Extreme Weight Loss and Plastic Surgery
In a world that puts great importance on a healthy lifestyle and youthful looks, it is not surprising that an increasing number of people are putting their health first and even overhauling their diet and lifestyle completely. While some resolve to hit the gym more often and eat less junk food, others make enormous changes to their day to day lifestyles. In some cases, extremely overweight people decide that the time has come to make a change and get back to a healthy, more manageable weight. There are a few ways of going about this process; one is the old-fashioned traditional way of eating fewer calories and exercising regularly. Others struggle with losing weight the traditional way due to hormonal imbalance or severe psychological issues. For them bariatric surgery or as it is commonly known weight loss surgery can be extremely helpful. Patients suffering from extreme excess weight often find that undergoing weight loss surgery helps them regain control over their eating habits and their life in general.
In all cases where people lose a staggering amount of excess weight the effect of that weight loss on their bodies is profound. Whilst the majority of people feel considerably better following weight loss (easier breathing, less pressure on joints, reduced swelling of extremities), they are almost always faced with a large amount of excess skin that acts as an unwelcome reminder of their old lifestyle. That is when plastic surgery procedures can help to get rid of excess skin and make patients see that there is light at the end of the extreme weight loss tunnel.
Ways of losing weight
For people struggling with a considerable amount of excess weight there are several options available to turn their life around. Some choose to lose weight in an all-natural way by cutting down on their food intake and implementing regular exercise into their everyday life. Unfortunately, this option is not always viable for the extremely overweight as it presupposes great dedication to the cause as well as a generally active starting point. If a patient reached the stage of not being able to move freely it will be very difficult for them to start exercising. Gastric band surgery, gastric bypass surgery and sleeve gastrectomy can all be options for obese patients who failed to lose weight via diet and exercise and who need the help of a surgeon to start them on their weight loss journey.
What all these weight loss options have in common is that they inevitably leave people suffering from excess skin. As their weight drops and their health improves the skin tends to shrink at a much slower rate. People undergoing extreme weight loss are therefore left with unsightly and often uncomfortable excess skin that they cannot get rid of through exercise.
Problems associated with excess skin
When we think of excess skin the first thing that comes to mind is the aesthetic aspect. It can look unpleasant and make the patient who suffers from excess skin appear larger than they actually are as well as make them look older than their years. Problem areas can include the abdomen, belly, thighs, upper arms, face and buttocks. Though looks can certainly influence people’s self-esteem and self-worth, it is important to point out that the main concern for patients suffering from excess skin is pain and reduction of functionality. Floppy skin around the thighs can result in rash and bruising caused by rubbing, the underside of sagging breasts can get red and inflamed. Other areas suffer from similar problems. In addition, some people report that hanging skin affects their ability to comfortably perform day-to-day activities such as jogging, lifting up their children and other forms of exercise. Finally, excess skin acts as a constant reminder of the more portly, heavier person they once were. Seeing folds of excess skin prevents them appreciating the fruits of their labour and fully enjoying their newly sculpted figures and increased level of fitness.
Skin Removal Surgery
The only way to help patients suffering from excess skin is skin removal surgery. Skin removal surgery can take several forms depending on the areas treated and the desired effect. One of the most often performed skin removal surgeries following extreme weight loss is abdominoplasty. Abdominoplasty is aimed at improving the appearance and feel of the abdominal area by removing excess skin and fat tissue and tightening the underlying muscles. If the abdominoplasty is not quite sufficient to address the problematic area a belt lipectomy (also known as a lower body lift) can be performed. This procedure extends the idea behind the tummy tuck and works on the entire area around the mid-section of the body removing skin and tightening deeper tissue layers.
Other skin removal plastic surgery procedures include a thigh lift which is aimed at removing excess skin and tightening up the inner or outer thigh area, the arm lift aimed at contouring and reducing the size of the upper arms as well as the breast lift which is aimed at reposition sagging breasts and is often paired with other breast procedures. The general aim of all plastic surgery procedures for patients who undergone extreme weight loss is to give them back a natural beautiful silhouette to their newly shaped bodies whilst eliminating problems associated with excess skin. As a result patients can feel more confident in their new figures and can go on to enjoy their healthy, beautiful bodies for years to come.