Body lift Charlotte NC

Bariatric surgery is designed to promote weight loss. It’s used for patients who are severely overweight, and have not been able to manage their weight through lifestyle changes. Studies have shown that bariatric surgery can significantly benefit the health of those who undergo such a procedure. After having bariatric surgery, patients often lose 100 pounds or more.

Most people don’t undertake this surgery primarily for its aesthetic benefits. Generally, they choose it in order to improve their health and to be able to live a more active lifestyle, and looking better is just a nice bonus. Still, most patients picture themselves with a thin, fit body after weight loss. However, nearly all people will find themselves with folds of excess skin after a major weight loss, which can leave them feeling insecure about their appearance and unable to participate in life as fully as they’d like.

While bariatric surgery is a highly effective way for people to accomplish massive weight loss, those who lose a lot of weight through dramatic lifestyle changes have the same problem with excess skin. It’s not bariatric surgery itself that causes this problem, but the resulting weight loss. Why does the excess skin remain, and what can be done about it?

Why is there excess skin after weight loss?

The body has spent many years accumulating excess fat tissue. As fat tissue grows, the skin gradually expands in order to accommodate it. The existing skin does not simply stretch over the extra fat. Rather, extra skin tissue grows, allowing the skin to cover the larger body and still be able to move and stretch.

Although the body does grow extra skin when the fat gets larger, it doesn’t reabsorb this extra skin when it’s no longer needed. Once the fat is removed, the extra skin remains. Although skin does have some elastic properties and may therefore shrink to some degree, it will rarely be able to completely accommodate a dramatic reduction in body size. The extra skin remains on the body, but without any tissue underneath to support it, it simply hangs in folds.

Can diet and exercise help?

Patients sometimes hope that toning and tightening their muscles will get rid of the folds of skin and give them the slim body shape they desire. Unfortunately, this won’t work. Although working out is certainly a great idea to build a strong and healthy body, it doesn’t affect the skin. Similarly, dietary changes or supplements will not be able to get rid of excess skin. No matter how much you exercise or how healthy your diet is, the skin simply cannot become elastic enough to shrink down and fit smoothly onto the new smaller body.

Fortunately, although the excess skin won’t go away on its own, there is a way to attain the appearance that you desire. A plastic surgeon can help by removing the excess skin. The procedure is referred to as body contouring, or a body lift.

What is body contouring?

Some of the procedures that can be included in a body contouring procedure include a tummy tuck, breast lift, buttock and thigh lift, and upper arm lift. Additionally, if there are any stubborn pockets of fat that haven’t responded to the weight loss, liposuction can be used to remove those.

A body lift is a very personalized procedure, so exactly what is included will vary from person to person. Each person’s pattern of weight gain and weight loss varies according to genetics, so different people will experience problems with different parts of the body. Some patients carry most of their weight in their hips and thighs, and so a buttock and thigh lift is the most important part of the procedure for them. Others carry most of their weight in the abdomen, so a tummy tuck will be very important for them, while the thighs may not be much of an issue. Dr. Erik Miles personalizes the body contouring procedure for each patient, to address the specific areas that are concerning to them.

Do you need body contouring? – body lift Charlotte NC

If you’ve recently experienced a significant weight loss, whether you chose bariatric surgery or lifestyle changes to accomplish this, then we’d like to congratulate you on taking control of your health. If you’re one of the many people who needs body contouring after your weight loss, then we’ll be happy to help you finally attain the body of your dreams. If it’s been at least a year since your weight loss and you’ve reached a stable weight, then a consultation with a qualified plastic surgeon is your next step. Based on your physical examination and medical history as well as your goals for your body, a personalized treatment plan will be created for you.

You’ve invested time and effort into your body, and it shows in your newly healthy weight. Now it’s time to address the excess skin, so you can have a body that lets you feel comfortable and confident. As a double-board certified plastic surgeon who has often performed body contouring in the Charlotte area, Dr. Erik Miles has seen how this procedure can change people’s lives. Please contact our office to book your consultation. You deserve to feel great about your body.