Body Contouring After Major Weight Loss: 5 Things You Need to Know

It’s hard work overhauling your lifestyle and making a commitment to shed extra, unwanted pounds. Whether one chooses to do it through medical procedures, like bariatric surgery, or through old fashioned exercise, eating habits must be changed and new habits are created. You’re feeling feel better, moving more and starting to love yourself again. The hard work has paid off, but still there’s one thing your weight loss has left behind… lots of hanging, loose skin. What can one do to complete this journey? How does one finish transforming what’s on the outside to match the inside?

Body Contouring can Improve Physical and Mental Health

When a large amount of weight is lost, such as 100 pounds or more, skin cannot always adjust and often loses some of its elasticity. The skin’s inability to conform to the new, smaller shape can cause pain, chafing and sometimes, a decrease in self-confidence. The extra skin can also cause problems with exercise, hygiene and clothing that doesn’t fit properly. It may even serve as an unwanted daily reminder of where you once were in your life. For many, the answer lies in a surgical procedure called body contouring. Body contouring reshapes the body by removing excess fat and skin to achieve a more natural appearance with smoother contours. Body contouring procedures include:

• Face Lift – correcting loose skin of the face, neck and jowls
• Arm Lift – targets sagging skin on the upper arms
• Breast Lift – correcting flattened breasts
• Tummy Tuck – fixes excess skin hanging over the abdomen
• Body Lift – a combination procedure targeting abdomen, buttocks, groin and thighs
• Thigh Lift – corrects sagging of the inner, outer and mid-thigh

Through body contouring, plastic surgeons are able to restore bodies to a more normal look, and improve health and confidence.

Who Makes a Good Candidate for Skin Removal Surgery?

Typically, a good body contouring candidate is one who has been stable in their weight for at least a year and does not have further expectations for weight loss. Patients must be deemed medically appropriate to undergo the procedure. Those in poor health, with conditions such as heart disease or diabetes, are not considered suitable candidates. Smoking and poor nutrition, like protein deficiencies, also slow down the healing process and can increase the risk of serious complications during and after surgery. Contouring procedures also require mental stamina. Are you psychologically prepared? Positive and realistic expectations are must. Skin begins to sag over time as part of the normal aging process, and though surgery will lead to improvements in your shape, it is important to realize that it is not possible to restore skin to what it would have been prior to weight gain, or what it was when you were younger.

The Risks Associated with Body Contouring

The decision to remove unwanted skin is entirely personal. It is up to you to decide if the benefits will outweigh the risks. Each patient’s case is unique and multiple surgeries may be required over time. One must consider the potential complications that can arise each time the induction of general anesthesia takes place.

Body contouring is the surgical reshaping of the body. This involves scarring—some inconspicuous, some more noticeable—to achieve desired results. Incisions are typically where they will be less obvious, and most scars do lighten over time. Most patients feel the scars are an acceptable trade-off for greater self-esteem and increased confidence.

Additional risks associated with body contouring may include:

Bleeding

Infection

Blood clots

Fluid accumulation

Numbness

Unfavorable scarring

Loose skin or tissue death

Unsatisfactory results

Risks should be fully discussed with your surgeon prior to giving consent. Your surgeon will make recommendations about the best strategy to address all of your questions and concerns in the safest and most efficient manner.

Preparation is Half the Battle

As with any cosmetic surgery, it is good measure to meet with your primary care physician for an overall check-up and to get cleared prior to your body contouring surgery. They can help you adjust current medications, help balance any nutrition or protein deficiencies and assist, if necessary, in finding help to stop smoking. It is advisable to avoid taking aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs as they can increase bleeding and arrange to have family or friends assist you during your recovery.

Body contouring surgeries where a lot of skin will be removed in multiple areas of the body are generally performed in the hospital under general anesthesia, and most patients stay in the hospital one to four nights. One-off procedures, such as an arm lift or a tummy tuck, can usually be performed in an accredited surgery center. It is possible for tubes will be placed in the wound to drain excess fluid and medications are prescribed to help control pain and discomfort. Side effects including soreness, swelling and bruising for two to three weeks after surgery are completely normal. Depending upon the elected surgeries, most people return to normal activity after four to six weeks. This is to allow the skin and surrounding tissues to completely heal. Your doctor will continually monitor your progress throughout your recovery period.

In LA? It’s Time to Focus on the New You.

For post weight loss surgery in California, many patients trust Sunset Cosmetic Surgery. Dr. Daniel Yamini and Dr. Steven Svehlak are highly experienced in the Los Angeles area. They are double-board certified in both general and plastic surgery and can help patients safely complete their weight loss journey. With each patient’s satisfaction and comfort in mind, they make recommendations about the best strategy to address patient concerns in the safest and most efficient manner possible. Feel proud of your accomplishment and confident in your new body. It’s time for a new you.

Spencer Frandsen is a writer, father, and mountain man who lives in Salt Lake City.