Body Contouring
After Weight Loss
TOP PATIENT STORIES
BODY CONTOURING AFTER WEIGHT LOSS
Major weight loss can dramatically improve your health and overall quality of life. Despite these reasons to celebrate your accomplishment, you may arrive at your target weight only to discover that you are still dissatisfied with your body shape. Due to the way that being overweight affected your skin, musculature, and other aspects of your anatomy, body contouring after weight loss is often necessary to tighten, lift, repair, and reshape your figure.
At the medical practice of Dr. Jason Emer in Beverly Hills, body contouring after weight loss is approached from a holistic perspective to ensure comprehensive, harmonious improvements. Dr. Emer and his team are body sculpting experts who design innovative, patient-tailored, combination treatments to slim, firm, and define the body after a patient has lost weight.
WHAT IS BODY CONTOURING AFTER WEIGHT LOSS?
Body contouring, or body sculpting, refers to cosmetic procedures intended to enhance a patient’s physique through fat reduction, skin tightening, and/or reshaping specific areas of the body. There are non-invasive, minimally invasive, and surgical body contouring procedures.
Due to the extreme effects of massive weight loss, cosmetic surgery, rather than less invasive treatments, is typically the best way to address:
- Persistent fat deposits – Due to genetics, hormonal issues, and other factors, some subcutaneous fat pockets are resistant to weight loss and can only be eliminated with cosmetic fat removal treatments.
- Hanging, loose skin and sagging tissue – Excess skin and drooping tissue often must be surgically removed or repositioned in order for a patient to achieve shapely proportions.
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AM I A CANDIDATE FOR BODY CONTOURING AFTER WEIGHT LOSS?
Candidates for post-weight loss body contouring must:
- Have reached and remained at their target weight for at least six months
- Be in good general health
- Agree to adhere to all pre-op and post-op instructions
- Have realistic expectations for their treatment results
- Be fully recovered from any prior weight loss surgery
- Understand that post-procedure weight fluctuations can negatively affect their body contouring results
If you have cosmetic, hygienic, or other physical concerns due to the effects of major weight loss, you may be a good candidate for body contouring. When you meet with Dr. Emer for your initial consultation, he will perform a physical examination, review relevant medical records, and learn about your goals for treatment. After assessing your needs, he will create a personalized treatment plan for completing your weight loss transformation.
WHY UNDERGO BODY CONTOURING AFTER WEIGHT LOSS
Aesthetic concerns
Mobility challenges
Skin irritation and/or infection
Musculoskeletal pain
WHAT OPTIONS DO I HAVE FOR BODY CONTOURING AFTER WEIGHT LOSS?
Women are often affected by drooping breast tissue, abnormal nipple position, and “deflated” breasts after weight loss. We are able to resolve these issues by performing one or more breast surgeries.
After major weight loss, breast lift surgery, or mastopexy, is typically necessary to elevate the breast position and reshape the breast tissue. During this process, loose skin will also be removed.
A breast lift can be paired with breast augmentation for patients who desire an increase in volume and those who wish to restore lost volume. We provides breast augmentation with saline breast implants, silicone breast implants, and/or fat transfer.
The aesthetic, mobility, and hygiene-related issues caused by loose, excess skin are often the most pressing concerns for patients, especially those who have lost massive weight after bariatric surgery. The reason so many patients require surgical skin removal after weight loss is that in order to accommodate a patient’s larger proportions as he or she gained weight, their skin had to stretch.
The indented and/or discolored streaks, or striae, we know as stretch marks are evidence of that process. In patients who become considerably overweight or obese, skin is stretched to the point of becoming inelastic. This means it no longer has the ability to retract and cannot naturally adjust to fit a patient’s post-weight loss shape.
For surgical skin removal, Dr. Emer entrusts his patients’ care to double board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Yoel Rojas. Dr. Rojas can expertly trim away excess skin and then redrape the remaining skin to fit more smoothly to your slimmer contours. This procedure can be performed to address stretched, inelastic skin throughout the body, including areas like the:
- Upper abdomen
- Lower abdomen
- Back
- Flanks
- Chest
- Breasts
- Buttocks
- Thighs
- Upper arms
- Mons pubis
- Abdominal pannus
Skin excision is frequently performed as part of body lift procedures designed to eliminate excess skin, remove small amounts of unwanted fat, and reposition and reshape tissue. Body lift procedures can improve the contours of the upper and lower body and include plastic surgeries like:
- Arm lift
- Thigh lift
- Tummy tuck
- Buttock lift
- Lower body lift (circumferential body lift)
Stubborn fat deposits that do not respond to your weight loss efforts can be permanently eliminated with liposuction. Dr. Emer and Dr. Rojas are trained in several minimally invasive liposuction techniques, which means they can provide incredibly effective and safe fat removal in almost any area of the body.
