Body Contouring After Weight Loss

Losing weight is a difficult but rewarding process that many individuals will face at some point in their lives. If you have successfully lost weight, you should be proud of your accomplishment! While losing weight can offer a confidence boost and improve your health, we also understand the frustration you may feel if you are left with excess skin drooping in areas where fat was once stored. Recently, many people have been able to lose lots of weight in a short timeframe with the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications like semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Zepbound, Mounjaro).

After you have made such progress in your weight reduction, Dr. Sean Younai can help you achieve your body image goals with a customized body contouring treatment. Dr. Younai and the California Center for Plastic Surgery are some of Los Angeles’ most trusted providers for detailed body sculpting and rejuvenation, and we can help you achieve the results you have been working hard toward.

If you would like to further enhance your appearance after losing weight, do not hesitate to schedule a consultation.

Call (310) 275-1971 today to speak to one of our expert professionals at either our Beverly Hills or West Hollywood location.

About Body Contouring After Weight Loss

Excess skin is a well-documented effect of massive weight loss, and it is becoming increasingly common as more individuals lose weight with GLP-1 medications. If weight is lost with these medications, this sagging skin is often referred to as “Ozempic face” or “Ozempic body.”

There are options available to help you sculpt your body after weight loss. The most common procedures patients will receive after weight loss are tummy tucks, arm lifts, breast lifts, thigh lifts, and body lifts.

Other body and facial rejuvenation procedures are also commonly incorporated into treatment plans, and some patients will also receive a liposuction treatment to remove any stubborn pockets of fat that have persisted despite their weight loss efforts.

Benefits

Rejuvenating the body, tightening muscles, and removing excess skin after weight loss offers many benefits for patients. When patients work with Dr. Younai to achieve their ideal body, they typically experience:

Candidates

Any patient with sagging, drooping skin can receive a tailored after-weight-loss body rejuvenation procedure at the California Center for Plastic Surgery. However, patients should be at or near their stable goal weight before receiving these treatments. Losing weight or gaining weight after these treatments can erase their results and potentially cause health complications. Patients who respond best to these treatments are those who are in good overall health, do not smoke or use nicotine in other forms, have realistic expectations, and are willing to follow Dr. Younai’s preparation, recovery, and maintenance instructions.

Personal Consultation

If excess skin on your body is causing you physical or emotional discomfort, then we encourage you to schedule a consultation with Dr. Younai. At this appointment, you will discuss your weight loss journey and your goals for your treatment. Dr. Younai will examine your skin and you will explore the options available to you.

Once you have determined what you want to treat, Dr. Younai and his team will create a plan that delivers optimal results for your unique case.

Your medical history will also be explored at this consultation. Because these body contouring treatments are surgical procedures, we want to ensure your safety by screening for any medications, supplements, past procedures, or existing conditions that may interfere with your recovery.

Preparation

You will receive specific preparation instructions from Dr. Younai after your initial consultation. These procedures are performed with the patient placed under general anesthesia, so you will likely be required to fast for a period before the day of your treatment.

You will most likely be required to avoid any blood-thinning medications or supplements–and alcohol–before your procedure. Finally, all patients are required to arrange transportation to and from their procedure. Further preparation instructions that are more specific to your unique treatment will be provided to you after your consultation.

Procedures

Tummy Tuck

The abdomen is one of the body’s biggest fat storage sites. When weight is reduced, many patients are left with excess skin around their torso. A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, removes this excess skin to sculpt a smooth, contoured, attractive midsection in weight loss patients. Another common complication of sagging skin in the abdomen is a condition called diastasis recti, which occurs when the abdominal muscles separate from the connective tissue and are left weak and unsupported. ⁽¹⁾

In a tummy tuck procedure, Dr. Younai begins with an incision below the belly button at the body’s natural underwear line. This incision will stretch from hip bone to hip bone and create a skin flap. ⁽¹⁾ Dr. Younai will dissect connective tissues through this flap and tighten the muscles with sutures. Once the necessary internal corrections are made, any unnecessary skin is trimmed off of the flap. Once this is done, the flap is tucked inside the abdomen to add extra support to the muscles. Your incisions are then closed, and you are left with a smooth torso that is free from unsightly, drooping skin, and strengthened abdominal muscles.

