Sagging skin after weight loss or pregnancy
Sagging skin very often persists after major weight loss if the skin has been stretched for a long time due to excess weight. Even if you actually feel fit and healthy again after successful weight loss, the memory of the corpulent times remains in the form of sagging skin.
The operations presented on this page should be considered if cosmetic and dermatological treatment attempts fail.
Diet -> Well-being -> but sagging skin
Once you have finally made the decision to do something about your excess weight with an iron will, you still have a long, rocky road ahead of you. With regard to the necessary diet, this is characterized by deprivation and temptation. The diet should also be combined with physical exercise, which is a particular challenge, if not torture, for the overweight person.
But if, despite all the obstacles, you manage to achieve your desired weight over a period of months or even years, you will hopefully feel better. You feel younger, more vital and more efficient – and the fantastic thing is that you are medically fit too!
Unfortunately, however, weight loss has a downside – namely sagging skin that is no longer able to shrink to the desired extent. This cannot be avoided with larger weight reductions, also depending on age, skin condition and reduction mass.
Dysharmony
In summary, it can be said that after significant weight loss there can be a disharmony between subjective well-being and physical appearance. Now it is no longer the excess weight that is disturbing, but the remaining sagging skin or excess skin, which is often so pronounced that the skin, especially on the stomach, hangs down like an apron. As with the excess weight, these aprons are then concealed with appropriate clothing and significantly reduce the quality of life. Eczema and sweating in the skin folds further exacerbate this problem. So what can you do?
Plastic surgery to combat sagging skin
However, the plastic surgeon can significantly reduce the disharmony described above and reduce the sagging skin.
This goal can be achieved through so-called tightening operations. The principle of these procedures is to remove the remaining excess sagging skin and tighten the remaining skin. Standard procedures include abdominoplasty, thigh lift, upper arm lift and breast lift (also for men). Special suturing techniques are used to make the resulting scars very delicate. They are also hidden (e.g. bikini line, groin area, upper inner thigh) so that they are not immediately visible. Some tightening operations are briefly described below:
- Sagging skin on the abdomen can be corrected with a tummy tuck.
The sagging skin, fatty tissue and any existing scars and stretch marks are removed between the navel and the pubic hairline. The abdominal wall muscles are tightened (internal corset) so that the waistline and tummy tuck can be improved. The remaining skin is tightened and sutured. The navel is repositioned. The scars are hidden in the bikini line. - The surgical correction of sagging skin on the upper arms is called an upper arm lift.
The sagging excess skin and fat on the inner upper arm are marked and the incision is planned. The excess is then removed while protecting the vascular nerves. The scar is hidden on the inside of the upper arm and partly in the axilla. - Sagging skin on the thighs can be corrected with a thigh lift.
The excess skin and fat on the inner thigh close to the body is removed after marking the incision. Different incision patterns are possible depending on the extent of the sagging and the desired tightening effect. The scars are hidden in the lower bikini line and, in more pronounced cases, on the upper inner thigh. - The breast lift for sagging breast skin.
The excess sagging skin and excess fatty tissue are removed after careful pre-planning. The nipple is left attached to the mammary gland and moved upwards. The tissue is sculpted into a rounded shape and the skin is adjusted accordingly. The length of the scars required depends on the extent of the correction. The scars are placed in hidden areas as far as possible. - Sagging skin on the buttocks can be corrected with a buttock lift.
A buttock lift also makes it possible to tighten the buttocks if they are significantly sagging. A basic distinction can be made between two procedures. The technique with an incision above the buttocks and the incision below the gluteal region. - The Lockwood body lift is reserved for very severe cases of sagging skin following severe weight loss. This operation corrects the sagging skin in three areas: thighs, abdomen and buttocks.
- Excess skin on the face and a facelift or mini facelift:
The skin on the face often plays along quite well even with massive weight loss. However, in extreme cases, sagging skin is also noticeable on the face and often leads to the desire to have it corrected. If cosmetics no longer help, there is still the option of plastic surgery to do something about it. Depending on the severity of the sagging skin, a mini-facelift or a standard facelift could be considered. - Sagging skin on the neck is also often a major problem. If the lower facelift is also unsuccessful, a neck lift with an incision in the midline of the neck can be considered.
Leftovers and residual fat deposits
After extensive weight loss, there are often residual fat deposits in problem areas that have responded much less well to the diet than all other areas. In these cases, the plastic surgeon can readjust the proportions with the help of liposuction.
First, a special solution is infiltrated into the areas to be removed, which causes the fat cells to swell. This allows them to be removed more easily and evenly after an exposure time of 20-30 minutes. We use a “vibrating cannula system” for liposuction, which further enhances the above-mentioned effects.
Excess sagging skin as a result of successful weight loss is a psychological and physical burden for many of those affected. However, plastic surgery can provide a remedy and harmonize the disharmony.
