If you are unhappy with the shape of certain areas of your body, you may be a candidate for body contouring. Body contouring procedures most often involve the removal of excess or sagging skin which has lost its elasticity and won’t respond to exercise or additional weight loss. Leif Rogers, MD is board certified in plastic surgery and has years of experience with body contouring procedures – ranging from simple and minimal to complex and extensive.
FAQs about body contouring
What areas of the body can be treated?
Body contouring procedures can be done on a number of stubborn areas of the body where excessive skin remains or is sagging. It is most commonly done on the thighs, abdomen, neck, lower back and arms.
What is the procedure like?
Depending upon the area treated, a body contouring plan will be constructed for that specific area and your specific needs. In general, a carefully planned incision will be made to remove a section of skin from the body. After the tissue removal, the remaining skin will be sutured or “stitched” together to tighten the skin and return it to a more normal appearance. The incision lines and sutures will be performed in a fashion designed to minimize and hide scarring which may result. In most cases, general anesthesia will be recommended.
What is the recovery period like?
The recovery period from a body contouring procedure will depend on the area treated and how much skin has been removed. Smaller procedures will take less time, while procedures involving removal of a great deal of skin may require several weeks for a return to normal activity. In all cases, bruising and swelling are likely. Bandaging, and in some cases, pressure garments will be required to be worn for several days while swelling subsides and to allow tissues to heal in the proper position. Most patients will need several days of rest and in some cases may need to suspend any activity for a week or more. Complete results may not be seen for several weeks but unless weight gain occurs, re-stretching tissues, body contouring is considered to be a permanent procedure.
Who is a good candidate for body contouring?
People who have experienced a great deal of weight loss, women who have had children and have excess abdominal skin and older patients who have lost elasticity in their skin are often the most appropriate patients for body contouring. In some cases, patients who have undergone liposuction but have not had a normal skin recovery may be good candidates as well. Good health is required for any type of surgery and patients should not smoke for at least two weeks prior to the procedure or during recovery as smoking may interfere with recovery.
What About Combination Treatments?
In some cases, when there is a great deal of excess skin or when you wish to combine liposuction with a contouring procedure, a “lift” surgery may be recommended. Common types of more extensive contouring procedures include “Butt Lifts”, “Thigh Lifts”, “Arm Lifts” and “Tummy Tucks”.
Can the removed skin be used for something else?
Surprisingly, in some cases, skin that has been removed can be used to extract natural collagen for injection into other areas of the body. The skin tissue is separated, dissolved and purified to extract your own natural collagen – which may then be used for procedures such as lip augmentation and line and wrinkle reduction on the face.
You can read more about Body Contouring here on our website and also browse the catalog of cosmetic procedures we have available to improve your appearance. If you are unhappy about a certain area of your body, a consultation with Dr. Rogers and his staff will help you determine your needs, options for improvement and potential outcome of each type of procedure or area of your body that you are wanting to improve.
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