I lost over 120lbs. Is a body lift required to get rid of the loose skin? (Photos)

Hello, and thank you for your question regarding whether a body lift is required to remove the loose skin after a 120-pound weight loss. Thank you for your history and your pictures. A 360 circumferential lower body lift is also known as a belt lipectomy or extended tummy tuck with a posterior butt lift. It’s an incision that goes from the front, around your lower body, and joints at the top of the butt crack. In your case, a 360 circumferential body lift would be perfect. During a 360 circumferential lower body lift, an abdominal plasty, hip lift/reduction, and buttock lift/reduction are performed. During your abdominoplasty, the pubic region is lifted and reduced. The rectus abdominis muscles are pliacted and the muscles are brought together. Excess abdominal skin and fat are removed, and the belly button is reconstructed. With a lower body lift also the excess skin of your hips would be removed, and your butt would be lifted. With the butt lift, a lot of the butt wrinkles would be permanently removed. If your chest bothers you, you could have the procedure done simultaneously. This would include a formal breast reduction. This can either be done with an incision underneath the breast as it joins the upper abdomen or an incision from the armpit down your side. Your chest reduction could be considered treatment for gynecomastia. However, most of your breast tissue is probably leftover residual fat from weight loss. Gynecomastia tissue is usually much firmer than residual fat. Either way, with your breast reduction, you would achieve significant improvement. If you choose the horizontal incision, the incision would be placed underneath the breast. However, this incision position leads to a quite visible scar. Most patients prefer the stealth incision. The stealth incision is made from the armpit down the side of your body. The chest is lateralized and flattened. The skin is removed, and the upper back is tightened. The nipple area complex is then relocated. Good luck.
I hope I answered your question regarding whether you need a body lift to remove the loose skin after a 120-pound weight loss. I hope this information helps you find answers regarding the 360 circumferential lower body lift. If you have any more questions regarding the lower body lift, 360 circumferential lower body lift, belt lipectomy, belt abdominoplasty, or belt dermolipectomy, please contact aa experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon. Since the body lift is a big procedure, please seek an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon with significant experience performing the lower body lift. Do your research. Ensure they have performed at least 150 circumferential lower body lift surgeries and have the before and after pictures to prove it. Carefully examine their before and after pictures and check their reviews on RealSelf. If you cannot find an experienced, lower-body lift surgeon in your neighborhood, consider traveling out of state if you must. Sincerely, Dr. Katzen. (Plastic Surgeon, President of the American Society of Bariatric Plastic Surgeons, certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Fellow of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American College of Surgery, and International College of Surgery and member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and RealSelf Hall of Fame.)

A body lift will be very beneficial regarding the skin laxity around your mid-section. Carrying the skin resection around the sides will significantly rejuvenate your outer thigh and buttocks. The skin removal along with liposuction will give you maximum benefit. I would not hesitate in proceeding. Thanks for sharing.

A body lift is a great start for the biggest improvement with one procedure IMHO. Chest surgery and back surgery may be desired as well. 2to 4 procedures over 2 years is a fair estimate to get it all done and heal well! Good Luck!

Congratulations on your weight loss. Body lift procedures, lower and upper can give you great results. Please find an experienced board certified Plastic surgeon who can examine you and help you with all your concerns. All the best!

Thank you for your question. Given the amount and distribution of skin laxity, you would benefit from an upper and lower body lift. A lower body lift will address loose skin around your abdomen, flanks, buttocks, and outer thighs. An upper body lift is needed for the upper back, arms, and chest laxity. These procedures can be staged or combined depending on your health, priorities, and recovery plan. Also, depending on the examination findings, you may need additional procedures such as liposuction, and some of the fat can be transferred to the buttocks. Schedule a consultation with a board-certified surgeon experienced in post-weight loss body contouring.

You’re an excellent candidate for a body lift. This is definitely the procedure that you will need in order to get the best results. This would include a circular tummy tuck, a Gynecomastia and possibly an upper back lift, any other alternative like Liposuction unfortunately will not help as what you need a skin removal.

Congratulations on your weight loss. Thank you for your photographs. Your skin has retracted to a certain degree after your weight loss but has lost some of its strength and elasticity. Further reductions and weight will decrease the volume underneath your skin, but likely will not produce further skin retraction. Therefore, the best way to remove the loose skin circumferentially around your body is to do a lower body lift. This is a powerful operation to contour your body and improves your abdomen, lifts your mons, gives a small improvement to your inner thighs, lifts your lateral thighs and buttocks and smooths your flank bulges. Drains and compression garments are required, as is time set aside for your recovery. Have a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss all of this in detail.

Dear Numbers57856,

congrats on the weight loss! Generally speaking, you want to reach your goal weight before you consider a skin removal, otherwise your results will be suboptimal if you continue to lose weight after the surgery. If you are considering surgery, I would suggest you consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination, you will get more information and recommendations.

Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Thanks for your question and pictures. Congratulations on the weight loss, that is a wonderful achievement! You do appear to be a very good candidate for a lower body lift with some liposuction. This procedure would address your abdomen, mons pubis, upper thighs, hips, love handles, and buttocks. Some fat transfer to the buttocks at the same time could help with shape in that area as well. You may also be a candidate for some combination of an upper body lift to address your chest, upper back, and arms. The upper body lift would be done in a separate surgery from the lower body lift. Make sure you meet with a board certified plastic surgeon who is experienced in these types of procedures.

Yes, a lower bodylift lift is exactly THE procedure you require. A lower body lift will address the redundant hanging skin circumferentially around the waist and address the sagging skin of the abdomen, waist, thighs, buttocks all in one procedure with a scar which is completely hidden by a bathing suit or underwear. It is a BIG surgery (7+ hours), requires the patient to be nutritionally & metabolically sound , but the results can be astonishing.