin metal tube used to permanently remove fat. 

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But the incisions are so small that a stitch isn’t even required, which means very little recovery from the incision itself. 

For most people, small scars resulting in permanent fat removal are totally worth the trade-off. 

You can learn more about how the liposuction procedure works and the recovery with the full series in the free Bustmob Academy app. 

How big are the incisions?

The good news is this these incisions and therefore for this type of scar are super tiny, around a centimeter long. 

Think about the size of a tiny pencil eraser. Because the incision site is so small, they don’t even require stitches. 

For example, with submental or chin liposuction, you’ll likely just have a small bandaid right under your chin. 

Added bonus: liposuction scars aren’t typically visible scars. Board-certified plastic surgeons are incredibly strategic when it comes to placing your incisions.

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Where are liposuction scars?

Plastic surgeons are very intentional when it comes to placing your liposuction incisions.

Typically you can expect the incisions to be hidden in areas of the body like a crease, shadowed area, or an area typically not exposed in a bathing suit or clothing. 

Liposuction scars on the stomach, for example, may be hidden inside the belly button.

While inner thigh liposuction scars may be on the crease where your underwear lies or on the inside of the thigh by the knee. Lipo 360 scars will be placed strategically where they are most out of sight. 

Your plastic surgeon will be able to tell you exactly how many and where your scars will be during your consultation.

Do liposuction scars go away? 

Scars from liposuction tend to heal really well, with little to no visibility. In the rare case that scars are more visible (like keloid scars), they tend to be on the back.

Keep in mind that the healing process does take time. Your liposuction scar after one year will be a lot different than at 3 months when most scars are their darkest and most visible. 

So don’t panic if your scars are more noticeable than you’d like in the first year. On average, it can take 1-2 years for tumescent liposuction scars to fully heal. 

Your unique scar management and healing protocol will depend on your anatomy and your surgeon. At Amelia Aesthetics, patients are normally asked to: 

• Avoid spray tanning for 2 weeks
• Stop exercise for 3 weeks
• Avoid swimming for 6 weeks

In the event that you’re unhappy with the scar, treatments like laser therapy, can help reduce the visibility of scars, but do not remove the scar tissue entirely. 

However, after 1-2 years post-op when the scar has fully healed, most people don’t even notice or see their teeny, tiny scar. 

Need some social proof? We totally understand. Join the Bustmob Community, a safe and supportive space to connect with other kind women on their own plastic surgery journey.

Ask the group about their experience with liposuction scars and check out real liposuction surgery results from real women on the Bustmob GoalFinder to get a sense of what liposuction scars really look like.

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Hope it helps!