Contouring

Every year, more than 50 million Americans try a new diet. According to estimates, nearly two-thirds of all U.S. adults are overweight. Fortunately, many people are able to win the battle of the bulge and lose excess pounds through diet, exercise or gastric bypass surgery. While this is great for health and self-confidence, many people are then left with loose, sagging skin. What can people do to remove this excess skin? Body contouring treatments are one of the most popular solutions, providing a safe and effective solution for many people.

However, no plastic surgery is without risks. Before you decide if body contouring is right for you, consider both the potential risks and benefits of this treatment. By understanding how the surgery works, the results you can expect and the possible side effects, you’ll be better prepared to make the decision that is right for your health, lifestyle and needs.

The Advantages of Body Contouring Treatments

The biggest benefit of having body contouring surgery is the ability to regain a firmer, more youthful appearance. Individuals who have experienced significant weight loss, people entering middle age and women who have had children can especially benefit from body contouring treatments. By eliminating excessive skin and fat, surgeons can help patients improve their appearance and body confidence.

Body contouring can be performed on many different areas of the body, which gives patients the freedom to choose which option is right for their needs and goals. The abdomen, arms, buttocks, lower body and breasts are all areas where body contouring can be used to sculpt, shape, lift and tighten the body. Some patients choose a combination of two or more procedures, while others opt for a total body lift.

Potential Risks of Body Contouring Treatments

In addition to considering what you may gain by having body contouring surgery, you should also consider the possible risks and complications. While this procedure is regarded as safe by doctors, all surgery carries some risk. Some of the possible complications associated with body contouring procedures include blood clots, excessive bleeding and infection. Depending on where or how the surgery is performed, patients may also experience scarring. This scarring often fades over a period of months, but some people may require additional surgery to minimize scarring and remove scar tissue.

Any type of cosmetic plastic surgery comes with both benefits and possible risks. Before you decide if body contouring is right for you, spend some time carefully reviewing your goals. Always keep realistic expectations in order to get the most out of your plastic surgery experience. Spend some time discussing your options with your doctor in order to determine if you are a candidate.

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Body contouring is a series of plastic surgery operations, which can be divided into two groups: lower body lift and upper body lift. Body contouring is the reshaping of the body’s problem areas and is a modern approach to cosmetic enhancement. Body contouring is also a safe and effective way to combat the unsightly sagging skin that often accompanies massive weight loss.


The cost of body contouring is a major factor for patients to consider and is yet another reason not to take body contouring options lightly. The reason that body contouring is more often performed on adults is because the body of young individuals, like teens, is still in the development process.


The superficial fascial system (SFS), the connective tissue network that resides below the dermis, has been implicated as a pivotal structure in body contouring procedures. This has the potential of changing or enhancing postbariatric body contouring outcomes, as the surgeon is dealing with large surface areas of tissue that need to be approximated under significant tension.


According to the American Society of Bariatric Surgery (ASBS), 200,000 patients will undergo massive weight loss surgery this year, and 75% of them will seek a plastic surgeon for body contouring after the weight loss surgery. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons statistics, approximately 68,000 body contouring procedures were performed in 2005 on patients who had experienced massive weight loss.


Fat accumulation tends to occur circumferentially around the abdomen and flanks. Fat deposits in the thigh and lower body area can be particularly resistant to diet and exercise. Body fat distribution is determined by gender, age, degree of physical activity, nutritional habits, and in some circumstances, drugs. In men, percent body fat may increase from 20% in young men to 25% in older men. At all ages after puberty, women have a higher percentage of body fat than men.


Health insurance does not usually cover cosmetic surgery such as body contouring. Some health researchers are questioning whether body contouring is growing too fast, without a medical consensus on its risks and benefits. Doctors performed at least 112,000 stomach-reduction surgeries in 2003, a 740 percent increase over 1998, according to the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, a database of in-patient operations at hospitals compiled by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. You must be in good overall health and free of any active diseases or other pre-existing medical conditions that could complicate surgery and recovery.


Body contouring is not only suggested for those who have had a tummy tucks, but it is also recommended for those who have had children or those who’s bodies are changing with age. Body contouring is performed to enhance and improve your body’s appearance, and covers a variety of procedures. The best advice that I could give to a patient interested in body contouring is to research the doctor.

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