Which areas can be treated?

Commonly the abdomen, waist, flanks, back, upper arms, thighs, knees and under the chin.

How much fat can be removed at once?

There is a safe upper limit for each session. Your surgeon will plan within it and may suggest two stages for larger treatments.

Is liposuction painful?

Expect soreness and bruising for the first few days, controlled with prescribed pain relief. Discomfort usually eases within one to two weeks.

When can I go back to work?

Most people with desk jobs return within 1 to 2 weeks, depending on how many areas were treated.

How long do I wear the compression garment?

Usually about 6 weeks, as advised by your surgeon.

When will I see the final result?

Swelling settles gradually; the final contour is usually visible at 3 to 6 months.

Will liposuction remove cellulite or stretch marks?

No. Liposuction does not treat cellulite, stretch marks or loose skin.

Liposuction in Chennai (Body Contouring)

Q: Is liposuction permanent?

The fat cells removed do not come back. If you gain weight later, the remaining fat cells can enlarge, including in untreated areas, so a stable weight keeps the result.

Q: Will I lose weight with liposuction?

Not much. Liposuction changes shape, not overall weight, and is not a treatment for obesity.

Q: Liposuction or tummy tuck: which do I need?

If your main concern is fat and your skin is firm, liposuction may be enough. If you have loose skin or separated muscles, often after pregnancy, a tummy tuck is usually needed.

Liposuction removes stubborn pockets of fat that have not responded to diet and exercise, to improve body shape. It is a contouring procedure, not a weight-loss treatment, and it works best for people near a stable weight with firm, elastic skin. At The Aesthetic Studio in Perungudi, Chennai, liposuction is planned and performed by plastic surgeon Dr. Bharathi Rajasridhar (MS, MCh), who assesses your whole body shape before deciding what to treat.

Illustration of areas commonly treated with liposuction: abdomen, flanks, arms and thighs

This page covers who liposuction suits, the areas it can treat, how it is done, recovery, risks, and what affects the cost.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Bharathi Rajasridhar, MS, MCh (Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery).
Last reviewed: July 2026

What is liposuction?

Liposuction removes fat from beneath the skin through small incisions, using a thin tube called a cannula connected to suction. Before the fat is removed, the area is filled with a fluid containing local anaesthetic and a medicine that narrows blood vessels (tumescent fluid), which reduces bleeding, bruising and pain.

The fat cells removed do not grow back. The fat cells that remain can still enlarge if you gain weight, so keeping your weight stable is what keeps the result.

What liposuction can and cannot do

Scroll horizontally to compare

Liposuction can	Liposuction cannot
Reduce localised fat deposits that resist diet and exercise	Treat obesity or replace healthy weight loss
Improve body proportion between treated and surrounding areas	Tighten loose or hanging skin (requires a lift/tuck)
Refine silhouette around waist, flanks, arms, thighs & chin	Remove cellulite or stretch marks
Harvest viable fat for transfer to other areas (e.g. face/breasts)	Repair separated abdominal muscles (diastasis recti)

If loose skin or a separated tummy muscle is the main concern, a tummy tuck may be the better option. After pregnancy, procedures are sometimes combined as a mommy makeover.

Who is a good candidate?

You may be suitable for liposuction if you:

have specific areas of fat that are out of proportion with the rest of your body
are close to a weight you can maintain, rather than planning significant weight loss
have reasonably firm, elastic skin over the area
are in good general health and do not smoke, or can stop well before surgery
have realistic expectations about the change and the recovery

Liposuction is generally not advised if you have uncontrolled diabetes, heart or lung disease, a bleeding disorder or a history of blood clots, or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Liposuction is also used to treat some medical conditions, such as lipoedema, which needs a specific assessment.

Areas that can be treated

Several areas can sometimes be treated in one session. How much is safe to do at once depends on the total volume of fat, the operating time and your health.

Abdomen & Waist

Fat above and below the navel. Loose skin here may need a tummy tuck instead.

Flanks & Back

"Love handles" and fat around the bra line for a refined silhouette.

Upper Arms

Fat at the back of the arm, where skin quality decides how much improvement is possible.

Thighs & Knees

Inner and outer thighs, and sometimes the knees, to improve leg contours.

Chin & Male Chest

Fat under the chin in selected patients; male chest often combined with gland removal in gynecomastia surgery.

Surgical equipment used for tumescent liposuction

Liposuction or weight loss?

If you have a lot of weight to lose, a healthy eating and activity plan, or medical weight-management support, should come first. Liposuction removes a relatively small amount of fat by weight and does not improve the health risks linked to obesity. It is most useful at the end of a weight-loss journey, for areas that remain stubborn once your weight is stable.

