Body Lift

Body Contouring is not exclusively about eliminating fat. As a broad term, body contouring simply refers to the ability to change the shape (or contours) of your body. Sometimes that does indeed refer to fat content on the body. Eliminating fat can help you shape the way your body looks—and in doing so it can help you feel comfortable and happy in your own body. But sometimes losing weight can have an unwanted side effect: excess skin. As we age, after all, the skin loses elasticity, meaning it can’t bounce back as quickly as it used to. So if you’ve recently lost a lot of weight, you could still be struggling to look the way you want to look.

This excess skin can get in the way of a lot of the rewards you’re after. It can make exercise more difficult (many people complain about having to “tuck in” folds of excess skin while they workout). Excess skin can also make you self-conscious about your body—many patients have noted that they won’t wear t-shirts or shorts if it exposes that skin. This can make many people feel as though there was no point to their weight loss in the first place. The solution to this feeling is a procedure called a body lift. Body lift procedures eliminate excess skin to give you a more youthful, more fit appearance—and to help you feel great in your own body.

What Happens During a Body Lift Procedure?

Body lift procedures are designed to eliminate excess skin and, therefore, give the remaining skin a firmer, fitter, more youthful appearance. This is accomplished via surgery, usually performed by a highly qualified plastic surgeon in a hospital or surgical suite setting. Body lift procedures can be more intense—both in terms of pain management and recovery—than most other plastic surgery procedures, but the patients who undergo this procedure generally rave about the results.

During a body lift procedure, a couple of incision will be made in the target area. A body lift is usually performed around the waist and abdomen, but it’s not uncommon for patients to request a “leg” lift or an “arm lift,” depending on the area that is causing discomfort. Usually, a “ring” of excess tissue is removed and the two ends are then joined together. This generally ensures that the remaining tissue looks smooth, fit, and natural. Most patients do experience some scarring, but scars and lines will fade over time.

As mentioned earlier, body lift recovery can take several months to complete. But for patients who have a great deal of excess skin—and for whom that excess skin is holding them back from engaging in activities they enjoy—a body lift procedure is great way to move forward.

What Do Body Lift Results Look Like?

Results from body lift procedures are generally quite flattering to the patient. The skin looks smoother, firmer, and more fit—but naturally so. Patients are able to again wear t-shirts, shorts, swim suits, and so on. This can result in a huge increase in both self-confidence and self-esteem. Patients finally feel comfortable in their own bodies—often, for the first time their lives.

Patients can develop excess skin for a wide variety of reasons. It could be genetic, it could be due to a substantial weight loss, or it could be lifestyle-related. Developing excess skin can also be related to pregnancy and child-bearing, not to mention nursing and being a mother. There are a wide variety of body lift procedures available, so if you are bothered by excess skin anywhere on your body, talk to your plastic surgeon to see what your options are.

Sometimes losing weight is not the end of the journey. Body contouring surgery—specifically, a body lift procedure—can help you get the body, and the look, you’re after. Talk to your plastic surgeon today.