The biggest contributors to having excess, sagging, or hanging skin on your body is losing a significant amount of weight or going through a pregnancy. If you’ve lost weight and opened your arms to a brand new healthy lifestyle, congratulations! You’ve just taken a big step in your journey to happiness and self-confidence.
Once you come down from the elation of losing weight, though, you may be left with the realization that your excess, sagging skin where it used to be is still there. And we absolutely hate to break it to you, but no amount of dieting and exercising can get rid of skin.
The surefire solution? Excess skin removal surgery in Tuscaloosa. Dr. Chelsea Wallace and her compassionate care team are here to help you achieve the contoured figure you’ve been working toward all this time!
What is excess skin removal surgery?
When it comes to removing unwanted extra skin, there are multiple areas of your body you can address. At Indian Hills Plastic Surgery, we perform surgery on the arms, breasts, lower abdomen, thighs, buttocks, and the back/bra line.
Related: Skin Removal After Weight Loss
Arm lift
An arm lift––or brachioplasty––involves removing loose skin in the upper arm. It can also be paired with an arm fat removal treatment via liposuction.
Breast lift
During a breast lift (i.e. mastopexy), Dr. Wallace removes excess skin and fat from the breasts in order to correct sagging and drooping breasts for a more contoured look.
Abdominoplasty
During abdominoplasty (i.e. a tummy tuck) Dr. Wallace removes excess skin and loose pockets of fat and tightens abdominal muscles.
Thigh and buttocks lift
Removing excess skin in the thighs and buttocks allows patients to achieve a slimmer, contoured appearance in their lower body. A thigh lift can also help improve your overall physical comfort, as excess skin in this area can often cause chafing and discomfort in clothing.
Upper body lift (back lift, bra line lift)
Fat tends to gather on the back near where a bra would sit, resulting in rolls of excess skin once a patient loses weight. An upper body lift removes this unwanted skin.
Neck lift
A neck lift involves a surgeon removing sagging skin in the neck while tightening the muscles and tissue for a firmer appearance. There are other neck contouring procedures available, like neck liposuction for example.
Am I a candidate?
You are a good candidate for any type of excess skin removal surgery in Tuscaloosa if you:
- Aren’t looking for a weight loss/fat loss procedure
- Are in good health
- Have maintained a consistent weight for at least 6 months
- Do not smoke
Who is not a candidate?
For skin removal surgery in particular, it’s important to have realistic expectations. Removing skin won’t automatically give you a “perfect” body. And keep in mind that there will be scarring due to the surgical nature (more on that later).
It’s required that you take 2 weeks off work to recover for most skin removal surgeries. So if you can’t, we won’t be able to perform surgery (work from home options can be a great compromise!). You will also need support from friends or family to help you with any tasks/errands.
If you smoke or vape, you aren’t a candidate for surgery. These activities interrupt your body’s natural healing processes and therefore interfere with your procedure and health.
How does excess skin removal work?
Each skin removal procedure will look different based on which areas are being treated. For these procedures, you will be provided with either general or local anesthesia. Some procedures are completed on an outpatient basis, while others may require you to stay in an overnight facility.
This is often case-by-case, as each patient’s procedure is unique based on treatment areas and how much skin we’re removing. As for the surgery itself, Dr. Wallace will make the necessary incisions and remove the excess skin.
How much does surgery cost?
Excess skin removal surgery in Tuscaloosa can cost anywhere from $6,895 to $8,255––it’s all dependent on which areas you’re getting done. At Indian Hills Plastic Surgery, we believe in being transparent about pricing. You will know your total costs before committing to anything!
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How long does excess skin removal surgery in Tuscaloosa take?
Depending on how many areas we’re treating and how much skin is in the areas, surgery can take between 2 and 5 hours.
Will I have scars?
We wish we could tell you differently, but scarring is likely and to be expected in almost every surgical procedure. When possible, (which is a majority of the time), Dr. Wallace will make incisions in inconspicuous areas that can be easily concealed by clothing.
If scarring is a major concern for you, we offer silicone therapy and Silagen treatments that you can take home with you for scar reduction and fast healing!
Is excess skin removal surgery painful?
The surgery itself won’t be painful––you have anesthesia to thank for that one. With any major surgeries though, pain and discomfort in the following weeks of recovery is common. You’ll likely experience more pain when you’re up and moving around. We strongly advise having someone around to help you with tasks around the house or caring for your kiddos.
For post-surgery pain and discomfort, we prescribe a short course of pain meds, recommend over-the-counter pain meds, and suggest using a cool compress for the discomfort.
Recovery
Not to sound like a broken record, but recovery time will again depend on your specific skin removal procedure. Generally, recovering from this surgery can take up to 6 weeks. As for time off work, you’ll need to rest for about 2 weeks.
You will also need to come see us at least once after your surgery so we can check on your incisions and ensure you’re healing properly. Post-surgery appointments are more frequent in the first few weeks after surgery and gradually become spaced out.
Results
You’ll of course be able to notice results immediately, but it can take your body a couple years to fully take on its healed, contoured shape. We’ll be able to offer a more personalized results timeline based on your procedure, your age, and your overall lifestyle.
Complementary contouring treatments
Sometimes the best figure comes with a combination of body contouring treatments and excess skin removal surgery in Tuscaloosa! Removing excess skin is a vital part of the process, but you may also need fat removal or other contouring procedures to achieve your desired results.
Tummy tuck
A tummy tuck is a cosmetic procedure that removes extra skin and loose pockets of fat from the abdomen. Dr. Wallace also tightens the abdominal muscles during this procedure. By pairing excess skin removal with fat reduction and abdomen tightening, you can achieve a tighter, more contoured abdomen.
Liposuction
Liposuction is a surgical fat reduction procedure that removes small pockets of fat in the abdomen, arms, hips, thighs, buttocks, arms, or neck. Liposuction and excess skin removal are the dream team––you can get rid of fat and skin in one go!
Facelift
If you’re removing excess skin on your body after significant weight loss, chances are your face needs a little TLC, too. During a facelift/necklift, Dr. Wallace removes excess skin and lifts and tightens sagging skin. This procedure can even smooth out folds and wrinkles, resulting in more firm, youthful skin.
The Indian Hills Surgery Process
Excess skin removal surgery isn’t something we take lightly. As a female-owned plastic surgery center in Tuscaloosa, we take a comprehensive approach to caring for patients. It all begins with a one-on-one consultation. Your concerns, challenges, and goals become ours too.
From here, we create your personalized treatment plan and talk you through it, and then we welcome all of your questions. Once we get cracking on your treatment plan, we’ll continue being your resource to lean on. We’ll make sure you have everything you need at any given time, like scheduled follow-up appointments and aftercare instructions.
Get started with excess skin removal surgery in Tuscaloosa
Phase 1: Get in touch
Any and all questions are welcome!
Phase 2: Schedule a consultation
Let’s chat face-to-face.
Looking for a different procedure?
If you’re looking for a different surgical or aesthetic procedure, try our Treatment Matching Tool. This tool allows you to choose your concern areas on a virtual body and then we’ll send you immediate expert treatment recommendations straight to your inbox.
Phase 3: Keep up with us
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