How liposuction is done

Marking & Contour Mapping: With you standing, the areas to be treated and the natural transitions between them are precisely marked.
Anaesthesia: Small areas may be treated under local anaesthesia with sedation; larger or multiple areas are managed under general anaesthesia with full monitoring. Your custom plan is established during consultation.
Tumescent Fluid Infiltration: The target area is gently infiltrated with a specialised sterile solution containing local anaesthetic and adrenaline to minimise bleeding, bruising, and post-procedure discomfort.
Precision Cannula Fat Aspiration: Through concealed incisions of only a few millimetres, a fine cannula is moved in controlled, cross-tunnelled strokes to sculpt fat evenly and blend smoothly into adjacent contours.
Closure & Garment Fitting: The tiny incisions are neatly closed or left to drain naturally, and a tailored medical-grade compression garment is immediately fitted.

The procedure typically takes 1 to 3 hours depending on the number of treated zones. Most patients return home comfortably the same day, while overnight monitoring may be recommended after high-volume multi-area contouring.

How much fat can safely be removed?

Medical safety guidelines dictate strict volume limits per session to avoid unnecessary fluid shifts and promote rapid recovery. Dr. Bharathi adheres strictly to international plastic surgery safety standards, staging larger comprehensive contouring cases across two deliberate sessions if needed.

Your consultation

Dr. Bharathi will examine you standing and lying down, assess where your fat sits (under the skin or inside the abdomen, which liposuction cannot reach), check skin quality and look at the proportions between areas.

She will recommend what to treat and, just as importantly, what to leave, so that the result looks balanced. You will also discuss your health, medicines, anaesthesia, recovery and cost.

Dr. Bharathi Rajasridhar assessing body contour before liposuction

Recovery timeline

Scroll horizontally to view complete timeline

Time after surgery	What to expect & post-operative milestones
First 2–3 days	Peak swelling, bruising and muscular soreness. Mild tumescent fluid egress from tiny incisions is normal. Gentle room walks help circulation and reduce blood clot risk.
Week 1	Bruising and discomfort substantially abate. Most patients return comfortably to sedentary desk jobs (7–10 days). Incision sutures or tapes, if placed, are reviewed.
Weeks 1–6	Continuous medical-grade compression garment usage is essential to minimise interstitial oedema and adapt skin smoothly to newly contoured tissues.
Weeks 3–4	Light cardiovascular workouts, walking routines, and non-impact exercises resume. Strenuous weight training awaits clearance from Dr. Bharathi.
3 to 6 months	Residual micro-swelling subsides completely, tissue stiffness softens, and full anatomical definition and final sculpted contours emerge.

Urgent Medical Attention: Contact the clinic or hospital immediately if you experience shortness of breath, sudden chest pain, acute calf swelling/warmth, high fever, or rapidly spreading redness.

Results and realistic expectations

Liposuction can give a smoother, more balanced contour that lasts as long as your weight stays stable. Keep in mind that:

the change is in shape and proportion; the scale may barely move
swelling hides the result for weeks, so early appearance is not the final result
skin that is already loose will not tighten significantly
some people need a small touch-up procedure to refine an area

Compression garment worn after liposuction to reduce swelling

Risks and complications

Common and expected:

bruising and swelling, which can last several months
numbness, usually improving over several weeks
small scars at the incision sites

Less common but important:

uneven, lumpy or rippled contour
fluid collection (seroma) or bleeding under the skin (haematoma)
persistent numbness or skin colour change
infection
blood clots in the legs or lungs (pulmonary embolism)
fluid build-up in the lungs
rarely, injury to deeper structures or internal organs
reactions to anaesthesia

The risk rises with larger volumes and many areas treated at once, which is why planning within safe limits matters.

Liposuction compared with fat-dissolving injections

Scroll horizontally to compare

Treatment Feature	Liposuction (Surgical)	Fat-Dissolving Injections
Ideal Candidate	Moderate to significant localised stubborn fat across single or multi-zones (abdomen, flanks, arms, thighs, neck)	Isolated, very subtle pockets (typically submental under-chin fat only)
Number of Sessions	Typically 1 definitive procedure with instant physical fat removal	Multiple sequential sessions (usually 3 to 6 sessions spaced weeks apart)
Anaesthesia Type	Tumescent local anaesthesia with twilight sedation or general anaesthesia	Topical numbing cream or local injection without sedation
Recovery & Downtime	7–10 days for desk work; compression garment for 6 weeks	Several days of active swelling, tenderness and redness after each session
Precision & Predictability	High sculptural precision with immediate volume extraction and skin draping control	Variable chemical breakdown requiring several months of cumulative evaluation

Cost of liposuction in Chennai

The cost of liposuction is quoted individually after examination, because it depends on:

the number and size of areas treated
the volume of fat to be removed and the operating time
local or general anaesthesia, and whether an overnight stay is needed
whether liposuction is combined with another procedure, such as fat transfer
compression garments and follow-up visits

Cosmetic liposuction is generally not covered by health insurance in India. Ask for an itemised written estimate so you can compare like with like.

