What Is Liposuction? How It Works, Types & What It Can (and Can't) Do

What is liposuction surgery?

Liposuction surgery is an operation, usually done as an outpatient procedure under local anaesthetic with sedation or under general anaesthesia, that removes pockets of fat from areas such as the abdomen, thighs or chin. It reshapes the body but is not a weight-loss treatment, and like any surgery it needs recovery time and carries risks.¹

Liposuction is a surgical body-contouring procedure that permanently removes localised deposits of subcutaneous fat from specific areas of the body. It has been performed in its modern form since the early 1980s and ranked second among cosmetic surgical procedures worldwide in the ISAPS Global Survey 2024.²

What is a liposuction?

A liposuction is the common name for the procedure itself: suction-assisted removal of stored fat from beneath the skin. It targets subcutaneous fat, the pinchable layer, in chosen areas. It cannot reach the deeper visceral fat around the organs and does not tighten loose skin.

Understanding what liposuction cannot do is as important as understanding what it can:

• It is not a weight-loss procedure. The amount of fat removed is measured in litres, not kilograms of body weight. A 2023 meta-analysis of 24 studies reported an average scale change of only about 2.6 kg.⁵ The visible difference is proportional reshaping, not significant mass reduction; the figures are on our page on how much fat can be removed.
• It cannot remove visceral fat. Visceral fat surrounds the abdominal organs and lies too deep to be safely reached by a liposuction cannula. Patients with a protuberant abdomen caused primarily by visceral fat will see limited results.
• It does not tighten loose skin. Liposuction removes fat from beneath the skin but does not address skin laxity. Patients with significant loose skin may need a surgical lift procedure (arm lift, thigh lift, tummy tuck) in addition to or instead of liposuction.
• It is not a substitute for diet and exercise. ASPS says so directly,¹ and liposuction does not address the metabolic factors that cause weight gain. Maintaining results requires weight stability post-operatively.

How does liposuction work?

Liposuction works by physically removing fat cells. Tumescent fluid is first injected to numb the area, shrink blood vessels and firm the fat. A surgeon then moves a thin hollow cannula, connected to suction, through small incisions to break up and draw out fat. The area is then compressed while it heals.

The core mechanism of liposuction has remained consistent since its development: a thin, hollow metal tube (the cannula) is inserted through a small incision (a few millimetres) into the subcutaneous fat layer. The cannula is connected to a vacuum pump or large syringe, and the surgeon moves it in rapid back-and-forth fanning motions to break up and aspirate fat cells.

Tumescent Fluid

In modern practice, tumescent technique is used before cannula insertion. Large volumes of dilute saline solution containing lidocaine (local anaesthetic) and epinephrine (adrenaline) are injected into the fat. This:

• Numbs the area (reducing anaesthetic requirement)
• Constricts blood vessels (reducing blood loss and bruising)
• Firms the fat to allow more precise cannula movement

A 2019 systematic review of 24 liposuction safety studies concluded that liposuction using tumescent local anaesthesia has been shown to be the safest method of fat removal, especially when no or only minimal systemic anaesthesia is used.⁴

Fat Removal and Incisions

Incisions are hidden in natural skin folds or crease lines where possible and are only a few millimetres long. The fat suctioned out is visible in the collection canister during surgery. A compression garment is applied immediately in the operating room.

Main Techniques at a Glance

All liposuction techniques share the same goal — removing subcutaneous fat through small incisions — but differ in how fat is disrupted before aspiration. The choice of technique depends on the surgeon's training, the area being treated, the fat volume, and whether skin tightening is a secondary goal.

Areas Commonly Treated

Liposuction can treat most body areas where subcutaneous fat accumulates. ASPS lists the abdomen and waist, back, calves and ankles, chest, face and neck, hips and buttocks, inner knee, thighs and upper arms among the areas that can be addressed:¹

• Abdomen — upper and lower, including the subumbilical pouch
• Flanks and love handles — the sides of the torso
• Thighs — inner and outer (saddlebags)
• Chin and neck — double chin, submental fat, jowl fat
• Arms — upper arm bat wing fat
• Back — bra rolls, lower back
• Male chest — pseudo-gynecomastia (fat, not glandular tissue)
• Knees, ankles, calves — possible in selected cases

The site-specific guides in our By Area section cover each area's specific candidacy criteria, technique preferences, and realistic expectations. Each technique is also explored in depth across our liposuction types resource centre.

Is Liposuction Permanent?

This is one of the most commonly misunderstood aspects of liposuction. The answer is nuanced:

The fat cell reduction is permanent. Adult humans have a fixed number of fat cells. Liposuction physically removes fat cells from the treated area — those cells do not regenerate. In that sense, the fat removed is gone permanently.

But remaining fat cells can still enlarge. Fat cells throughout the body — including some remaining in treated areas and all fat cells in untreated areas — can grow larger with weight gain. Patients who gain significant weight after liposuction may see fat accumulate in areas that were not treated; our guide to whether liposuction is permanent sets out what the trials found.

The practical takeaway: Liposuction results are long-lasting with weight stability. Surgeons generally advise keeping your weight stable after surgery to preserve the contour long-term. Liposuction is not a cure for weight management — it is a shaping tool that works best in the context of a stable, healthy weight.

Who Is a Candidate?

Surgeons generally look for the following. ASPS describes ideal candidates as adults within 30% of their ideal weight who have firm, elastic skin and good muscle tone, are healthy, do not smoke or vape, and have specific goals for body contouring:⁶

• At or near target weight — a BMI below 30 is the figure most often quoted; surgeons decide case by case (see how much fat can be removed)
• Stable weight — active weight loss and liposuction do not combine well; your surgeon will advise how long your weight should be steady
• Good skin elasticity — skin must retract after fat removal; laxity may require a lift procedure
• Localised, persistent fat deposits — liposuction targets fat that has not responded to exercise and lifestyle changes
• Non-smoker and non-vaper (or willing to stop as your surgeon advises)
• No serious medical conditions affecting healing, bleeding, or anaesthetic risk
• Realistic expectations about body contouring — not weight loss

Read our full liposuction candidacy guide for a detailed self-assessment and the questions to ask your surgeon at consultation.

What liposuction can and cannot do

Liposuction can remove subcutaneous fat and change a contour. It cannot remove visceral fat, tighten or cut away loose skin, or treat obesity. Stretch marks and cellulite are outside what the cannula does. Those limits, with the sources, are on the candidacy page.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is liposuction permanent?

  Partially. The fat cells removed are gone permanently — they do not regenerate. However, remaining fat cells throughout the body can still enlarge with weight gain. Keeping your weight stable after surgery is the key to preserving results long-term.

• What's the difference between liposuction and a tummy tuck?

  Liposuction removes fat; a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) removes excess skin and can repair separated abdominal muscles. Liposuction cannot tighten loose skin. Patients with significant skin laxity — typically after major weight loss or multiple pregnancies — usually need a tummy tuck in addition to or instead of liposuction.