Body Lift

A body lift is an effective procedure to enhance the appearance of multiple parts of your body at once. Body lifts can focus on the whole body, but typically, doctors will localize these treatments to either the upper or lower body. An upper body lift focuses on the neck, shoulders, arms, breasts, back, and ribs, whereas a lower body lift will focus on the abdomen, flanks, thighs, buttocks, and hips. These procedures incorporate the same methods employed in other tuck and lift procedures to effectively remove excess skin and sculpt an attractive body.

Arm Lift

Body contouring after weight loss can also improve the appearance of arms. Many weight loss patients will have sagging skin on their arms, specifically around their biceps and triceps. This skin is commonly referred to as “bat wings.” ⁽²⁾ An arm lift, officially known as brachioplasty, removes this excess skin and tightens the muscles in the arms to sculpt a smooth, toned appearance.

Thigh Lift

The thighs and buttocks are another one of the body’s main fat storage sites. When weight is lost, the thighs can be left with sagging skin that contributes to an undesirable leg appearance. In a thigh lift, an incision is made along the thighs. Dr. Younai carefully removes excess tissue and sculpts the tights to an attractive, natural-looking image.

Breast Lift

A breast lift, or mastopexy, is an effective treatment for women whose breasts have become ptotic (sagging) after losing weight. The breasts are another one of the body’s main fat storage sites, and when weight is lost, they can appear deflated. This appearance is typically made worse by weakened pectoral muscles. ⁽³⁾ In a breast lift procedure, Dr. Younai will remove excess tissue on the breasts and tighten the pectoral muscles with sutures. This results in breasts that sit higher on the chest and have a healthy, perky, and youthful appearance, which restores confidence immensely.

These procedures are carefully performed to ensure normal nipple sensation. ⁽³⁾

Breast lift procedures are not exclusive to women, either. Male patients who struggle with gynecomastia (more commonly referred to as “man boobs”) can receive a male-specific breast lift that incorporates liposuction as well as breast lifting and muscle tightening. The result of this procedure is a strong, masculine chest with pectoral muscles that patients are proud to show off.

Recovery

Recovery from your post-weight-loss body contouring will depend on what procedures are involved in your treatment and the overall scale of each procedure. You will receive specific recovery instructions from Dr. Younai after your consultation and before you are dismissed after your procedure. It is normal for patients to experience some bruising, swelling, or soreness after their treatments. You will receive prescriptions for pain medications and antibiotics, and these should be taken as instructed.

We also encourage you to take light walks to stimulate normal blood flow and reduce swelling. Heavy exertion and intense exercise should be avoided for at least six weeks.

Results

Once your healing has progressed and your swelling has reduced, you will accurately see the adjustments made to your figure. Parts of your body that were once obscured by excess skin will now be toned, smooth, and contoured. You may feel more comfortable in new clothing and feel your confidence grow as you live life with the body you have been working hard to achieve.

Cost

Because each patient’s post-weight-loss body contouring treatment is planned to uniquely meet their goals, costs can vary between cases. When you meet with Dr. Younai and discuss your goals, you will receive a cost estimate for your treatment.

The California Center for Plastic Surgery also offers various financing options.

If you have questions about procedures, payments, pricing, or anything else, please call (310) 275-1971 to speak with a representative at either our Beverly Hills or West Hollywood office.

References

1. Regan JP, Casaubon JT. Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck). PubMed. Published 2020. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK431058/
2. Nagrath N, Winters R. Brachioplasty. PubMed. Published 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK585115/
3. Qureshi AA, Myckatyn TM, Tenenbaum MM. Mastopexy and Mastopexy-Augmentation. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 2018;38(4):374-384. doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/asj/sjx181