Why patients consider The Aesthetic Studio

Contour-led planning. Dr. Bharathi plans liposuction around the relationship between treated and untreated areas, rather than removing as much fat as possible.
Surgeon-led care. She conducts every consultation, performs every procedure and sees every patient at follow-up.
Plastic surgery training. MS (General Surgery) and MCh (Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery) from Madras Medical College, with more than 19 years of clinical experience.
Safety-first staging. Larger treatments may be split into stages rather than done in a single long operation.
Private, appointment-only consultations at Perungudi on OMR, with consultation appointments at Poes Garden and Chetpet.

Expertise, Credentials & Patient-Centred Care

At The Aesthetic Studio, our clinical standard is rooted in formal plastic and reconstructive surgical qualifications. Patients receive unhurried, clear medical advice regarding body contouring procedures, with transparent discussion of anatomy, surgical limitations, and aftercare.

Formal MCh Training

Super-speciality surgical degree in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery from Madras Medical College.

19+ Years Clinical Practice

Extensive operative background in cosmetic body contouring, restorative procedures, and revision surgery.

Recognised Associations

Active member of APSI and TANPAPS upholding strict ethical and surgical guidelines.

Frequently asked questions

Is liposuction permanent? +

The fat cells removed do not regenerate or come back. If you gain weight later, the remaining fat cells in your body can still enlarge (including in untreated areas), so maintaining a stable, healthy weight preserves your contour permanently.

Will I lose weight with liposuction? +

Not substantially on the weighing scale. Liposuction is designed exclusively to reshape and sculpt body proportion, not to achieve overall weight reduction or treat obesity.

Liposuction or tummy tuck: which do I need? +

If your primary concern is stubborn subcutaneous fat and your overlying skin tone is firm and elastic, liposuction is usually sufficient. If you have significant skin redundancy, stretch marks, or separated abdominal wall muscles (often post-pregnancy), a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) is indicated.

Which body areas can be safely treated? +

Commonly treated areas include the abdomen (upper & lower), flanks (love handles), upper and lower back, upper arms, inner & outer thighs, knees, and submental fat (double chin).

How much fat can be removed in a single session? +

Strict surgical safety guidelines exist to protect patient haemodynamics and fluid balance. Dr. Bharathi operates strictly within verified medical safety margins and may advise staged procedures for larger multi-region treatments.

Is the procedure painful? +

During the procedure, tumescent anaesthetic fluid and sedation prevent intraoperative pain. Post-procedure soreness feels comparable to an intense workout or deep muscular bruising, which is readily managed with prescribed pain medication and settles significantly in 3 to 7 days.

When can I resume work and daily routine? +

Most patients with desk or office-based jobs resume work comfortably within 7 to 10 days. Strenuous fitness routines, heavy lifting, and vigorous aerobics should wait until clearance at 3 to 4 weeks.

Why do I need to wear a compression garment for 6 weeks? +

The medical compression garment is critical: it controls post-operative swelling, prevents fluid accumulation (seroma), supports healing tissues, and helps your skin retract evenly over your new silhouette.

When will I see my final sculpted result? +

An immediate difference in silhouette is discernible right after surgery. However, healing involves temporary swelling that resolves gradually over weeks; your refined, permanent contour emerges at 3 to 6 months.

Will liposuction treat cellulite or loose sagging skin? +

No. Liposuction removes deep subcutaneous fat cells. It does not alter skin surface texture (cellulite), stretch marks, or severe skin laxity. Patients with loose skin may benefit from skin tightening or excisional contouring.

Can men have liposuction? +

Yes, liposuction is very popular among male patients, particularly for addressing flanks ("love handles"), waistline, abdomen, and chest fullness in combination with glandular tissue removal for gynecomastia correction.

Related Body Contouring Procedures

Explore complementary contouring and restorative options tailored for optimal proportion and safety.

Arrange a Consultation

A consultation with Dr. Bharathi Rajasridhar will tell you honestly whether liposuction is the right tool for your goal, which areas to treat, and what recovery will involve. You will receive a written estimate, with no obligation to proceed.

✓ Direct 1-on-1 Consultation with Dr. Bharathi
✓ Full Contour Assessment & Safety Planning
✓ Safe Limits & Tailored Staging Options
✓ Itemised Estimate with Complete Confidentiality

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