Loose Skin After Bariatric Surgery? When to Consider a Total Body Lift

Different types of weight loss surgeries, including gastric bypass surgery, are referred to as bariatric surgeries. Bariatric surgery makes changes to your digestive system in order to help you lose excess weight. 

This procedure is performed when you aren’t able to lose weight through diet and exercise alone, or when you have serious health issues due to carrying extra weight. 

Although bariatric surgery can restore your health and transform your physical appearance, oftentimes, the significant and rapid weight loss it provides can leave you with sagging, excess skin. This loose, saggy skin can lead to physical issues, such as chafing and sores, as well as emotional distress.  

Thankfully, board-certified cosmetic surgeon David Davila, DO, FACOS, and our team at Houston Cosmetic Surgery Center offer total body lift surgery to address excess skin and help you feel confident in your body once again. Here’s how it works, and when to consider it. 

What is a total body lift?

When you gain weight, your skin stretches. The more weight you gain, the more your skin continues to stretch, which can eventually damage the proteins that give your dermal tissues their structure and elasticity. 

As a result, when you undergo a dramatic weight loss — especially if it happens quickly, your skin isn’t able to “snap back” into place. It’s understandable to feel frustrated by the loose and sagging skin, especially if you find that it affects your body image, makes it difficult to find clothes that fit properly, and causes personal hygiene issues.

To address loose and sagging skin after bariatric surgery, a total body lift surgically removes the excess skin and tightens the remaining tissue that has lost its structure and elasticity. 

Most often, a total body lift after bariatric surgery targets loose skin around the abdomen, groin, buttocks, and thighs, leaving you with a more contoured physique in the process. 

Is a total body lift right for you?

Not everyone who undergoes bariatric surgery needs a total body lift. However, if more than two years have passed since you had weight loss surgery and you still have significant amounts of loose, sagging skin, total body lift surgery might be right for you. 

You also have to be committed to living a healthy lifestyle to maintain your weight loss surgery results and results from your total body lift. If you don’t exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet, your body lift results may not last. 

In addition, it’s important to note that total body lift surgery is a major surgical procedure that comes with risks (like all major surgeries) and the need for a long recovery period. 

Are you ready to feel comfortable in your skin?

If loose skin after bariatric surgery is impacting your well-being, consider undergoing a total body lift. To learn if this cosmetic procedure is a good fit for you, schedule a consultation with Dr. Davila at Houston Cosmetic Surgery Center in Houston, Texas, today.