Sagging skin is a natural, albeit frustrating part of how our skin ages. But, skin can also lose its “snap back” for several other reasons that have little to do with the year we were born. Significant weight loss, pregnancy, and breastfeeding are some other factors that may contribute to excess or sagging skin on the body. In some cases, building muscle mass under the skin with exercise may help restore some shape and definition, but surgical removal and tightening of excess skin (and sometimes muscle) is generally required to reclaim a tighter and smoother contour to the face and/or body. Here are six popular plastic surgery procedures that elevate your self-confidence by giving sagging skin a “lift.”
#1 – Facelift
Facelift surgery turns back the clock on sagging skin and drooping jowls by repositioning the underlying soft tissue layers of the face to a more youthful anatomic position and tightening the skin. By including these deeper layers in the lift, as opposed to focusing only on superficial sagging skin, a more natural outcome is achieved. During a facelift, incisions are placed along the hairline and around the contours of the ears to minimize the visibility of postsurgical scarring.
Edina Plastic Surgery’s comprehensive facelift approach addresses the skin, underlying fat, fascia, and neck muscles to achieve the best and most long-lasting result. There are two main types of facelifts: the classic facelift and the modified or mini facelift. The classic, or traditional facelift, provides a more complete lift of the neck and the face. The mini lift uses a shorter incision and is appropriate for patients who don’t need a neck lift but still desire a lift of the mid-face region and jowls. During your initial consultation, your plastic surgeon will evaluate which aspects of your face exhibit signs of aging to determine which surgical approach will give you the best result.
#2 – Breast Lift
Pregnancy, nursing, advancing age, and the force of gravity can all take their toll on the appearance of a woman’s breasts. As the skin’s elasticity becomes compromised, the breasts often lose their shape and firmness and begin to sag. Given that breasts are integral to so many women’s sense of femininity and confidence, these changes are frequently unwelcome, disheartening, and a source of deep self-consciousness.
Breast lift, or mastopexy, can reverse signs of aging in a woman’s breast tissue and restore a perkier bust. Using several different surgical techniques, your plastic surgeon can remove excess skin, reshape sagging breasts, reduce the size of the areolas, and reposition the nipple on the apex of the breast mound. A successful breast lift gives you improved proportions, a more youthful profile, and the confidence to match!
#3 – Arm Lift
Fluctuations in weight, growing older, and even heredity can cause the upper arms to have a drooping, sagging appearance. Exercise may strengthen and improve the underlying muscle tone of the upper arm, but it cannot address excess skin that has lost elasticity or has underlying weakened tissues and localized fat deposits. An arm lift, also known as brachioplasty, reduces excess skin and fat between the underarm and the elbow, reshaping the arm with smoother skin and a more toned appearance.
#4 – Butt Lift
A butt lift is designed to enhance and accentuate the buttocks by removing excess skin and fat. Patients who may benefit from this procedure have a deflated or saggy backside, potentially resulting from pregnancy or losing a lot of weight. A butt lift is not to be confused with a Brazilian butt lift, which is a different procedure in which fat is taken from another area of the body via liposuction and transferred into the subcutaneous layer of the buttock to add volume and shape.
#5 – Thigh Lift
Following massive weight loss or the natural changes that occur with age, many people are left with poor skin tone on their inner and/or outer thighs. This may result in hanging skin, saddlebags, wrinkles, cellulite, and poorly proportioned contours in the lower body. Although some patients successfully tone their thigh muscles with exercise, excess skin is often resistant to such activities and must be removed with a surgical approach. A thigh lift removes loose skin and unwanted fat from the inner and/or outer thigh region to restore slimmer, more contoured, youthful-looking upper legs.
#6 – Body Lift
A body lift can dramatically reshape the contours and shape of the body by removing excess, sagging skin and stubborn pockets of fat that often result from extreme weight loss. This extensive surgery typically includes the abdomen, hips, buttocks, and upper thighs. The procedure addresses the entire midsection with incisions that extend entirely around the lower abdomen and lower back. Body lift surgery is customized to each patient’s unique needs and concerns and can provide truly transformational results!
Are you interested in one or more of the lifting surgeries mentioned above? If so, consider scheduling a complimentary consultation with one of the board-certified plastic surgeons at Edina Plastic Surgery. Start your journey to a more confident you by calling (612) 688-3177, texting (952) 925-1765, or CLICKING HERE!
