Reaching your weight loss goal is a significant achievement and something to be proud of. If you recently lost a large amount of weight, you’ve likely already seen the positive benefits of leading a healthier lifestyle. Massive weight loss often leads to reduced cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and diabetes risk. Improved sleep, breathing, and even sexual function are also advantages of losing weight.
Despite the overwhelmingly positive changes that occur, one of the most common complaints after significant weight loss is excess, sagging skin. Unfortunately, most people’s weight loss journey is a process, and it does not stop after they actually lose the kilos. Loose, stretched-out skin can affect your self-confidence and may conceal your new, slimmer physique.
If you’re in the final stages of your weight loss journey, it may be necessary to undergo cosmetic treatment to eliminate excess skin and restore your natural curves. This blog article details common procedures in plastic surgery after weight loss.
What Is Body Contouring?
The most common problem that our patients face after massive weight loss is loss of skin elasticity. Losing a large amount of weight or losing weight very quickly can make it more difficult for your skin to ‘snap back’ and conform to your new, smaller frame. As a result, many areas of the body may appear loose and saggy, with folds around the abdomen and hanging skin on the arms, legs, buttocks, and thighs. Body contouring surgery is a highly effective treatment used to improve these problem areas’ appearance and get rid of excess skin.
Body contouring following significant weight loss can help patients reach the final step in their journey and achieve a better-proportioned physique. However, it’s important to keep in mind that no cosmetic surgery, including body contouring, is a substitute for traditional weight loss methods. You should lose weight first and think of body contouring as a final milestone of your weight-loss experience.
Our surgeons use various techniques for body contouring, depending on the desired treatment area(s). This type of surgery is typically completed in several stages and will be different for each patient. Your surgeon will review your post-weight loss goals and personal health circumstances during your initial consultation to create the best treatment plan for you.
Body contouring procedures may include:
- Upper Body Lift
- Lower Body Lift
- Arm Lift
- Thigh Lift
- Tummy Tuck
- Breast Lift
Upper and Lower Body Lift
Heavy, excess skin is near impossible to hide under clothes and can take a considerable toll on your mental health and self-confidence. Unfortunately, excess skin can cause physical health concerns as well, including skin tearing, infections, rashes, and hygiene issues. It’s common for post-weight loss patients to have heavy folds and pockets of excess skin, especially in the upper and lower midsection.
An upper body lift is used to remove excess skin from either the upper back, side of the chest, or side of the body. The results are dramatic and can make a big difference in the way your clothes look and fit. The best candidates for an upper body lift have one or more skin rolls on the upper back and side of their chest, very loose skin, and minimal fat. The surgery can be performed alone but is often paired with other procedures to enhance overall effects. Upper body lifts are typically combined with breast lifts, tummy tucks, thigh lifts, and arm lifts.
A lower body lift helps remove the ‘belt’ of excess fat and skin on the lower abdomen, hips, waist, upper buttocks, and upper thighs. Like the upper body lift, it is often performed with other procedures for more dramatic results. Liposuction, for example, may be used to enhance the shape of the treatment area and create a more flattering silhouette.
Arm Lift
Many patients struggle to lose weight in their upper arms, making it a challenging area to treat with traditional workout methods. This excess fat in the underarm area, also known as ‘bat wings,’ can be an embarrassing issue for post-weight loss patients. A Brachioplasty, or arm lift, is a body contouring surgery used to remove excess skin and fat that accumulates in the upper arm’s under-surface.
Arm lift surgery is an excellent solution to achieve tighter, more well-shaped, and toned arms and help you gain self-confidence. An arm lift can also give your upper body a more balanced, proportionate look as your arms will appear both slimmer and smoother after treatment. Advantages to arm lift surgery include:
- Improve contours and skin elasticity
- Remove excess skin and fat
- Improve fit of clothing
- Enhance workout results
- Reshape arms for a more toned appearance
- Prevent rashes and irritation due to excess skin
More details on Arm Lift Surgery can be found on the following link.
Thigh Lift
The thighs are a common problem area after massive weight loss and during weight loss management. Excess skin around the thighs can be very uncomfortable, especially when walking or exercising. A thigh lift is a treatment used to remove excess skin and fat from the upper inner thighs and tighten the skin around it to improve the thighs’ shape and create a smoother appearance. The result is slim, toned thighs and a more balanced overall physique.
Like the other procedures on this list, a thigh lift should not be considered a weight-loss treatment or alternative to simply living a healthier lifestyle. Instead, it is a body contouring procedure used to accomplish results that can’t be achieved with diet and exercise alone. Top benefits of thigh lift surgery include:
- Reshape the thighs and remove excess skin
- Prevent rashes and irritation due to excess skin
- Tighten loose muscles and improve contours of the thighs
- Reduce the appearance of stretch marks
- Improve fit of clothing
More details on Thigh Lift Surgery can be found on the following link.
Our team at the Forme Institute is a highly qualified, highly experienced group of Specialist Plastic Surgeons. If you recently lost a significant amount of weight, you may be experiencing some adverse effects. Body contouring surgery is a powerful way to enhance your body and improve your self-confidence.
Contact us today for an initial consultation. We are committed to providing the best and safest plastic surgery after weight loss to help you reach your goals.
FRACS (Plastic Surgery) – Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
Past President : ASAPS ( Australasian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons)
Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)
PhD (Eyelid Surgery) – University of Louisville, USA
