Many middle-aged women are unsatisfied with the effects of gravity on skin and fat deposits around the abdomen, hips, and thighs. Excess skin and stubborn bulges can sag and sink over the years, leading to an unbalanced figure and distorting the body’s natural contours.

Pregnancy can also lead to excess skin and fat deposits that can cause a woman to lose her youthful shape.

These sagging bulges and fatty tissue can be extremely difficult to correct with exercise and diet alone, since these parts of a woman’s body are predisposed to accumulating fat.

If you are dissatisfied with your figure and want to regain your youthful body contours, body lift surgery can be an attractive, effective option.

Body Lift Procedure

Body lift surgery is similar in technique to tummy tuck surgery, or abdominoplasty. The surgeon makes an incision across the abdomen, as in abdominoplasty, but in body lift surgery the incision also extends around the back. This allows excess skin and fat to be removed from the tummy, buttocks, and hips as the muscles and skin are tightened for a smooth, slim look.

If you would like to remove larger fatty deposits in addition to excess skin, body lift surgery can be combined with traditional liposuction surgery or VASER® Lipo. Body lift surgery can also be an important part of the Mommy Makeover Plan to restore your figure after pregnancy.

Body Lift Recovery

Because body lift surgery is a major procedure, recovery can be slow compared to more minor operations. While each person’s body is different and recovery length may vary, most body lift surgery patients are able to resume their normal activities after a month or so.

During this time, regular communication and checkups with your Board Certified Northern Virginia body lift plastic surgeon are crucial to a healthy recovery.

Some bruising and swelling in the affected area is normal but should be greatly reduced after a few weeks. After a week, stitches can be removed, though the scar may remain visible for six to nine months afterward. In the short term, you may be placed on an antibiotic regimen to prevent infection along with medication for pain.