Woman Measuring Skin Fat With Measuring Tape

5 Places Body Contouring Can Eliminate Excess Skin After Bariatric Surgery

December 27, 2019 | Bariatric Surgery

Body contouring is the removal of excess skin and fat from specific areas of the body in order to reduce skin chafing and improve the look of the physique. After losing a substantial amount of weight from bariatric surgery so rapidly, there is leftover skin that can hang and cause discomfort. Worst of all, it’s a common fear that prevents people from even taking on weight less! We want to tell you that loose skin should not prevent you from doing good things for your health and that you have options to remove that skin with body contouring. Here are the 5 places most people remove excess skin from.

Upper Arm Skin

One of the most common complaints from people who lose a lot of weight, through bariatric surgery or otherwise, is the excess skin on the upper arms. It can give the appearance of ‘bat wings’ or ‘chicken wings’, and can cause excessive discomfort simply through moving around normally. This operation leaves a scar, but it is only visible if people are actively looking for it.

Chest Skin

Both men and women often report sagging chest skin after bariatric surgery. It can be extremely uncomfortable, especially during exercise. Women will typically get a procedure done that is similar to a breast lift. Men will usually get a procedure that is also used for men with excessive gynecomastia.

Abdominal Skin

Since belly fat is usually the reason people get bariatric surgery, it makes sense that the abdomen would have a lot of loose skin. However, it’s also one of the most common procedures done after weight loss. Removing abdominal skin in itself can result in a very large immediate weight loss. The typical procedure is similar to what some surgeons call a ‘mommy makeover’, reserved for women who just had a baby and want to remove the excess abdominal skin.

Face and Neck

Face lifts can be done if excess skin is left on the face after bariatric surgery. However, it’s not that commonly done and is generally reserved until after all the desired weight has been lost. Typically the target is the neck, which has lots of loose skin after weight loss.

Thighs

Excess skin from the thighs can be highly uncomfortable since it makes walking even more of a chore. Often times, excess thigh skin is due to lymphedema swelling going down after a large weight loss. This operation is not a trivial procedure and isn’t needed by most bariatric surgery patients. However, if it’s a concern, it can be done.

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