Losing weight is a major accomplishment. You changed your diet, overhauled your lifestyle, worked up a sweat in the gym, examined your mindset – and now, you’re finally seeing the results of all your hard work. So why do you still feel self-conscious about your body? In short, it’s probably your skin.
After major weight loss, it’s common to have loose skin and pockets of stubborn fat that won’t budge. Even though you’ve reached a smaller size, loose skin may prevent you from achieving the contour you desired. You’re still not living comfortably in your own body because you’re still trying to camouflage or minimize certain areas. For example, you may still only wear pants with control panels to camouflage loose skin around your abdomen. Or, you may only wear long sleeves because you’re worried about your “batwings.”
The fact that you have loose skin does not mean you’re a failure. You can attend daily Pilates classes, train for a marathon, or follow a strict powerlifting routine and you’re still unlikely to notice a significant difference. But rest assured: that does not mean you have to go on living with loose skin forever! Body contouring procedures can remove the excess skin and fat, allowing you to fully enjoy and celebrate the new body you worked so hard to earn.
Every patient is different. The exact body contouring procedures we recommend will depend on a number of factors, including how much extra skin you have, where that extra skin is located, your overall health, and your unique goals. In most cases, however, Dr. DeMercurio and his team recommend one or more of the following body contouring procedures for patients seeking a more toned, taut look following major weight loss.
1. Tummy Tuck
The tummy tuck is one of the best-known procedures for body contouring after weight loss. It’s a surgical procedure in which your surgeon makes an incision across your midsection, removes excess skin, and then sutures the remaining skin closed, resulting in a flatter, tighter midsection.
Contrary to popular belief, tummy tucks are not just for patients with large aprons of abdominal skin, although they can certainly transform your life if you’re in this situation. A tummy tuck can also be life-changing for anyone with moderate sagging skin in this area. Many happy tummy tuck patients are those who were bothered by loose skin after a more moderate weight loss of 50 pounds or less.
They report the following benefits:
- Feeling more comfortable and confident in a bathing suit
- Increased self-confidence in intimate relationships
- Ability to wear a wider range of clothing styles
- Improved fit for pants and dresses; in many cases, post-op patients can size down for a more tailored fit
The benefits of a tummy tuck are not just cosmetic, either. In many cases, during this procedure, we repair weak abdominal muscles before closing the incision. Ultimately, this helps improve your posture and strengthen your core, which has a long list of benefits in the gym, the office, and even the bedroom.
Some patients are anxious about undergoing a tummy tuck because they’ve heard that the recovery process can be long and painful. It is true that you’ll need to take a few weeks off post-surgery, and that there will be some pain and discomfort. However, the post-surgical pain can easily be managed with medication and proper incision care. And most patients with less physical jobs are able to return to work within a couple of weeks. We would never claim that recovery is easy, but most patients do find the temporary discomfort is well worth the lifetime of physical and emotional benefits that come with a tummy tuck.
2. Arm Lifts
The arms are another area where people often notice loose skin after weight loss. Lifting weights to build your biceps and triceps may help “fill out” the loose skin and reduce its appearance to some degree. But unless you’re on track to be the next Arnold Schwarzenegger, you’re unlikely to build enough muscle to fully replace the fat you’ve lost. That’s where the arm lift comes in.
The arm lift is a body contouring procedure in which excess skin is removed from the upper arms. Your surgeon will carefully place the incisions on the inside or back of your arm, where they will be well hidden. It will take you a few weeks to heal, but most patients can return to their normal routine within six weeks of surgery.
Patients who undergo an arm lift are often surprised at just how much it transforms their lives. Here are some of the most common benefits they report:
- Improved confidence in sleeveless and short-sleeve tops
- Ability to “size down” in tops for a closer fit around the shoulder and midsection
- Increased self-confidence when wearing swimwear
Here in Florida, where the high temperatures make short-sleeve tops a mainstay, feeling confident in the appearance of your arms is paramount. If you’re feeling self-conscious about “batwings” or sagging arm skin, we suggest scheduling a consultation for an arm lift after weight loss.
3. Breast Lift
Some people store a lot of fat in their breasts. Then, when they lose weight, they are left with a lot of excess skin in their upper breasts. This can make the breasts look saggy and less full, which may affect your self-confidence and the way your clothing fits. A breast lift is a body contouring procedure during which excess skin is removed from the upper breast area, leading to a lifted, more youthful shape.
Breast lifts are not just for women. Men can also experience sagging skin in this area after weight loss, and a breast lift is often the best way to address it.
Most patients can return to work within two weeks of a breast lift. While you can expect some discomfort in recovery, Dr. DeMercurio and his team are careful to fit every patient with compression garments that help facilitate healing and keep you comfortable while your body repairs itself.
4. Liposuction
There are lots of misconceptions floating around about liposuction, so allow us to clear those up right off the bat.
Liposuction is not cheating; it’s a way to remove pockets of fat that are never going to respond to diet and exercise. Liposuction is also not a weight loss procedure. Rather, it’s a cosmetic procedure to help contour your body after weight loss.
Finally, liposuction is not an alternative to surgery. It’s actually a surgical procedure performed through incisions. As with all surgical procedures, there is a recovery period and some risk involved. However, those risks can be greatly reduced with proper preparation and post-surgical care, which Dr. DeMercurio and his team take very seriously.
We often use liposuction in conjunction with other body contouring procedures. For example, we might perform some liposuction alongside a tummy tuck or when we also do an arm lift. The scars left behind are tiny and tend to fade quickly. Plus, the results are long-lasting. As long as you maintain a healthy diet and exercise routine, you’re unlikely to gain fat back in the areas that were treated.
The full recovery period after liposuction lasts about six to eight weeks, but most of the bruising and pain should subside after two weeks. Our patients are usually thrilled to finally be rid of stubborn fat that didn’t respond to miles on the treadmill or hours at the squat rack. Some even report feeling more active and motivated in the gym after liposuction. Improved self-confidence can truly transform your life. For effective liposuction, Ormond Beach locals look to Dr. DeMercurio.
Losing weight is hard work, and it’s an accomplishment worth celebrating. If loose skin is preventing you from fully enjoying the benefits of your weight loss, get in touch with the experts at Florida Center for Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery. We’re happy to tell you more about these and other contouring procedures and work with you to create a custom treatment plan to address your excess skin. Whether it’s an arm lift, breast lift, or a tummy tuck after weight loss, Ormond Beach residents can count on our team for personalized care and life-changing results.