Young, old, or enjoying the golden age of the in-between, body contouring may be right for you. Body contouring shapes the body using surgical techniques like liposuction and skin excision to tighten and shape areas of the body from head to toe.
Is Aging the Only Reason for Body Contouring?
Aging is a primary cause of excess skin and a popular reason for body contouring. Aging reduces the amount of collagen in the skin. As collagen levels decline, skin becomes looser and thinner. Wrinkles and sagging develop. Body contouring can address these skin changes by removing excess skin. Aging is a common cause for body contouring, but certainly not the only one.
Our younger patients may not have age-related skin changes yet but can still experience skin laxity. The skin may be stretched out or damaged from pregnancy or weight changes.
Weight Changes – When you gain weight, fat cells grow bigger, expanding the volume of the body. The skin grows and stretches to accommodate the new body size. Weight loss causes fat cells to shrink, reducing the size of the body. Unfortunately, skin does not always contract back to its former size, especially when patients lose significant weight. After weight loss, many patients find they have uncomfortable loose skin that can make it difficult to exercise, fit into clothing, and feel confident with their new, smaller body. For this reason, body contouring is also very popular after bariatric surgery.
Pregnancy – Growing a baby takes space and the skin covering the abdominal area rapidly expands during this transformative time. Rapid skin expansion often results in stretch marks, essentially tears in the skin. After the baby is born, the stretched-out skin and skin damage remain.
Body contouring can correct skin laxity from aging, pregnancy, or weight loss. If you have loose skin, talk with us to learn more about this procedure.
Am I a Good Candidate for Body Contouring with Dr. Landis?
Age doesn’t matter in determining your candidacy for a body lift, but other factors can play an important role in deciding if this procedure is right for you.
Health – Body contouring is a surgical procedure, and that means it comes with an element of risk. These risks are low for patients that are in good health. Dr. Landis will talk with you about your health status, medical conditions, and medication usage to make sure you’re healthy enough for surgery.
Condition of the Skin – For a body lift to work, you need extra skin. Consider this procedure if you’re unhappy with the appearance of your skin due to laxity or sagging.
Weight – A body lift isn’t a weight-loss treatment. It works best on patients that are close to their ideal weight. If you’re hoping to lose more than 10-15 pounds in the future, it may be best to postpone your body lift until you’ve hit your target weight and can maintain it.
Pregnancy Status (Now and Later) – Body lifts are commonly performed after pregnancy as part of a mommy makeover. This procedure can reshape the abdominal area after pregnancy, restoring it to a flatter appearance. However, future pregnancies can stretch the skin again, effectively undoing the results of a mommy makeover. We recommend that patients save body contouring until they are finished having children and are no longer planning any future pregnancies.
If you’re interested in learning more about body contouring with Dr. Landis, contact our office for more information.