Based on the specific anatomy and treatment goals of a patient, Dr. Emer and Dr. Rojas will employ one or more liposuction methods, such as:
- Water-assisted liposuction with the
Body Jet system - Ultrasound-assisted liposuction (VASER)
- Power-assisted liposuction
- Radiofrequency-assisted liposuction
Typically, Dr. Rojas and Dr. Emer will follow liposuction with BodyTite or Renuvion skin tightening. These devices deliver radiofrequency energy internally to heat the underlying skin structures to ensure smooth, taut skin after fat removal.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR POST-WEIGHT LOSS BODY CONTOURING SURGERY
Preparation for post-weight loss body contouring involves taking safety precautions as well as planning for your recovery. Some essential aspects of your pre-op responsibilities include:
- Adjusting your medications
- Completing applicable medical evaluations
- Stopping tobacco and alcohol usage
- Coordinating with a friend or family member for transportation home after your surgery
- Arranging for assistance around the house during the first few days of your recovery
WHAT TO EXPECT DURING BODY CONTOURING SURGERY
Your procedure will be meticulously tailored to your treatment goals and unique anatomy. The exact details of your body contouring surgery, including an estimate of the total operating time, will be reviewed with you during your consultation.
All body contouring surgeries are performed with the use of anesthesia, so you will not feel any discomfort. Once you are under the effect of the anesthesia, our surgeon can make the necessary incisions and modifications associated with your treatment plan.
Sutures, staples, and/or surgical tape or glue may be used to close your incisions. Our surgeons take extreme care to use incision closure techniques that minimize post-op marks.
The incisions will be dressed, and compression garments may be placed to conclude your procedure. You will then be taken to a quiet, comfortable room and monitored until our surgeon determines that you can safely continue your recovery at home.
POST-WEIGHT LOSS BODY CONTOURING RESULTS
You will begin to see the results of your procedure as post-op swelling subsides in the weeks following your procedure. It may take six months or more to complete the healing process and see the full effect of your body contouring surgery. Depending on the specifics of your treatment, your body contouring procedure results can include:
- A reduction in fat
- Elimination of hanging skin
- Firmer, tighter contours
- Increased mobility
- Greater self-confidence
HOW TO MAINTAIN YOUR POST-WEIGHT LOSS BODY CONTOURING RESULTS
Patients who commit to consistent exercise and eating a nutritious diet can enjoy long-lasting results after body contouring. The natural aging process will eventually start to have an effect on the tightness and firmness of your post-op shape. However, Dr. Emer can help you mitigate the age-related changes in your contours with a customized protocol of non-surgical skin rejuvenation and body shaping treatments such as:
- Thermage
- Ultherapy
- BTL Exilis Ultra
- Thread lifting
- BTL Vanquish ME
- BodyTone
- Hormonal optimization
- Peptide therapy
WHAT TO EXPECT DURING YOUR RECOVERY FROM POST-WEIGHT LOSS BODY CONTOURING
Downtime
Activity restrictions
You will need to limit the frequency and intensity of your physical activities for a month or more, as directed. However, gentle walks and other light activities will be encouraged once healing has progressed sufficiently.
Incorporating approved, non-strenuous movement is an important aspect of your recovery, as it promotes healthy blood circulation. Our surgeon will advise you when you can reintroduce moderate-intensity activities and, from there, transition to a routine that includes vigorous exercise and heavy lifting.
Follow-up appointments
WHAT AFTERCARE THERAPIES ARE BEST AFTER BODY CONTOURING SURGERY?
Dr. Emer advises post-weight loss body contouring patients to take advantage of the aftercare therapies offered at his medical practice. It is possible to significantly enhance your results and expedite healing by following Dr. Emer’s recommendations for post-op treatments like:
- IV therapy – IV therapy is an excellent way to replenish key nutrients and rehydrate the body after cosmetic surgery.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) – This simple, yet effective, therapy involves breathing pure oxygen while in a pressurized chamber. The result is an increased oxygen level in the blood, which supports tissue repair. - Lymphatic massage – A massage therapist trained in lymphatic drainage techniques can help reduce discomfort and swelling after body contouring surgery. Lymphatic massage assists with releasing lymphatic fluid and moving it to the lymph nodes.
- Shockwave therapy – Dr. Emer uses devices like BTL Cellutone and eVive to manipulate tissue in the treatment area(s). These devices employ controlled vibrations which encourage healing and help to smooth away contour irregularities.
- Radiofrequency therapy – A combination of shockwave therapy and external radiofrequency (RF) treatments with Venus Legacy, BTL Exilis Ultra, or BTL Vanquish ME can maximize the effects of body contouring surgery and help you recover in less time.
The Dr. Emer Difference
BODY CONTOURING AFTER WEIGHT LOSS: HOW WE DO IT DIFFERENTLY
Dr. Emer’s prestigious medical practice has earned a reputation for providing the best body contouring after weight loss in Beverly Hills. One reason for this is the elite team of medical professionals Dr. Emer has selected to serve his valued patients. As a renowned cosmetic dermatologist and expert in non-surgical and minimally invasive body sculpting, Dr. Emer puts candidates through a rigorous vetting process before inviting them to join his practice.
He is proud to have double board-certified plastic surgeon at his practice to provide comprehensive surgical body contouring services. He consistently provides patients with exceptional results from body lifts, surgical skin removal, breast surgeries, and more.
