Body Contouring After Weight Loss?
The rise of obesity in the United States has led to an increase in the number of patients requesting gastric bypass surgeries and other extreme weight loss methods. Dramatic weight loss is a positive thing for certain people to experience, and yet, it can leave them frustrated or feeling self-conscious about their bodies, all because of the excess skin left behind. In addition to lax, hanging skin, these post-weight loss patients may also have loose muscles and stubborn pockets of fat that won’t budge. While the pounds may be gone for good, there is still work to be done with the help of a plastic surgeon.
About Body Contouring Surgery
In the world of plastic surgery, body contouring is a general category that includes the many surgical procedures that can improve the contours of the human body. Most of these surgeries involve some fat removal, muscle tightening, and the removal of excess skin. Luckily for those with excess skin after dramatic weight loss, there is a wide range of body contouring procedures tailored to the needs of specific areas of the body.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the different procedures available, what they can do, and which is the best for you. Consulting with your plastic surgeon can help you narrow things down and create the perfect treatment plan for your needs and the concerns you have about your body. You may settle on just one procedure, or design a combined approach that involves multiple surgeries. Either way, your plastic surgeon is there to plan every detail with you to achieve your optimum body contouring results.
Good Candidates for Body Contouring
Every patient who seeks body contouring surgery shares one thing in common: a recent but significant change in their bodies. This could be one or more pregnancies, a dramatic amount of weight loss, a botched plastic surgery performed elsewhere, or just advancing age. The body is easily changed by these factors, but body contouring is designed to restore it to its youthful appearance, if not improve upon it.
Good candidates for body contouring surgery start out with a need to refine or reshape their bodies. They may have their own reasons for seeking surgery, but their end goal is usually the same. To be a good candidate, you should be in good physical health overall, be a nonsmoker, and have specific and realistic goals for their surgery. You should be well-informed about the risks and potential complications of your procedure, in order to take steps to reduce your risk factors. All of this will ensure that you will benefit from a smooth and successful recovery.
The Many Types of Body Contouring Surgery
Just as there are many facial procedures designed to address specific areas of the face, body contouring includes many surgeries with unique applications. Each one has been tailored to an area of the body that is often in need of re-contouring. If you’re interested in body contouring, consider the following procedures:
- Abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck surgery, focuses on the abdomen. Here, stretched skin, lax muscles, and stubborn fat deposits are all quite common and also easily managed with surgery. These surgeries are quite common after pregnancies and large amounts of weight loss. The end result is often a flatter abdomen, a more pleasing shape overall, and a better fit in your jeans, too!
- An arm lift procedure will help to smooth the arms, where “bat wings” are quite common among aging men and women, as well as those with recent significant weight loss. When excess skin and fat hang down from the underside of the arms, many patients become self-conscious about it. An arm lift will correct these problems by trimming away excess skin and removing unwanted fat cells.
- Body lift surgery is the big body contouring surgery that involves the longest time in the operating room and the lengthiest recovery period. Yet, the results in can deliver are truly incredible for the right patient who has loose skin present in various places, including the abdomen, thighs, buttocks, and hips.
- Liposuction offers specialized fat removal techniques that can be applied to various parts of the body with fantastic results. This surgery removes excess fat deposits that diet and exercise can’t, leaving a smoother look and feel to the treatment area. Liposuction is most often used to address fatty deposits on the abdomen, waist, hips, upper arms, thighs, buttocks, knees, neck, and areas of the face as well.
- A thigh lift is designed to address body contour troubles localized to the thigh area. Much like the arm lift, it can improve tone and form, creating a sleeker look with the removal of fat and excess skin. The thighs will be addressed in a body lift procedure, but some patients who don’t need a full body lift will enjoy the thigh lift option to suit their needs.
Get Started With Your Body Contouring Today
Consult with a plastic surgeon experienced in the field of body contouring to get your very best results. Frederick G. Weniger, M.D., F.A.C.S. provides his patients with years of experience and knowledge during one-on-one consultations regarding the surgeries and nonsurgical treatments available at their practice. Dr. Weniger is board certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery and a member of The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. He believes good information lies at the heart of success in all of his surgeries and interactions with his patients.
To schedule a consultation for any aesthetic service or other procedures, contact the office of Weniger Plastic Surgery today at (843) 757-0123. They are located at 350 Fording Island Road, Suite 200, in Bluffton, South Carolina.