Massive weight loss, such as losing 100 pounds or more, is something to be celebrated. Whether you lost the weight on your own with diet and exercise or received assistance in the form of bariatric surgery, you should be proud of the effort you put into losing weight and the commitment involved.
One of the downsides of losing a significant amount of weight is the the loose, sagging skin that is often left behind once the extra fat and weight disappears. Skin that’s been stretched out over the years loses its elasticity and doesn’t simply go away when you lose the weight. Thanks to that loose skin, many people find that their clothing doesn’t quite fit right or that they are self-conscious about their appearance.
Fortunately, several plastic surgery procedures can help restore your shape and your confidence following a significant loss of weight. Whether one surgery or several are right for you depends on your goals and how your body has changed from the weight loss.
Arm Lift
The goal of an arm lift, or brachioplasty, is to reduce the sagging under the upper arms. Sometimes called “bat wings,” the extra skin and fat can be a source of embarrassment to many patients who have successfully lost weight. The arm lift surgery restores the shape of the arm by cutting away the excess, loose skin.
How much skin is removed varies from patient to patient. If you have a minimal amount of sagging, your surgeon may make a few incisions beneath the arm to remove the extra skin. If you have a considerable amount of loose skin, the surgeon may make incisions along the arm and chest wall to better contour and reshape the arm and surrounding area. If extra fat in the arms is a concern, it’s possible to combine an arm lift with liposuction.
Breast Lift
A number of things can cause the breasts to become droopy and saggy. One of those things is significant weight loss. A breast lift can elevate sagging breasts, making them perky once again. The surgery changes the shape of the breasts and their position but doesn’t change their size. If you’ve also lost a considerable amount of volume from the breasts, you might consider a breast augmentation procedure along with a breast lift. The two surgeries are often performed together to help patients get breasts that are both the size and shape they want.
Facelift
People might not commonly associate a facelift with weight loss, but losing a fair amount of weight can also alter the way your face looks. Often, people find that losing weight adds years to their appearance, as they lose some of the facial fat that might have made them look more youthful.
A facelift after weight loss helps tighten and reduce the jowls and minimizes drooping in the neck and cheeks. While it doesn’t reduce fine lines or focus on the upper part of the face, the surgery can take about a decade or so off of a person’s appearance.
Thigh Lift
Just as an arm lift helps trim away loose skin in the upper arm area after weight loss, a thigh lift trims away loose skin in the inner thigh area. The surgery can help your pants fit better, as it removes sagging skin that might be creating a tight fit. It also generally improves the contour and shape of your upper legs and can make you feel more confident about wearing a swimsuit, shorts or a short skirt.
Tummy Tuck
A tummy tuck removes extra skin and fat from the abdominal area, helping you get a smoother, flatter tummy after weight loss. The surgery can be combined with liposuction to improve results, if there is a considerable amount of extra fat in the area.
When to Consider Surgery After Weight Loss
Body contouring surgery or a facelift after weight loss isn’t necessarily the right option for every patient. There are a few things you want to make sure of before you consider any type of surgery.
For one thing, you want to be at or very near your goal weight. Being as close to your goal weight as possible allows you to get the longest resulting results. If you have a tummy tuck, for example, then lose more weight, the additional weight loss can change the way your abdominal area looks.
Your overall health is also an essential consideration when thinking about surgery after weight loss. Ideally, you won’t have any uncontrolled health conditions before surgery. Your surgeon will also ask that you stop smoking before your procedure and that you avoid smoking for some time afterwards.
It’s also important to understand that surgery, whether it’s an arm lift, liposuction or any other type of body contouring procedure, doesn’t replace weight loss. After you’ve lost most of the weight is the time to think about surgery. The procedures themselves won’t help you lose a lot of weight.
Schedule Your Consultation Today
If you have recently lost a lot of weight and aren’t happy with the shape of your body due to extra, sagging skin, contact the Aesthetic Surgery Center to learn more about your surgical options after weight loss. Book an appointment with Dr. Kiranjeet Gill. Dr. Gill believes that educating and communicating with patients are the keys to helping them achieve successful, natural-looking results. Schedule your appointment at the Aesthetic Surgery Center, located at 1175 Creekside Parkway #100 in Naples, FL, by calling 239-594-9100.