Full Body Lift

A full body lift is a cosmetic procedure that circumferentially removes excess skin from the mid-torso that typically presents after significant weight loss. It often includes additional affected areas like the thighs, back, and arms. The body lift addresses all areas from the bottom of the breast to the mid-thigh with a combination of skin tightening and fat removal or repositioning. This combined procedure is typically the most effective method for dealing with the increase in sagging skin due to rapid weight loss.

At our Marin County surgical center, Dr. Yngvar A. Hvistendahl can sculpt and shape the most common problem areas on the body, creating a physique you can be proud of.

To schedule a private consultation at Plastic Surgery Specialists, please do not hesitate to call our office at 415-925-2880. You may also fill out this contact form to take the first step.

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What is a Full Body Lift?

Losing a significant amount of weight is an incredible achievement for your health and your self-confidence. When you experience relatively sudden and significant changes in body weight, the skin often cannot keep up, which results in sagging skin. Sagging skin can drape under the arms, around the abdomen, thighs, and neck, negatively impacting your figure and body shape.

The term body lift refers to a variety of body contouring procedures that lift and tighten the abdomen, inner and outer thigh, and in some cases, medial thigh and buttock concurrently. It also improves the tone and shape of the core tissue responsible for supporting fat and skin.

Skin Elasticity

Skin elasticity describes your skin’s ability to bounce back to its original shape after being pulled or tugged. Loss of elasticity comes with aging, a reduction of collagen, and a change in your body’s shape due to significant shifts in weight. Each person’s skin’s elasticity varies depending on their genetics, age, and lifestyle factors. These include environmental hazards, smoking, eating and sleep habits, and stress.

Studies have also shown that those who are overexposed to the sun experience greater weathering and degradation of the elasticity of their skin. Body lift procedures address this issue by tightening or completely removing damaged skin to repair areas that are stretched and not able to shrink back on their own.

Body Lift Techniques

Upper Body Procedures

A body lift is a combination of surgeries that can be performed as a comprehensive procedure to treat skin laxity on either the upper or lower body. ⁽¹⁾ It can include three or more surgical procedures depending on your particular case. These combined surgeries offer specific and personalized results.

Arm Lift

Also known as the brachioplasty, an arm lift removes sagging underarm skin, sometimes referred to as bat wings. It typically involves removing the excess skin under the arms with an incision near the armpits.

Breast Lift

A breast lift removes excess skin and reshapes the breast mound to restore a more anatomically youthful position. This surgery uses many different techniques depending on the amount of sagging and the shape of an individual’s breasts. Usually, we remove excess skin from the lower half and adjust the nipple-areola complex for a proportionate and lifted appearance.

Back Lift

A back lift corrects excess skin on the upper portion of the back, also known as bra rolls. This concern often prevents clothes from fitting correctly or hinders your overall body contour. We remove and join the excess skin to provide a slimmer, more contoured back.

Lower Body Procedures

Tummy Tuck

Also known as abdominoplasty, a tummy tuck removes excess skin around the waist and abdomen. The surgeon places incisions along the lower abdomen from hip to hip. Then he lifts the skin away from the abdominal muscles before tightening them. Finally, he removes excess skin and joins the remaining tissue to provide a flat, sculpted midsection.

Thigh Lift

A thigh lift removes excess skin from around the inner and outer thighs. The surgeon places incisions along the thighs to lift and tighten the skin upwards for a more contoured, toned appearance. Any scars that remain continue to fade and are hidden under a majority of clothing.

Butt Lift

A butt lift surgically removes skin from the buttocks to provide a more youthful behind using an incision near the hip area. We remove excess skin and lift the remaining tissue to secure the buttocks into a more lifted position.

By extending the incision from the tummy tuck around to the crease just above the buttock, the entire waistline, buttock, and lateral thigh can be lifted in one procedure. ⁽²⁾ Any combination of these procedures offers optimal lifting and skin extraction to smooth and contour large portions of the body.

How Can I Benefit from a Full Body Lift?

Each of these individual body lift procedures is further customizable according to your body type and goals. A body lift provides the following benefits:

Ideal Candidates

Patients who have recently lost a significant amount of weight, for example from bariatric surgery like the gastric sleeve or weight loss medications like semaglutide, are generally good candidates for a body lift procedure. Typically these patients have an envelope of skin that no longer fits their body size. They should be in good health and feel committed to maintaining a healthy lifestyle post-surgery.

This procedure is not an alternative to weight loss or healthy living. Many PSS Weight Loss Program patients who complete their journey to a healthier life undergo a body lift to contour their new shape.

Personal Consultation at PSS

You will meet with Dr. Hvistendahl to thoroughly discuss your body lift candidacy. During this private consultation, your surgeon will perform a physical examination of the treatment areas and ask questions about your cosmetic goals. This will help to formulate a procedure plan that addresses your needs. Your surgeon will inquire about your medical history and current medications, taking care to note any allergies or anomalies that may impact your ability to have surgery. If you are a good candidate, your surgeon will explain the entire process to you. At the end of this meeting, a member of our staff will schedule your future appointments.

Preparation

To ensure the best results, we ask you to follow some important steps in the weeks leading up to the procedure. Our team of highly trained staff will guide you and make recommendations specific to your needs. Generally speaking, if you are a smoker, we require you to stop three weeks before the procedure. If you take any anti-inflammatory medication, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, you should stop at least two weeks before. We will discuss all other preoperative steps during your consultation.

Full Body Lift Procedure

There are three common steps to each procedure. We place you under general anesthesia to ensure your safety and comfort. Your surgeon then makes incisions near the treatment areas. The size, shape, and location of the incisions depend on the type of lift. He then removes the excess skin, sutures the incisions, and secures the skin in its new more youthful placement. After the procedure is complete, your surgeon then wraps each area in a compression garment. Finally, he takes you to our recovery area where our caring nursing staff will monitor you for several hours before you return home.

Body lift surgery can take four to seven hours to complete. Our unique team approach significantly reduces the number of hours under anesthesia because we have multiple surgeons in the operating room working together.

Recovery & Results

As would be expected, the more surgery required, the longer the recovery. However, the increased recovery period is primarily limited to the first week as it is difficult to be comfortable with incisions on both the front and back of the body. It is very important to have assistance at home for the first several days following the surgery.

At PSS, we include a complementary ultrasound and radio-frequency skin tightening treatment post-surgery to speed recovery and help tighten skin. The results from a body lift are visible almost immediately, though it may take well over a year for the full outcome to become evident.

Corresponding & Complementary Procedures

Dr. Hvistendahl creates customized treatment plans for each patient to correctly address their areas of concern. These may include liposuction as part of the surgery to further the results of the body lift. We may also utilize this for fat transfer to add volume and balance to the buttocks or face.

Marin County residents who choose Plastic Surgery Specialists also often modify body lift procedures to include a breast reduction. During this procedure, the surgeon removes excess breast tissue to reduce their size. This process usually includes a breast lift to enhance the projection and reinforce the structure of the chest.

How Much Does a Full Body Lift Cost in Marin County?

Each patient receives a personalized treatment plan that highlights their specific price breakdown during their private meeting at Plastic Surgery Specialists. If you are considering body contouring surgery, please schedule a consultation at PSS today by calling 415-925-2880.

References

1. Hamra ST, Small KH. Cosmetic Body Lift. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2016;137(2):453-461. doi:https://doi.org/10.1097/01.prs.0000475757.56086.ab
2. HURWITZ D, AGHAMOHAMMADI S, OTA K, UNADKAT J. A Clinical Review of Total Body Lift Surgery. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 2008;28(3):294-303. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asj.2008.03.001