Choosing to undergo cosmetic surgery on one part of your body is a big decision. Choosing to undergo a cosmetic procedure on your entire body is a whole different type of big decision. The body lift is a huge life-changing procedure for patients who have undergone a massive weight loss and are looking to help their outsides match their newly contoured insides. But, the procedure itself isn’t as simple as one may think. Let’s go over the five things you should know about the body lift before you get one for yourself.
1. A Body Lift is Really a Combination of Procedures
The term “body lift” is given to the surgical procedure that helps to reduce as much excess skin around the body after the patient has lost a significant amount of weight. However, a body lift isn’t just one procedure. The body lift is usually a combination of skin tightening procedures including a tummy tuck, thigh lift, arm lift, butt lift and/or breast lift. Because not every patient is going to need the same combination of procedures, the body lift is tailored to your body’s specific needs and your desired results.
2. A Body Lift Alone Won’t Remove Excess Fat
While, yes, a body lift absolutely helps to reveal the body’s new contours hidden under layers of sagging skin, the body life alone won’t help you get rid of any stubborn pockets of fat that you haven’t been able to target through a balanced diet or going to the gym. In addition to your body lift, consider getting liposuction on areas you may feel you have some extra stubborn fat, like in your midsection or around your thighs. This combination of fat and skin removal can help you get the ultimate contoured look.
3. A Body Lift Can Help More than Just Your Appearance
Patients undergoing a body lift don’t just do it for their appearance – they do it for their physical and mental well-being as well. Many patients with excessive sagging skin suffer from chaffing and lugging around an extra 20lbs of extra dead weight on their bodies on a day-to-day basis. Removing the extra skin from their bodies will help reduce that chaffing and lighten their load for their workout routines. A body lift can also lift a patient’s spirits. Removing excess skin to reveal the body the patient worked so hard for can give them the confidence boost they’ve been looking for.
4. Body Lift Recovery May Take Some Time
Remember that a body lift is a combination of body contouring and skin removal procedures done all at the same time. While patients generally only need about 10 to 14 days of recovery time to start going back to their normal daily activities, this time really just depends on your body’s natural healing process. It’s important to rest as much as you feel you need to and not to push your limits during your recovery process.
5. A Body Lift isn’t Right for Everyone
As perfect as a body lift may sound for your needs, realistically, a body lift isn’t right for everyone. The ideal patients for a body lift suffer from excess, loose skin all over the body, are non-smokers, are at a stable weight near their ideal weight goal and have realistic expectations of what a body lift can do for them. The best way to find out if a body lift is right for you is to schedule your one-on-one consultation with Dr. DePerro. He’ll sit down with you, evaluate your current condition, listen to your concerns and develop a fully customized treatment plan for you to help you reach all of your aesthetic goals.
Still not sure if a body lift is the right treatment for you? Contact us today to set up your one-on-one body lift consultation with Dr. DePerro today.