There can be one unpleasant by-product of massive weight loss however that can destroy the newly-won confidence – extra, sagging hanging all over the body. The good news is that for many, the problem can be solved with a series of plastic surgery procedures, sometimes referred to as a body lift.



A body lift usually involves some combination of an arm and thigh lift, a tummy tuck and a breast lift. For the sake of space we will talk about the arm and thigh lift, but remember that the tummy tuck and breast lift are very similar procedures.

Arm Lift

The arms are one of the most common places to have lots of loose, sagging skin after massive weight loss. This is because the skin has been stretched out to its max for a long time and has consequently lost some of its elasticity. It is unable to shrink back completely to cover just the underlying muscles and tissues. An arm lift can give the arm skin a little boost in getting back into shape.

A plastic surgeon begins this procedure by marking on the back of the upper arms where the incision will be made. She then creates the incision and loosens the skin from the muscles. The muscles and tissue may be tightened and repositioned for ideal results. Then the skin is pulled tight and all the unnecessary skin is removed. The back of the arm is then sewn up.

After a period of recovery that will include some pain, bruising, and swelling, the upper arms will have a much tighter, thinner look. One caution about arm lifts is that they do leave large scars down the backs of the arms. For those who have excessively droopy upper arm skin this trade off may be worth it, but those who just feel like their arms are a little flabby are probably much better off just pumping some weights instead.

Thigh Lift

For those who experience sagging folds of skin on their upper legs, a thigh recontouring step may be the perfect plastic surgery procedure. The process is very reminiscent of the arm surgery. Incisions are made along the pubic bone reaching down inside the thighs and sometimes under the buttock. The surgeon loosens the skin from the thigh and buttock muscles, pulls the skin tight and cuts off all the extra skin.

It is common at this point, even for those who have just lost a lot of weight to have a little liposuction performed on the thigh and buttock fatty deposits. Whether or not this is part of the surgery, the muscles are usually tightened and positioned appropriately, after which the skin is pulled back together and sutured.

A thigh lift will certainly require some bed rest to let the incision area heal properly and keep them from tearing open with too much movement too soon. Because it is a major surgery, there will be some bruising and swelling as well as the body tries to repair itself. These issues will disappear soon and the results will be a dramatically tighter rear end and thighs that do not betray the memory of formerly sagging skin and obesity.

While plastic surgery is not the answer to everything, realistic expectations and a determination to make the results last can make it very effective in restoring confidence and a beautiful figure after massive weight loss.