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Should I go with Skin Tightening, Smart Lipo, or Would I Generally Require Abdominoplasty?

asked 10 months ago by Faith7674
Latest answer by John Whitt, MD
Question viewed 276 times
Tags: arms, back, stomach, thighs, excess skin, comparison, massive weight loss, options, pooch

I was a severely overweight teen and in my late 20s now I am losing the remainder of the weight and getting down to my goal weight. My stomach still has a med. sized pooch of fat and loose saggy skin, my upper arms are toned but have some saggy skin, my neck and back are lightly saggy and the area on the top of my inner thighs has saggy skin and a small deposit of fat that doesnt go away. Which option would be most recommended.

8 answers to Should I go with Skin Tightening, Smart Lipo, or Would I Generally Require Abdominoplasty?

+1

Abdominoplasty Required For Significant Skin Tightening

In order to obtain significant tightening of abdominal skin, especially after pregnancy or moderate or greater weight loss, an abdominoplasty is necessary. Liposuction, smart lipo, etc. are simply unable to tighten the skin which has lost its elasticity. In fact, there may well be worsening of the problem after lipo alone.
John Whitt, MD

Louisville Plastic Surgeon
+1

Liposuction with loose skin

The situation you have requires evaluation by an experienced plastic surgery. Be wary of a provider that tries to talk you into a laser liposuction procedure as many of these providers claim to be plastic surgeons but are not Board Certified Plastic Surgeons. Most plastic surgeons at a recent plastic surgeon meeting in Boston felt that laser liposuction offers little if any advantage over tumescent liposuction. If you have loose skin you will most likely need excision... more
Gary Hall, MD

Kansas City Plastic Surgeon
+1

Loose skin

It sounds as if you already have loose skin and if you are still posing weight there will be more. Skin tightening procedures will not tighten you as much as you might like. You will most likely need lifts and tucks to give you what you want. Consult with a board certified plastic surgeon.
David Nicholas Csikai, MD

Jacksonville Plastic Surgeon
+1

Loose abdominal skin. Tummy tuck or liposuction?

If you have a lot of saggy skin in you lower abdomen, liposuction alone (Laser or not ) will not make the skin shrink enough. However liposuction can be used as an adjunct to surgery to better contour your upper belly and sides. I would recommend you see a Board Certified PLastic Surgeon who can help you achieve your goals. Best of luck!
Dana Khuthaila, MD

New York Plastic Surgeon
+1

Abdominoplasty

From your description i would think that liposuction would not be appropriate.i wont get inti the theoretic advantages of smart lipo versus regular lipo. you have extra skin. it must be removed to have a good result
Jonathan Saunders, MD

Newark Plastic Surgeon

www.drjonathansaunders.com

+1

Lipo and loose skin

In general, if your skin is loose now, removing the fat with liposuction (any type) will result in more loose skin. For liposuction to be successful, the skin has to be able to "shrink-wrap" after removal of the fat. If you have stretch marks, that signifies poor contracting ability of the skin. You have to be honest with yourself and assess the quality and looseness of your skin. A board certified plastic surgeon will give you an honest opinion regarding... more
Ricardo Izquierdo, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon
+1

Body Contouring After Weight Loss

Dear Faith7674, I would consult with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. If you have a significant amount of loose skin, which is common after significant weight loss, a lift/tuck procedure is likely necessary. I would be very wary of seeing a provider who performs liposuction (eg. Smartlipo) but does not perform lift procedures (eg. common at some "medical spas"). Such a provider is likely to tell you that their laser can tighten your skin, which is likely a setup for... more
Larry Fan, MD

San Francisco Plastic Surgeon
+1

Get a consultation

You need to see a board certified plastic surgeon and have them see what you need and what your problems are. Smart lipo does nothing more than regular lipo in my estimation. If you need to have skin tightening you need some form of surgery.
William B. Rosenblatt, MD

New York Plastic Surgeon

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