How to know the severity of loose skin and best treatment option?

Hi,
When assessing the severity of loose skin, especially in areas like the thighs, surgeons typically look at factors like skin elasticity, the amount of excess skin, and whether the skin has lost its ability to "bounce back" after weight loss or aging. For some patients, a thigh lift might be necessary to remove excess skin and provide more significant results, especially if there is a substantial amount of sagging.
For others, less invasive treatments like BodyTite, TempSure ENVI™, or Morpheus8 might be suitable options. These treatments use radiofrequency energy or microneedling to stimulate collagen production, which can help tighten the skin and improve its texture without surgery.
The cause of loose skin (whether from aging or weight loss) can influence the best treatment approach. In cases of weight loss, where the skin may have been stretched significantly, a more invasive procedure may be necessary. For age-related skin laxity, non-invasive treatments may be more effective.
I would recommend consulting with a professional to get a personalized assessment and determine the best path for you.
Good luck!

It’s going to come down to how much loose skin there is on exam, what is the overall skin quality like, what results you want to achieve, and are you ok with a scar or not? For mild skin laxity, you can generally get very good results with skin tightening alone. Once you start getting a moderate to severe amount of loose skin, an arm lift (brachioplasty) is the best option.

During a physical exam your surgeon will assess your skin elasticity to determine the correct procedure recommendation. They are trained to know how much improvement could be expected based on your skin quality from the different options available. For example BodyTite is designed for those who have mild to moderate skin laxity. So if a patient has loose, hanging skin with several stretch marks, BodyTite would not be the option to get the best results. I've included a video I hope you find helpful.

A thorough physical examination which involves touching and pinching the skin as well as moving it around is required in order to determine a proper procedure when loose skin is involved. Experience of the surgeon is extremely important as well. I hope this helps and good luck, Leonard Grossman, MD organic Plastic Surgery.