[Cheongdam OK Clinic] Liposuction first? Diet first?

One of the questions I hear most often when considering liposuction surgery is:

Should you lose weight first and then get liposuction?

Many people who have succeeded in dieting through exercise and meal control

still come to me with concerns about areas that never seem to slim down.

Among them,

there are also people who have successfully lost tens of kilograms from severe obesity.

It must have been an extremely difficult process,

so I can’t help but praise them for doing such an amazing job.

Having performed countless liposuction surgeries so far,

I understand these concerns better than anyone,

and through consultation,

I provide the best 1:1 customized solution.

However,

in most cases,

it is often more advantageous to perform liposuction first.

I’ll explain the reasons in an easy-to-understand way based on medical evidence.

First, let’s look at the difference between liposuction surgery and dieting.

The essential difference between liposuction and dieting

Fat cell “size” vs. “number”

Dieting is the process of reducing the size of fat cells in the body,

while liposuction is a surgery that reduces the number of fat cells themselves.

If you diet first, the fat cells shrink,

which means the amount of fat cells that can be removed during surgery decreases.

On the other hand,

if liposuction is performed first while body weight is still elevated,

fat cells are larger,

so fat is removed more effectively

and a greater number of fat cells can be reduced.

In this way,

if you start dieting after significantly reducing the number of fat cells through liposuction,

the synergy for body shape improvement becomes greater.

It also makes a difference in rebound weight gain

If you only diet

Fat cells before and after dieting

The original number of fat cells remains the same,

and because there are many fat cells,

if the remaining cells expand again,

the body shape can easily fall apart.

Dieting after liposuction

Because a large number of fat cells have already been removed through liposuction surgery,

even if rebound weight gain occurs,

changes in body shape are limited.

Liposuction process

Even if rebound weight gain happens,

a person who had liposuction first

can maintain their body shape much more easily.

Doctor Seong Hyeon-ju, King of Extracting

This is because

the surgery is not simply about body weight,

but about redesigning the body shape.

When the amount of fat is appropriate,

the surgery is safer

The thicker the fat layer,

the lower the risk of bleeding,

and it becomes much easier to selectively remove only the fat layer you want.

Below the fat layer is muscle,

and above it is the skin.

The surgery must selectively target only the fat,

but if the fat layer is thin,

unwanted damage to the muscle and skin may occur.

This can also cause side effects such as bleeding or inflammation,

so having an adequate thickness of fat means the risk of bleeding is relatively lower.

There may also be differences in medication use.

In liposuction surgery,

a very important medication called tumescent solution is used

to swell the fat and reduce pain.

The representative medication, tumescent solution (including lidocaine and epinephrine),

may need to be used in relatively larger amounts compared to the amount of fat being suctioned

when the fat has already become smaller.

The same applies to lidocaine, which reduces pain.

Of course,

there is no case where more than the appropriate amount is used,

but it is better to minimize medication use as much as possible.

Dr. Seong Hyeon-ju, King of Extracting, performing liposuction surgery

Also,

contrary to what many people often think,

for thinner people with less fat,

the surgery can often take longer.

• More time may be needed to expand contracted fat

• Work to remove hidden fat may also take longer

On the other hand,

if the fat comes out easily,

the surgery time and recovery time can both be shortened,

which is beneficial for the patient.

Was this helpful?

If you are planning both liposuction surgery

and dieting,

I hope you’ll use today’s article as a good reference.

In summary,

it is effective to have liposuction first

and then diet afterward.

Doctor Seong Hyeon-ju, King of Extracting

The reasons are as follows.

1. A larger number of fat cells can be removed

2. It is more advantageous for maintaining body shape even if rebound weight gain occurs

3. The safety and efficiency of the surgery improve

4. Medication use and surgery/recovery time are reduced

If you are thinking about liposuction and dieting at the same time,

after having liposuction first,

then following with a healthy diet

is the most effective and also helpful for body shape management.

You may also be wondering,

"If I’ve already dieted, can I still get liposuction?"

To give the conclusion first,

yes, that is fine.

Doctor Seong Hyeon-ju, King of Extracting

Even if the fat cells are in a shrunken state,

surgery can be performed in a way suited to that condition

to remove the fat cells as effectively as possible.

Intentionally regaining weight for the sake of surgery

is absolutely not recommended.

It is important to create the optimal surgical plan

that matches your current body shape.

📌 If you are considering both liposuction and dieting?

I recommend having liposuction first, then after the recovery period,

losing weight through a healthy diet and exercise.

It is important to discuss this sufficiently with a medical professional.

Cheongdam OK Clinic

(5th floor) ​