It can be disheartening to work hard to lose weight, or to go through all that’s involved with weight loss surgery, only to find yourself battling loose skin afterward.
Not only does the loose skin keep your weight artificially elevated, but it can also become a nuisance to try to deal with as well as an embarrassment, depending on how much you have and where it’s located on your body.
Sometimes weight loss has nothing to do with it. As you age, your skin naturally becomes a bit looser and saggy, due to the decrease in collagen production combined with the natural effects of gravity.
Fortunately, there’s good news about loose skin solutions. At The Body Sculpting Center, Dr. Ethan Philpott is able to help patients with loose skin issues, regardless of the cause. Let’s take a look at some loose skin solutions in Scottsdale, AZ.
Skin Tightening
Skin tightening generally refers to any method designed to regain a youthful tautness to the skin. Today there are a number of options available that don’t involve using a scalpel.
Radiofrequency, ultrasound energy, microneedling and even laser resurfacing, to a lesser degree, are all skin tightening technologies frequently used as alternatives to surgical skin tightening. Of course, which option is the best to use will vary from patient to patient, depending on the location and amount of skin tightening needed.
Tummy Tuck
A tummy tuck is designed to remove loose skin, tighten abdominal muscles and remove excess fat from the abdominal area, specifically the middle and lower stomach. It also serves to tighten up the abdominal wall muscles.
Tummy tucks are most often performed on men and women who are close to their ideal weight but still have loose skin that remains unresponsive to proper diet and regular exercise.
Recovery time for a tummy tuck procedure ranges from about two weeks to as much as a month and will be different for each individual.
Breast Lift
Pregnancy and breastfeeding, as well as aging and gravity, can all contribute to lost breast volume and sagging shapeless breasts. A breast lift is performed to raise the breasts to their proper level and is often coupled with breast augmentation to increase their size or to improve the shape of the breasts.
During a breast lift, any excess, loose skin is removed and the surrounding skin is tightened. Recovery can take up to two or three weeks to resume daily routines, with rigorous activity not recommended for about six weeks.
Neck Lift
A neck lift is performed to remove loose, saggy skin in the neck area, which significantly helps with signs of aging. The remaining skin is smoothed and tightened, giving a sculpted, more youthful appearance to the entire jawline and neck area.
While each patient heals at a different rate, recovery time is generally from one to six weeks, depending on the extent of the surgery. The majority of neck lift patients are 40 years of age or older.
Facelift
A facelift is a surgical procedure designed to reduce, or in some cases eliminate, the signs of aging. Most facelift procedures are done on men and women between the ages of 40 and 70.
Loose, sagging skin is tightened, which significantly diminishes the appearance of lines, creases, and wrinkles in the face. Your face is left with a fresh, rejuvenated, more youthful appearance.
Recovering from a facelift procedure can take up to six weeks, but the results can often be seen after only a week following the surgery.
Body Lift
A full body lift is frequently required when a patient has lost a large amount of weight, leaving an excess of loose skin in several different areas of the body. There are several different types of body lifts, including:
- Tummy Tuck
- Arm Lift
- Thigh Lift
- Breast Lift
- Lower Body Lift
A body lift can involve one or more areas, and the surgery can become quite complicated and lengthy, lasting several hours. Recovery time from a body lift usually lasts several weeks, but most patients feel the difference in appearance is worth it.
For additional information about any of these loose skin solutions, please feel free to contact The Body Sculpting Center with your questions. We’re happy to answer your questions or schedule a free consultation with Dr. Philpott.
