Journal
Compression garments, swelling and bruising: what liposuction recovery really looks like
Articles by Dr. Oh
After liposuction, most of the swelling generally goes down in about 1 month and the rest in about 3 months. Bruising mostly fades within 2 weeks, and for the arms, the final contour often shows at 1–2 months.
Knowing ahead of time what to expect after liposuction, and when, makes the recovery period much easier.
As a guide, I expect the heavy swelling to go down in about 1 month and the lingering swelling in about 3 months. Depending on how much fat was removed, how much tissue damage there was and the individual, it can take 3–6 months. Even so, the area won’t look badly out of shape in the meantime, so there’s no need to worry too much. Bruising mostly fades within 2 weeks.
It also varies by area. The arms are a small area, and the least fat is removed there, so recovery tends to be quick. In some cases the shape already shows by week 2, when the stitches come out, and the final contour may be visible at 1–2 months. For the abdomen and thighs, the amount removed varies so much from person to person that it’s hard to generalize, but the final contour usually shows after about 3 months, and even after just 1 month the area is much slimmer than before surgery.
Wearing a compression garment alone won’t improve your result. Along with the garment, you need to keep stretching the treated areas and exercising moderately, giving the skin steady stimulation so its elasticity can improve.
For large-volume liposuction, I follow separate criteria. The upper limit depends on your body weight, how much tumescent solution (a saline-based fluid) is injected and how much blood comes out with the removed fat, so there’s no single fixed number. But because liposuction is surgery and can be risky, I don’t perform whole-body liposuction in one session. If you’d like your whole body treated, I split it into at least two sessions.
Translated from Dr. Oh’s original article in Korean. Read the Korean original
Common questions about this treatment
What are the most common misconceptions about Lower Body LINE ON?
The most common misconception is that what’s added will slide down. Transferred fat doesn’t slide down.
How long does transferred fat last once it has taken?
As long as you don’t lose weight, you can expect fat that has taken to stay largely as it is, just like the rest of your own fat.
For hip dips and buttocks, is filler or fat transfer better?
Hip dips are an area that naturally has little fat. In some people the tissue there has room to spare; in others it is very tight. The tighter it is, the less of the transferred fat takes.
Why does Lower Body LINE ON treat the thighs, buttocks and love handles together?
If you only treat the thighs, only the thighs improve; if you only treat the waist, only the waist gets slimmer. What matters is one continuous line running through the thighs, buttocks and love handles.