Our body changes with age, whether it’s from significant weight changes or pregnancy. Various body contouring procedures can help improve body contour and appearance. This includes liposuction, or removal of fat using specialized instruments that require small incisions, or excisional surgeries such as abdominoplasty, arm lift (brachioplasty), and thigh lift (thighplasty).
Patients who lose a significant amount of weight, such as after bariatric surgery, may experience excess skin of their face or body. In all areas, treatment includes removal of the excess skin and sometimes tightening of the tissue below the skin. Improvement in face and neck contour is through facelifting and neck lifting. Breast drooping (ptosis) and deflation are treated with breast lift (mastopexy) and possibly breast augmentation. Treatment of the trunk depends on the amount of excess skin and may involve abdominoplasty or body lifting to improve the shape of the thighs and buttocks. Excess skin around the bra line can be removed (upper back or bra line lift). Brachioplasty (arm lift) and thighplasty (thigh lift) involve removing skin from the arm and thighs, respectively. Many procedures may involve some degree of liposuction to remove excess fat and help improve skin tightening and overall contour.