Body Contouring

Major weight loss often contributes to the development of skin laxity. Folds of skin can obscure the contours of your new figure and cause uncomfortable skin irritation. This can be problematic because of the hard work you’ve put into transforming your silhouette. Body contouring includes several surgical options designed to tighten and define different areas of the body.

Developing Your Body Contouring Plan

Body lift is a surgical procedure in which the entire outer thigh and buttock complex are lifted as one unit. This is a more modern and advanced technique where the incisions are hidden within the bikini lines, as opposed to the more visible area around the buttock crease. Body lift can be performed as an isolated procedure, but is more commonly performed with either abdominoplasty or an inner thigh lift.

The Body Contouring Process

Dr. Ackerman strives to provide his weight loss patients with natural-looking body contouring results that highlight their new physique. Different lifting techniques may be implemented as a part of your body contouring process, such as:

Abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck surgery, is performed to restore firmness to the abdominal area. Excess skin is trimmed away from the stomach, and the incision may be extended to include the hips and lower back.
Body lift targets the thighs and buttocks as a single unit. Lifting this area slims the thighs and also restores shape to the buttocks. This technique involves creating an incision along the bikini line, rather than along the buttocks.
Inner thigh lift removes folds of skin from the inner upper thigh. This restores shape to the legs and eliminates any painful irritation.
Arm lift treats the appearance of a “bat wing” that people often develop following significant weight loss. This technique trims away excess skin from the underside of the upper arm.

Recovery Process

The length of your recovery can vary depending on the number of areas being treated and the extent of correction needed. You will wear a compression garment throughout your recovery to minimize postoperative swelling and improve your results. Most people can return to work and low-impact activities after two weeks. It may be four weeks before you can resume your regular workout routine.

To schedule a body contouring consultation with Dr. Ackerman, our board-certified plastic surgeon, call our office at 949-759-3284.