Discouraged After Weight Loss?
January 6, 2016 - Rhys Branman, MD
Often after significant weight loss patients although thrilled with their achievement, are not so thrilled with the excess skin on their lower bodies. Losing large amounts of fat from bariatric or gastric bypass surgery can leave you with sagging skin that camouflages the very contours of the body you wanted to show off! To truly appreciate your new body and realize the benefits of weight loss, you may need to undergo a lower body procedure such as a thigh lift or body lift.
Sometimes excess hanging skin can cause health problems as well, if the skin beneath the folds become macerated. Macerated skin is wet or infected skin prone to bacterial infections or fungal infections that can actually break down the skin tissue. It is just as important to keep you skin healthy, as it is your diet.
Loss of skin elasticity contributes to loss of body contour, as well as pregnancy, fluctuating weight, aging, and even simply genetics. Sometimes we cannot regain or achieve firm body contours through exercise and diet alone, and liposuction alone cannot help when skin elasticity has been lost. However, liposuction is often included as part of a body lift in order to remove resistant areas of fat. Liposuction depends upon the skin being able to conform to the contours of the underlying tissue after excess fat has been removed. A body lift, like a face lift, lifts the underlying structure of the portion of the body being lifted so that redundant skin can be removed. In this way the remaining skin can conform to the contours of your figure resulting in a firmer, more shapely look to your physique.
A complete lower body lift includes skin removal and tightening on the thighs, but also on the buttocks and hips, and possibly an abdominoplasty. A lift can also be performed on your upper arms. However, not everyone needs each of these areas lifted. Much as in a “Mommy Makeover” it is possible to have many parts of the body lifted as one procedure.
Call Melinda at the front desk to set up your consultation 501-227-0707.
