Whether you’ve lost a large amount of weight through weight loss surgery or with diet and exercise alone, it’s a great achievement worthy of celebration. Losing weight and reaching your healthy goals can add years to your life, and leave you feeling great. However, extreme weight loss can often result in unwanted loose skin on all areas of your body.
Often seen on the arms, buttocks, thighs or abdomen, loose skin can lead to a number of concerns that you may not have previously considered. These could include chaffing, feelings of heaviness and even infections.
If your weight loss has resulted in excess loose skin, you may be considering one or more options in body contouring.
Types of body contouring procedures
There are several options in body contouring procedures, each designed to help patients maximize their results after weight loss. The most commonly performed procedure is the tummy tuck. This procedure removes the excess skin that’s on the abdomen, and it can also repair separated abdominal muscles.
A lower body lift removes any excess abdomen skin, skin from the buttons and also skin from the upper and outer thighs. Some patients opt for just a thigh lift, which will remove excess loose skin and fat from both the upper and inner thighs.
An arm and breast lift can help to firm up loose excess skin, and return a youthful contour to the breasts. These options are quite popular amongst women who have lost a significant amount of breast tissue as a result of their extreme weight loss. It’s also important to note than men who’ve lost a lot of weight on their chest may also benefit from breast reduction surgery.
With so many options available to you, it can be confusing to determine which of these procedures are the best solution to help you to achieve your body contouring vision. Plastic surgery specialist, Dr. Justin Perron offers several tips to help ensure that patients get the absolute best results, the first time.
Ensure you are at your goal weight
Perhaps the best way to ensure that your cosmetic surgery procedures get you the right results is to make sure that you have reached and maintained your target weight. If you have not yet hit your target weight, and continue to lose weight after the surgery has been completed, it could negatively alter your results. You just may find that you get more sagging skin several months after you’ve just had a fair amount removed from your body.
This could mean you now need to live with the extra sagging skin, or you need to schedule another skin removal surgery.
Develop and maintain healthy lifestyle habits
The recovery process after body contouring surgery can be a challenge. It can take a fair amount of time, and a lot of lifestyle adjustment. It’s very important that you establish and maintain healthy habits prior to this type of surgery. If you’re already maintaining a healthy lifestyle that includes getting in plenty of exercise and eating healthy, then you’ll find that you are in a good position to see yourself recovering faster.
Quitting smoking and avoiding alcohol can help to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and will also prove to be a healthy part of recovery post-surgery.
Many patients who are preparing for body contouring surgery will prepare and freeze healthy meal options so that they can continue to enjoy healthy and nutritious meals even during the recovery process. It’s all too easy to indulge in those unhealthy food options if you’re not prepared.
Ensure that you have good support
Body contouring surgery can be physically challenging to recover from during those first few days and weeks. Having help at home can ensure that you are able to get up, walk around and tend to your healing incisions without too much pain.
Having family and friends support you and help you heal will reduce your stress levels, ensure that you are allowed to rest and relax, and make sure that it’s easier for you to see the results that you have been dreaming of.
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