Losing a major amount of weight loss with surgery, diligent dieting, and exercise is worth a major congratulations. Sometimes, though, you don’t feel as good about yourself as you thought you might because you still have large folds of skin and fat that keep you from enjoying your slimmer, more healthy physique.
This skin can’t be “lost” through more dieting and exercise effort. But there is hope.
A lipectomy, also called a belt lipectomy, surgically removes excess skin and fat that keeps you from looking and feeling your best. At Plastic Surgery Arts Center in Webster, Texas, our board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Jan Garcia, Jr., recommends this procedure to those who have extra folds of tissue around the belly and lower back, under the chin, and on the upper arms and inner thighs.
A lipectomy offers more comprehensive results than a tummy tuck, which only addresses your belly. Lipectomy is also superior to liposuction when you have a lot of excess skin. Liposuction is effective at reducing localized pockets of fat. But, when you’ve burned through a lot of fat during weight loss, it’s the stretched-out skin that’s your primary complaint now.
Consider these five major benefits of lipectomy to determine if lipectomy is the right procedure for you.
When you were overweight, your skin stretched out to cover your larger frame, but now it doesn’t have the elasticity to spring back around your smaller body. A lipectomy removes excess skin so your body looks more contoured with a flatter tummy.
The extra skin left over from major weight loss isn’t just unsightly, it’s uncomfortable. The skin makes clothing fit awkwardly. Rolls spill over your waistband and rub against fabric.
When you walk or exercise, the skin jiggles uncomfortably and may even discourage activity, which is essential to your long-term goals.
By removing excess skin, your comfort is restored and you feel good in your body.
Large folds of skin and subcutaneous fat can be hard to keep clean. Moisture and dirt can accumulate in the folds. You may even find it hard to use the bathroom easily as you have to navigate around the excess tissue.
A lipectomy removes the extra skin that’s in the way when you shower, bathe, or use the restroom so you feel cleaner and more confident.
When skin folds rub together, it can cause swelling, rashes, or ulcers, especially between the skin folds in your groin. These areas are at risk of developing infections that are hard to take care of and resolve.
Lipectomy removes the excess skin to reduce the risk of irritation and infection.
You’ve worked hard to achieve a healthier size, and you deserve to feel good about yourself. But, excess skin makes it feel like you’re still carrying your old self around.
A lipectomy helps you achieve a body that matches your effort so you feel confident, rather than self-conscious.
At Plastic Surgery Arts Center, Dr. Garcia and our team want you to feel good about yourself and your physique. To find out if lipectomy or another procedure can help you, call our office or use the online tool to schedule a consultation.
