Losing a significant amount of weight takes a lot of self-discipline and hard work. Unfortunately, seeing success on the scale does not automatically translate to being satisfied with the body you see in the mirror. Depending on your age and genetics, you are liable to find that you have loose skin that makes you look less thin than you would otherwise.
This happens because your skin previously had to stretch to fit over your larger body and now is no longer elastic enough to snap back over your slighter frame. Since no amount of diet and exercise can get rid of loose skin, cosmetic surgery is your best option. Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Robert Galiano discusses some of the most appropriate procedures below:
Tummy Tuck
Because your midsection stores a lot of fat, the stomach is one area where you are most likely to notice loose skin. Even after taking off the weight, your belly can have a pooch that is mostly extra skin. Abdominoplasty removes excess skin, tightening and toning the appearance of your tummy.
Thigh Lift
Fat also accumulates in your thighs (particularly for women), so you may find that you have loose skin on your upper legs after losing weight. Not only does excess skin pose a cosmetic concern, but it also becomes an annoyance by causing chafing. By removing some of this skin with thigh lift, you should feel more comfortable wearing shorts.
Body Lift
Often times after weight loss, you may discover that you have loose skin all over your body rather than concentrated to one area. In this situation, body lift becomes the most appropriate option. This surgery simultaneously addresses excess skin on the abdomen, back, flanks, buttocks, and thighs. It may also be the best way to achieve proportional body contours.
Breast Lift
After losing fat in your breasts, you may also notice that your breasts droop lower than they did before. Breast lift removes the excess skin from your breasts so that they sit higher on your chest, achieving a more youthful and appealing elevation.
Liposuction
One last procedure that can improve your body’s contours is liposuction. This may sound counterintuitive since you just lost so much weight, but liposuction is not a weight-loss surgery like many people assume. In actuality, liposuction is meant to target the lingering pockets of fat that were resistant to your diet and exercise efforts. If you have a few problem areas where a modest amount of fat persists, you can improve your contours with liposuction.
Learn More About Your Options from Dr. Galiano
To finish your weight-loss journey with one or more body contouring procedures that will allow you to show off the figure you have worked so hard to attain, please schedule a consultation with Chicago’s finest plastic surgeon, Dr. Galiano, online or by calling 312-926-4382.
