New Year’s is right around the corner and with that comes New Year’s resolutions. The number one resolution for New Year’s is always weight loss. Some people have the desire to lose a few pounds. Others have a more defining transformation in mind.
When a person loses a large amount of weight, the skin can remain permanently stretched. Generally speaking, younger skin has more elasticity, which allows it to expand or contract to accommodate changes in weight. However, with age or repeated weight fluctuations, the skin doesn’t bounce back as easily. While weight loss is usually a great thing for one’s overall health, it can leave behind sagging skin. This can be disheartening for those that have worked hard to get their body to a healthy weight. The good news is that there are many treatment options to address this issue.
The most common surgery people have after a weight loss like this is a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty. This procedure removes loose, sagging skin from the lower abdomen area and in some cases, repairs and tightens the abdominal muscles. In addition, and often in conjunction with this procedure, both male and female patients may have a breast lift to remove excess skin from the breast/chest area. These two surgeries drastically improve a person’s appearance after major weight loss, as well the way they feel about themselves.
Other surgeries patients frequently seek out after a major weight loss include an arm lift, a thigh lift, a lower body lift and an upper body lift. Similar to the tummy tuck, the goal of these procedures is to remove the excess skin and tighten the remaining skin to give a smooth and natural-looking contour to the area. In many cases, a patient may need more than one lifting procedure to achieve the best result. For example, a thigh lift is often performed in conjunction with a lower body lift. An upper body lift will remove excess skin from the back area, but a patient might need an arm lift, or brachioplasty, to address “bat wings” on the upper arm. Lifting procedures can truly transform the body. However, patients must keep in mind that the trade-off for more taut skin is scars. Experienced and board-certified plastic surgeons know how to place scars so that they are in the least visible area. Gulf Coast Plastic Surgery also provides all patients with a post-operative scar treatment protocol to help aide in the healing of the scars.
Finally, many post-weight loss patients find that liposuction and/or fat transfer can help fine tune the results of a lifting procedure. Each patient is unique. Drs. Jocelyn Leveque and Peter Butler formulate a specific treatment plan for each individual post-weight loss patient.
If you’ve gone through a major weight loss and would like to further your results, schedule a consultation with one of our award-winning plastic surgeons, Dr. Peter Butler and Dr. Jocelyn Leveque.
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