Could fat return after I get liposuction?

Liposuction, the most popular cosmetic surgical procedure for nearly 30 years, removes fat from the belly, hips, thighs, and virtually every area of the body. While not a substitute for weight loss, liposuction can take those last few pounds of fat off of your body when you're close to your ideal weight, making clothes fit better.

We've been telling patients for decades that once the fat is removed, it will never grow back. It's like cutting off your fingertip -- unless you're a reptile, it can't grow back.

But this myth was debunked -- sort of. It turns out that after thigh liposuction, there is indeed less fat on the thighs. But by the end of a year, while the thighs remain lean, fat increases on the belly.

It turns out that, despite the fact that we are healthier with less fat, there is a survival advantage if we pack on a few extra pounds. Ten-thousand years ago, before refrigerators and restaurants, if we couldn't catch a deer for lunch, those of us with bigger fat deposits would survive longer. After liposuction, your body remembers its genetic destiny and those pounds find their way back.

Normally after liposuction of a specific area, the fat doesn't return. In general, the fat removal is permanent. However, with weight gain there may be an increase in hypertrophy of the cells. Once we perform the liposuction, each of the areas will not regenerate any new fat cells. With weight gain, patients may increase the size of the cells anywhere in the body or face. It is vital to maintain both exercise and diet routine.