After weight loss, I've got some serious flabbiness in my love handles. Is it loose skin or fat? Can I avoid surgery? (Photos)

Question

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Morpheus 8 is a non-invasive skin and soft tissue tightening treatment that is consistently amazing in our patients. We use the Morpheus to exact fractional induced RF into the skin or tissue in order to tighten collagen and stimulate contraction of the tissue. For acne scars, it is quite useful to build collagen in patients who have atrophic scars but is not very productive for ice-pick scars which require TCA Cross. For tissue tightening, Morpheus is ideal for the face and neck and we often combine it with CO2 laser or Ultherapy to further enhance results. Chemical peels and skin resurfacing should be done at least 5 to 7 days after, but can be performed earlier, depending on treatment severity. Avoid exfoliating skin treatments before Morpheus and expect a period of 2-4 weeks for skin contraction to set in.

Best, 
Dr. Karamanoukian 
Realself100 Surgeon

Tammy Polit, DO · Answer

In our practice, we have had excellent results with laser liposuction over the past 13 years. It is a several hour procedure where we use local, tumescent anesthesia so you do not have to be put "under". The laser is then inserted through tiny dot openings to shrink the skin and melt the fat. Then, the melted fat is removed and the area is sculpted. You will wear a garment/binder for 10-12 weeks to get the best skin shrinking effect. There is basically no downtime- just great results!

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

You need a formal evaluation by an expert in body shaping and contouring to determine what is best. The best in body contouring not only removes fat with energy devices like VASER ultrasound but also internally heats the skin with radiofrequency devices such as Renuvion (J-Plasma), InMode BodyTite, and ThermiRF to heat the undersurface of the skin and tighten it at the same time as fat removal. These combinations are called 4D HI-DEF VASER Liposuction and can only be done by a well-trained body contouring specialist. At the same time, fat should be harvested and purified, with PRP and stem cells added, and then injected into muscles, indentations and cellulite to get body shaping and contouring. For a Brazilian butt lift (BBL), we inject the fat into the buttock for contouring and lifting, but fat can also be used in areas such as the chest/breast, arms/shoulders, calves and face.  Cellulite should also be treated with a combination of Cellfina, subcision, and/or fillers such as Bellafill, Renuva synthetic fat, or Sculptra. If skin is very loose before surgery, then it will need to be removed: tummy tuck/abdominoplasty for lower abdominal skin; breast lift for excess breast skin; and/or a brachioplasty for loose arm skin.

Overall, you need a full assessment, but simple liposuction alone will not tighten skin and needs a combination of various methods -- fat removal, skin tightening, defining, fat grafting, skin removal -- to get the best in body contouring and body sculpting. See an expert. Best, Dr. Emer.

After weight loss, I've got some serious flabbiness in my love handles. Is it loose skin or fat? Can I avoid surgery? (Photos)

Answers (3)

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Everything you need to know about Skin Tightening

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After weight loss, I've got some serious flabbiness in my love handles. Is it loose skin or fat? Can I avoid surgery? (Photos)

Answers (3)

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Everything you need to know about Skin Tightening

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.