Your body changes over time. At some points in your life, your body may increase in size. At other moments, your body may decrease in size. Much will depend on your health and your lifestyle, as well as various other factors. Sometimes those changes occur rapidly and other times they occur slowly.
These changes in your body might bring you into closer alignment with your ideal self or may stretch you further out of phase with that ideal. In either case, you might require plastic surgery to truly get the body you want—but the nature of that surgery will change depending on where your body is and what your desired final result is.
In other words, finding the right body contouring for yourself will depend on your own unique needs and desires. Getting the results you want will mean choosing the right body contouring procedure.
Thankfully, there are many body contouring procedures available to address a wide variety of issues. Whatever you might be grappling with as a patient may have a body contouring solution.
Eliminating Excess Fat With Body Contouring
One of the most common desires when it comes to body contouring is the elimination of excess fat. In most cases, this does not take the form of a massive weight loss (of the type accomplished by bariatric surgery). Rather, body contouring focuses on ensuring you have the body shape you desire. Most patients of this type of body contouring, therefore, are already close to their ideal weight (or at least of a stable weight).
Elimination of fat is usually accomplished with a liposuction procedure. During a liposuction, a small incision is made in the target area. A small cannula is then inserted through that incision in order to remove the fat. Liposuction is generally regarded as a minimally invasive procedure that is capable of generating life-changing results.
We say “life-changing” because, in most cases, liposuction is used to remove stubborn areas of fat that have proven immune to diet and exercise. For many patients, this is the culmination of an otherwise completely successful weight loss journey. For other patients, liposuction represents the opportunity to finally achieve the transformation they’ve always wanted.
Eliminating Excess Tissue or Skin with Body Contouring
As your body changes, grows, and shrinks, your skin must always attempt to accommodate that. Therefore, your skin has a kind of built in elasticity. It can grow and shrink. But as you age, the expansion of your skin comes more easily than the tightening of your skin.
That’s why many body contouring procedures are designed to eliminate excess skin. That excess skin can be a big source of discomfort for patients—especially patients that have put considerable work into losing weight.
Many body contouring procedures are designed to address specific areas of excess skin:
- Tummy tuck: Perhaps the most popular body contouring option, tummy tuck procedures are designed to eliminate excess skin from around the belly area. This excess skin can develop due to extreme weight loss or due to other events, such as pregnancy. The procedure will also often tighten the abdominal muscles to provide added strength and structure, making the belly appear more youthful and fit.
- Lower Body Lift: Patients who have undergone a significant weight loss will often have a large amount of excess skin, especially in the lower body, including the backside and upper legs. A lower body is a relatively substantial procedure that seeks to remove a large degree of excess skin from these areas. The end results are often quite dramatic: smoother, more youthful looking skin and a completion of the weight loss journey.
- Arm Lift: Many patients will often develop excess tissue in the arms as they age. This is especially true if they have recently lost weight, but not always. In these cases, an arm lift can mitigate the “flags” that often cling to one’s upper arms. This can make the arms look smooth and more in line with a fit, young aesthetic.
There are, of course, more “lift” procedures designed for various areas of the body. If you find yourself with a large amount of excess skin, one of these body contouring procedures might be the right fit for you. These procedures can include a butt lift or a breast lift.
It’s worth noting that there is no diet or exercise regiment in the world that can eliminate excess skin. That’s why body contouring is often one of the best ways to address the issue of too much skin.
Getting the Body You Want
Whether you’re looking into a body contouring procedure that is designed to mitigate fat or eliminate excess skin, the end goal is the same: getting the body you want. It’s true that for some patients, getting that body is a matter of eating right and exercising daily.
But for other patients, the best way to achieve the look you’re after is to look into the possibility of plastic surgery. These body contouring procedures are designed to simultaneously give you a more youthful appearance and make you look a little more slim and fit.
After all, one reason so many patients complain about excess skin is because it confines them in the same way that excess fat does. Patients with excess skin often will not wear shorts or revealing clothing or will often cover up at the beach because of the discomfort they feel with that excess tissue.
Body contouring surgery is a way to help you feel cool and confident in your own skin. For many patients, it’s the culmination of a long weight loss journey. For others, it’s simply a profound transformation.
If you want to know what body contouring procedure is right for you, contact Dr. Bosbous to schedule a confidential and complimentary consultation, during which you can discuss your desired outcomes and the best way to achieve them.
Contact us today to get started!