A body lift is surgery to tighten loose, sagging skin and remove pockets of excess fat — problems that can appear after significant weight loss. For example, after bariatric surgery, many people feel delighted at the loss of so much unwanted fat, but unhappy about hanging folds of skin that have lost the elasticity to shrink back over their reduced contours. A body lift accomplishes what your body can’t on its own, tightening and smoothing your skin after weight loss and reshaping your body’s contours.
Depending on how your body has responded to weight loss, a body lift can correct sagging skin and remove bulges of fat in any or all of these five areas.
1. Your Abdomen
Your abdomen is typically one of the primary areas targeted for improvement with a body lift. If loose skin and weakened abdominal muscles were your only cosmetic issue — as it might be after pregnancy or moderate weight loss — a tummy tuck would be the solution. When you have more extreme sagging after significant weight loss, a body lift will usually include a more extensive 360-degree tummy tuck. This procedure tightens skin and removes excess fat around your entire waist, not just the front of your abdomen. It can also reconnect separated abdominal muscles and tighten them for a firm, flat belly and a slimmer waist.
2. Your Thighs
If you tend to accumulate excess weight in your thighs, it’s likely that your body lift will need to include tightening and contouring in that area, too. When excess fat in the thighs disappears, it can leave the skin looking loose and wrinkled. It can also be hard to get rid of the last bulges of fat in the thighs, even when you are close to your ideal weight. A body lift can correct these problems, restoring slim, attractive legs.
3. Your Buttocks
If weight loss has left your buttocks saggy and droopy, a body lift can include a butt lift. Your surgeon will remove excess skin and tighten your buttocks for smooth, raised curves. If weight loss has left your buttocks smaller and flatter than you’d like, you can opt to have fat removed from elsewhere on your body transferred with fat injections to give your posterior curves a boost (a procedure known as a Brazilian butt lift).
4. Your Hips
For some people, loose, sagging skin and diet- and exercise-resistant bulges of fat in the hips are among their most significant areas of concern — sometimes more of a problem than the abdomen or thighs. If this is the case for you, your customized body lift will include a focus on tightening the skin and removing fat in your hips to enhance your figure.
5. Your Lower Back
Significant weight loss can leave some people with hanging folds of skin on the sides of their lower back, drooping down below the shoulder blades. An upper body lift can correct this, removing excess skin and unwanted fat from the lower back to create a more toned, younger-looking profile.
Your Customized Body Lift
While these are the five most common areas for correction with a body lift, your surgeon will customize your procedure to your needs. For example, you might choose to include an arm lift, or combine your body contouring with a breast lift, breast augmentation, or breast reduction. If you’re considering cosmetic surgery after massive weight loss, schedule a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon to understand which procedures would best address your needs.
Learn More About Body Lift and Other Cosmetic Surgery in Nashville
Dr. Mary Gingrass and Dr. Melinda Haws at the Plastic Surgery Center of Nashville are board-certified plastic surgeons with extensive experience in all types of cosmetic surgery. Contact us online or call us at 615-467-6777 to schedule a consultation and learn whether you might benefit from a body lift or other surgery options after weight loss.