Body lift and contouring after major weight loss

After a person has lost a significant amount of weight it’s almost impossible for their skin to tighten down to the new underlying slimmer contours — the elasticity has been compromised by being overstretched for too long. That can be truly discouraging for a person who has done the hard work required to lose a lot of weight. That’s where a body lift at Salem Health Plastic Surgery can come in.

Common treatments

Tummy tuck

What it corrects: A tummy tuck treats excess sagging skin on the abdomen. Additionally, it can tighten loose abdominal muscles that can cause a stomach pooch.

How it works: An incision is created low along the bikini line running from hip to hip. A second incision may be created around the navel. Sutures are used to tighten loose muscles. Excess tissue is trimmed away, and the remaining tissue is draped to highlight the new abdominal contour.

Extended tummy tuck

What it corrects: An extended tummy tuck, also called a lower body lift or panniculectomy, targets excess skin accumulations around the abdomen, flanks and lower back. The extended tummy tuck provides a more complete lower body recontouring.

How it works: An incision is created low along the bikini line that extends around the hips and onto the lower back. If needed, loose abdominal muscles are tightened. Excess skin is removed, and the remaining tissue is draped to restore a natural appearance to the abdomen, back and hips.

Liposuction

What it corrects: Liposuction is used to treat areas with excess fat accumulation. It may be combined with any other body contouring procedure to improve the appearance of the abdomen, hips, thighs, arms, back, and neck.

How it works: Incisions are created in the treatment area. Gentle suction is used to remove excess fat, and this procedure can help create better definition for your body.

Neck lift

What it corrects: A neck lift targets loose neck skin that often results following weight loss. Sagging skin along the jawline and neck can affect your overall facial appearance. The neck lift restores a slimmer appearance by trimming away the excess skin.

How it works: An incision is created in your lower hairline. The platysma (neck) muscle may be tightened. Drooping skin is trimmed away.

Thigh lift

What it corrects: The thigh lift targets unwanted skin along the inner thighs. Excess thigh skin can lead to painful irritation and chafing. Removing excess skin helps create a more slim thigh appearance.

How it works: An incision is created along the inner and/or outer thigh, depending on the type of correction you require. Excess skin is trimmed away, and the remaining tissue is positioned to provide a more sculpted thigh look.

Buttock lift

What it corrects: The buttock lift improves the appearance of a sagging, drooping buttocks. Excess gluteal skin is removed, and the remaining tissue is lifted to provide a tighter, rounder buttock appearance. Restoring the appearance of the buttocks can enhance the shape and curvature of your physique.

How it works: Incisions are placed along the upper edge of the buttocks. Sagging skin is trimmed away, and the remaining tissue is lifted to provide a firmer appearance.

Breast lift

What it corrects: Sagging and deflated breasts are common following weight loss. A breast lift eliminates loose breast tissue and excess skin to restore firmer breasts with improved shape and projection.

How it works: Incisions are placed around the areola and lower breast tissue. Excess tissue is removed, and internal sutures are placed to lift and support the remaining breast tissue. Patients with poor volume can add implants to increase their breast size.

Arm lift

What it corrects: An arm lift treats the appearance of bat wings caused by sagging excess skin along the upper arms. Treating this unwanted skin restores a toned arm appearance.

How it works: An incision is created along the inner arm, running from the armpit down to the elbow. Excess tissue is excised, and the remaining skin is draped to improve the contour of the arms.

Man and woman jogging together at the park

Candidates for body lift surgery

Candidates for body lifts typically have loose (inelastic) skin on many or most areas of the body as a result of age, childbearing or significant weight loss due to diet, exercise or bariatric surgery.

To have a body lift, a person should have lost between 30 to 50 percent of his or her peak body weight. There should be loose, drooping skin and tissue across the abdomen, probably the thighs, buttocks, breasts, upper arms and other areas. Your weight should have been stable for a period of time, usually two years, to ensure you will not regain weight after this surgery. This also allows your skin to adjust as much as it can before any surgery is considered.

These are involved surgeries targeting multiple areas, so patients need to be in good overall health, both to handle the stress of the surgery and the subsequent recovery. You shouldn’t smoke, as this can interfere with your incision healing.

Good candidates also need to be realistic about what these procedures can achieve. Yes, your contours will be slimmed to your new smaller body shape, but there will be some lengthy incision scars. Body lifts also involve a difficult recovery.

Body lift FAQ

What type of anesthesia is used during the procedures?

Most plastic surgery procedures are performed using a general anesthetic.

Will I need to undergo every procedure listed after my weight loss?

No. Each plastic surgery procedure after major weight loss is customized to fit your needs and goals.

How do I know which procedure(s) I need?

A consultation with your surgeon can help you decide which procedure(s) you could benefit from most.

What are the benefits of having a body lift after major weight loss?

As mentioned above, it can be depressing for a person to lose a large amount of weight and then be saddled with loose, sagging skin across much of their body. This surgery allows your skin to match your new slimmer contour. This makes it fun to buy clothes. It brings a host of daily activities and sports back into your life, which, even after losing the weight, you have probably been avoiding due to your loose, sagging skin. Just exercising without the sagging skin is easier, as you’ll no longer develop rashes and infections.

From a logistical standpoint, a body lift combines procedures on multiple areas into a single surgical session. This saves money. And your recovery, while still involved, is much easier than having multiple recoveries.

While it is somewhat of a side benefit, the removal of extensive excess, sagging skin will also provide additional weight loss.

What is recovery like from a body lift?

A body lift is a major operation. Patients typically will spend one to three nights in the hospital following surgery. Drains are placed beneath the skin to remove excess blood and serum and usually remain in place for one to two weeks. A compression garment will need to be worn to provide support, reduce swelling, and help the body adjust to its new slimmer contour.

Any lifting and strenuous activity will need to be avoided for about four to six weeks. Full results can take up to one year to show themselves, as the body continues to adapt.

What results can a body lift achieve? How long will they last?

Although most of the results of your body lift are immediately visible after initial swelling resolves, it can take up to two years to fully realize your new, contoured body. Over this time your muscles adapt to their new positions, your skin tightens down as much as possible, and your scars begin to fade.

You can expect dramatic changes with our body lift procedures at Salem Health Plastic Surgery. The loose sagging skin is gone, replaced by firm, contoured tissue. If you maintain a healthy weight and incorporate exercise into your life, you’ll enjoy your new body for the rest of your life.

In some cases, after the body adjusts to the surgery or surgeries, it may become apparent that an additional, much smaller procedure, could add further contouring. This may or may not be necessary, but it is a possibility.

Will I have any excessive scarring following my treatment?

Scarring depends on incision location and your body’s natural healing process. While great care is taken to place incisions in easily concealable locations, some may be visible. Most patients who have lost a significant amount of weight feel that the mild scarring is worth the dramatic improvement that results from surgery. Scarring is likely to fade over time.