DIY Liposuction Is Trending and Plastic Surgeons Are Not Amused

I'm all about a DIY beauty moment. I've recently gotten very into my Sunday night manicure routine, buffing, filing, and painting my nails with a sheer pink polish while I enjoy a glass of wine. A mask duo (clay to declog the pores, then a hydrating sheet mask for added glow) is a regular weekend occurrence, and I tend to my brows on a near daily basis lest the hair reach from the middle of my forehead to my eyelid. But never did I think I'd have to clarify that trying to give yourself liposuction at home is an extremely bad idea.

According to many a "DIYaesthetics" Redditor, there is currently of flurry of interest in inexpensive DIY liposuction solutions. Message boards are filled with curious pseudo plastic surgeons seeking a less expensive alternative to the in-office procedure, which, depending on the provider, the area being treated, and whether or not you're going under general anesthesia, can run between $5,000 and $25,000. It is not by any means a cheap treatment, and there is a reason for that—a skilled, board-certified plastic surgeon is performing a medical procedure with real risks and potential complications. For context, these can range from bruising, changes in skin sensation, infection, deep vein thrombosis, irregular contours, rippling or worsening of cellulite, swelling, and thermal burn, among others, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Lipo is not, in any way, shape, or form akin to a giving yourself a set of breakup bangs on a whim.

Still, the interest in saving a few bucks on a cosmetic treatment is high. DIY microneedling kits have gone mainstream, and obtaining your own filler for at-home lip injections is frighteningly common. There are risks for both, but it feels as if we are crossing a line into truly unhinged territory with the rise of DIY lipo. I mean honestly, how far is too far when your bathroom starts doubling as a doctor’s office?

To be fair, this trend doesn't appear to involve cutting into pockets of unwanted fat in your kitchen and sucking it out using God knows what (a vacuum??). The most popular product being discussed online is called Dr. Lipo V, and is more reminiscent of the fat-dissolving injection Kybella, which is FDA-approved to eliminate moderate-to-severe submental fat (a.k.a. double chin) in adults. The latter has a standardized formula of 10 mg/mL deoxycholic acid per dose; the former is often marketed in sketchier pockets of the Internet as a "cocktail." Kybella's risks? Swelling, bruising, pain, numbness, and, if improperly injected, nerve injury, necrosis, and infection—so, significant. As for Dr. Lipo V's risks? Well, it hasn't been studied in a controlled environment so who knows?

"Purchasing a mystery product from an unregulated source, injecting it into your own body with no training or understanding of biochemistry or anatomy, and expecting a safe, predictable outcome is reckless," says Adam Kolker, MD FACS, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York. "People might think the worst outcome is that it doesn't work. It isn't. That’s your best case-scenario." He notes that the risks of using one of these substances (Dr. Lipo V is just one of many circulating online) could range from infection, permanent disfigurement, stroke, or even death.

It's clear to anyone who has paid even the slightest bit of attention to beauty and fashion trends that we have entered something of a "skinny epidemic." With the rise of weight loss drugs like GLP-1s (which, to be fair, are FDA-approved and safe to administer from the comfort of your own home), thin is in, and it's seemingly easier than ever to lose a few extra pounds. But looking for black market injections as a shortcut to lose fat, even if it's being touted as "DIY liposuction," is taking things a step too far.

"Social media has made plastic surgery seem accessible, has made it seem easy, and, most importantly, has made it seem unproblematic," explains Melissa Doft, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York. "But...people die from plastic surgery. These procedures should never be thought of cavalierly. We all want to look better, but we have to think about the risks and make sure that we are making good choices."

Dr. Kolker—and every single medical professional I spoke to about this alarming rise in DIY liposuction—agrees, noting that trying to save a few bucks on a cosmetic procedure is a poor excuse to risk your health. "Social media is a great place to learn how to install a Ring doorbell or make Greek yogurt bagels," he says. "They can't teach anatomy, sterile technique, patient selection, complication management, or judgment... that’s what medical school is for."

So please, if you're in the market for help losing weight, either via a GLP-1 or liposuction, do me a favor and make an appointment with a board-certified plastic surgeon. Your body shouldn't be treated like a game of Operation, especially when the cost of failure could be your life.

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