Most people who undergo a dramatic weight loss are left with sagging skin on their upper torso to contend with. Excess upper body skin also follows childbirth and is common in aging due to the decrease in fat stores.
This normally leaves most people self-conscious of their appearance and more often than not causes them to binge-eat out of negative emotions. There are however various healthy and safe solutions designed to help you avoid this dangerous cycle.
The most effective among the available solutions is a body contouring surgery at a registered Utah-based clinic, such as Clarity Skin, under a trained cosmetic surgeon. There are different types of body contouring surgeries, but the ideal one for those with upper torso issues is an upper body lift surgery.
The following are the procedures involved in this surgery.
Brachioplasty
This is an upper arm lift designed to get rid of loose skin. The surgery involves an incision which runs along the back of your arm or under your armpits known as a limited or standard brachioplasty incision respectively.
If you have undergone massive weight loss, this incision will run to the armpit from your elbow and sometimes along your upper chest wall. This is called an extended brachioplasty. The sagging skin is then removed through these incisions.
Breast Lift
Body changes generally leave you with sagging breasts which will significantly impact your look. A breast lift can remove excess skin then relocate your areola and nipple to a higher position.
There are three incisions generally used in breast lifts including around the areola, under the breast and extending from the areola’s bottom edge to your breast’s crease. The ideal incision depends on the desired contours and shape of your breasts.
Although usually done for women, even men can undergo a breast lift procedure.
Back Lift
Excess fat and skin generally result in an ‘inverted-V’ appearance on your back. The skin and fat extend from your mid-back in an outward and inferior direction hence its name. The rolls formed can stop you from wearing tight-fitting shirts and pose a challenge for women when wearing bras.
A back lift is an ideal solution for these rolls. The surgery involves incisions along the side of your mid-back or near your bra line. Excess skin will then be removed through these incisions, and the skin closed with glue, tape or absorbable sutures.
Liposuction
Most upper body issues are associated with excessive fat deposits. Liposuction to suck out this fat is the answer to these issues. As such, liposuction is done in combination with the above upper body lift surgeries to get optimal post-surgical results.
The above upper body lift techniques can be done patients across all genders and ages though generally performed on adults. Before your surgery, it is advisable to cease smoking and avoid any medication which might interfere with the surgery as advised by your surgeon.
The techniques have short recovery periods and are performed under general anesthesia. The incision scars should not worry you since they fade over time and are usually located in areas hidden by your clothes.
