Body

Body

Dramatic weight loss has many benefits. But after any substantial amount of weight loss due to weight loss surgery and/or lifestyle changes, the skin and tissues often lack the elasticity to conform to the reduced body size.

Surgical body contouring following major weight loss removes excess sagging skin and fat while improving the shape of the underlying support tissue. The result is a better-proportioned appearance with smoother contours.

Mommy Makeovers with Wess Cohen, MD

An arm lift, or brachioplasty, is a surgical procedure that:

  • Reduces excess sagging skin that droops downward
  • Tightens and smooths the underlying supportive tissue that defines the shape of the upper arm
  • Reduces localized pockets of fat in the upper arm region

Fluctuations in weight, growing older and heredity can cause your upper arms to have a drooping, sagging appearance. This is a condition that cannot be corrected through exercise.

Arm lift surgery may be right for you if the underside of your upper arms are sagging or appear loose and full due to excess skin and fat.

A body lift improves the shape and tone of the underlying tissue that supports skin and fat. Excess sagging skin and fat are removed and the procedure(s) can improve a dimpled, irregular skin surface.

A body lift may include these areas:

  • Abdominal area: locally or extending around the sides and into the lower back area
  • Buttocks
  • Thigh: the inner, outer or posterior thigh, or the thigh's circumference

Aging, sun damage, pregnancy, significant fluctuations in weight and genetic factors may contribute to poor tissue elasticity that can result in sagging of the abdomen, buttocks and thighs.

Body lifts are not intended strictly for the removal of excess fat. Liposuction alone can remove excess fat deposits where skin has good elasticity and is able to naturally conform to new body contours. In cases where skin elasticity is poor, body lift techniques along with liposuction may be recommended.

Butt Augmentation

Buttock augmentation, or gluteal augmentation, is used to improve the contour, size and/or shape of the buttocks. This is done through the use of buttock implants, fat grafting or sometimes a combination of the two.

Buttock implants are silicone-filled devices that are surgically placed deep within the tissues of the buttock. Buttock augmentation through the use of fat grafting involves the transfer of fat from one area of the body into the tissues of the buttocks. This technique is sometimes referred to as a Brazilian butt lift.

Buttock augmentation surgery can:

  • Increase fullness, roundness and projection of your butt or buttocks
  • Improve the balance of your figure
  • Enhance your self-image and self-confidence

In addition to buttock augmentation procedures, a buttock lift can be accomplished by the surgical removal of soft tissue.

Buttock Lift

A buttock lift, or gluteal lift, improves the shape and tone of the underlying tissue that supports skin and fat in the buttock area.

Aging, sun damage, pregnancy, significant fluctuations in weight and genetic factors may contribute to poor tissue elasticity that can result in sagging of the buttocks.

In order to achieve a smoother and more pleasing contour, excess sagging skin and fat are removed. A traditional gluteal lift will not make a butt larger, but may improve a dimpled, irregular skin surface. This procedure may be included in a body lift or may be performed separately.

Buttock lifts are not intended strictly for the removal of excess fat, nor are they intended to add volume to the buttocks. Fat grafting, buttock implants or auto-augmentation (when some of your own tissue is left underneath the skin) can be used to add volume. Liposuction is sometimes added for better contouring.

Liposuction, sometimes referred to as "lipo" by patients, slims and reshapes specific areas of the body by removing excess fat deposits and improving your body contours and proportion.

Liposuction can treat:

  • Abdomen
  • Ankles
  • Arms
  • Buttocks
  • Cheeks
  • Chin
  • Hips
  • Knees
  • Neck
  • Thighs
  • Upper Arms
  • Waist

Liposuction can be performed alone or along with other plastic surgery procedures, such as a facelift, breast reduction or a tummy tuck.

Liposuction is not:

  • A treatment for obesity or a substitute for proper diet and exercise.
  • An effective treatment for cellulite—the dimpled skin that typically appears on the thighs, hips and buttocks—or loose saggy skin.

The goal of a mommy makeover is to restore the shape and appearance of a woman's body after childbearing. Many women notice changes in their bodies post-pregnancy. There are many areas of the body that can be addressed, most commonly the breasts, abdomen, waist, genitalia and buttocks.

A mommy makeover is typically performed as a single-stage procedure. There are many techniques used to perform a mommy makeover, and many factors should be taken into consideration when choosing which techniques are best:

  • Desired amount of restoration
  • Placement of the incisions
  • Type of implant used

Possible procedures in a mommy makeover:

  • Breast augmentation
  • Breast lift
  • Buttock augmentation
  • Liposuction
  • Tummy tuck

Thigh lift surgery reshapes the thighs by reducing excess skin and fat, resulting in smoother skin and better-proportioned contours of the thighs and lower body.

If fitness and weight control efforts have not achieved your goals for a body that is firmer, more youthful-looking and more proportionate to your overall body image, a surgical lift may be right for you.

Thigh lifts are not intended strictly for the removal of excess fat. Liposuction alone can remove excess fat deposits where skin has good elasticity and is able to naturally conform to new body contours.

In cases where skin elasticity is poor, a thigh lift along with liposuction may be recommended.

Tummy tuck surgery, also known as abdominoplasty, removes excess fat and skin and, in most cases, restores weakened or separated muscles creating an abdominal profile that is smoother and firmer.

A flat and well-toned abdomen is something many of us strive for through exercise and weight control. Sometimes these methods cannot achieve our goals.

Even individuals of otherwise normal body weight and proportion can develop an abdomen that protrudes or is loose and sagging. The most common causes of this include:

  • Aging
  • Heredity
  • Pregnancy
  • Prior surgery
  • Significant fluctuations in weight

Tummy tuck surgery can't:

  • A tummy tuck is not a substitute for weight loss or an appropriate exercise program.
  • Although the results of a tummy tuck are technically permanent, the positive outcome can be greatly diminished by significant fluctuations in your weight. For this reason, individuals who are planning substantial weight loss or women who may be considering future pregnancies would be advised to postpone a tummy tuck.
  • A tummy tuck cannot correct stretch marks, although these may be removed or somewhat improved if they are located on the areas of excess skin that will be excised.
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