If you’re entering 2026 celebrating a major weight loss, whether from a GLP-1 medical weight loss program, lifestyle changes, or bariatric surgery, you’ve already achieved something incredible. You’ve taken ownership of your health, reshaped your body, and rewritten your future. But as many patients discover, a dramatic transformation can come with a new challenge: excess or sagging skin that refuses to tighten, no matter how hard you work out at the gym or how toned you become.
This issue is more common than most people expect. When the body loses a significant amount of weight, the skin doesn’t always have enough elasticity to retract, especially if the weight loss occurred rapidly or followed many years of stretching from weight gain. The result? Many patients feel as though they traded one concern for another. Instead of seeing the reward of their hard work reflected back in the mirror, they’re left with loose skin that conceals the slimmer body they earned.
That’s where body lift surgery comes in: a personalized, transformative procedure that completes the journey so many of our patients begin with GLP-1s and other weight-loss strategies. At Edina Plastic Surgery, our board-certified plastic surgeons specialize in body lift procedures and are passionate about helping patients feel confident in their new shape. A body lift doesn’t just refine contours; it restores mobility, comfort, and quality of life, allowing you to truly enjoy the transformation you worked so hard to achieve!
The Modern Weight Loss Landscape: Why Body Lift Surgery Matters Now More Than Ever
GLP-1 medical weight loss programs, like those offered at our medspa, Skin Artisans, are changing the lives of millions of people worldwide. These medications can dramatically suppress appetite, regulate blood sugar levels, and improve metabolic function, allowing many individuals to shed significant weight very quickly. However, dramatic weight loss can sometimes be a double-edged sword.
When pounds fall away faster than skin can retract, the body’s surface doesn’t match its new underlying structure. The result is often:
- Skin folds around the abdomen, sides, back, and thighs
- Sagging tissue around the buttocks
- Drooping, deflated skin in the breasts
- Hanging skin on the upper arms
- Irritation, chafing, or skin rashes from friction
- Difficulty finding clothing that fits comfortably
- A lack of confidence despite incredible health gains
Many of our patients describe a heartbreaking realization: “I feel healthier than ever, but I don’t feel like myself when I look in the mirror.”
A body lift addresses the final piece of the weight loss puzzle by revealing the body beneath the excess tissue and helping your external appearance match your internal accomplishments.
What Is Body Lift Surgery?
Body lift surgery is a highly customized procedure designed to remove excess, sagging skin and restore smoother, firmer contours, predominantly around the body’s circumference. It is most commonly performed after dramatic weight loss, but can also be recommended for patients experiencing age-related skin laxity or changes after pregnancy.
Unlike more minor, localized procedures, a body lift targets multiple regions in a single, strategic approach to address overall skin redundancy and re-establish harmony in body proportions.
The Three Core Zones a Body Lift Can Address
#1 – Abdominal and Midsection Area
Includes the lower and upper abdomen, waistline, and flanks. This often involves a circumferential incision, also called a 360º approach, which allows your surgeon to precisely tighten abdominal tissue and lift surrounding areas.
#2 – Lower Back and Hips
By tightening and repositioning tissue around the sides and lower back, a body lift smooths rolls, eliminates bulges that form under clothing, and creates a sculpted contour through the waist and hip area.
#3 – Buttocks and Outer Thighs
Sagging skin in the gluteal region can flatten or deflate the backside. A lift repositions tissue upward, improving support and creating a more youthful shape. Outer thighs are often lifted simultaneously, helping eliminate droopiness and enhancing leg contour.
The impact of body lift surgery is dramatic and deeply personal. Patients frequently describe the ability to move freely, wear fitted clothing, and embrace their reflection with confidence, many for the first time in years.
What a Body Lift Can Achieve
When excess skin is removed after a dramatic weight loss, your true shape can be revealed.
Patients often experience:
- A smoother, more streamlined body silhouette
- Restored firmness and skin tension
- Better proportion and balance between the torso and lower body
- Clothing that fits comfortably, without bunching or shifting
- Greater comfort during exercise and daily movement
- Improved hygiene with reduced risk of rashes in folds
- Increased confidence and a reinforced sense of accomplishment
Body lift surgery is not about “changing who you are.” It is about unveiling the body you worked so hard to create and reclaiming a sense of ownership of your results.
Who Is an Ideal Candidate?
A body lift is a transformative procedure, but it isn’t right for everyone. The best candidates share several key characteristics:
Stable Weight – Ideally, your weight should be stable for at least 6 months before surgery. This gives your skin time to adjust and ensures your surgeon can accurately tailor the procedure.
Significant Skin Laxity – Candidates typically have sagging or redundant skin, not simply stubborn pockets of fat. Liposuction can complement a body lift, but the primary issue addressed is skin, not fat.
Good General Health – As with all surgeries, patients should be nonsmokers (or able to stop smoking before and after surgery), free of unmanaged chronic conditions, and medically cleared to undergo anesthesia.
Realistic Expectations – A body lift can transform your appearance and confidence, but it also involves incisions, recovery time, and scars. The long-term improvement in comfort and aesthetics nearly always outweighs these factors, but they must be understood and considered.
Emotionally Ready for the Last Step – After a long weight loss journey, the final stage of surgery can bring powerful emotions. Our surgeons deeply respect this chapter of your life and provide compassionate, comprehensive support throughout the process.
Completing Your Transformation: The Emotional Impact of a Body Lift
One of the most meaningful aspects of body lift surgery is its emotional payoff. Major weight loss changes the body, but it also changes your identity. It often represents years of effort: long nights, mental health challenges, sacrifice, vulnerability, resilience, and hope.
When excess skin masks your results, patients often express that they feel:
- As though they are still living in a body that doesn’t match their effort
- Reluctant to wear fitted clothing or swimwear
- Distracted by sagging appearance despite restored health
- Self-conscious in intimate moments or social settings
- Disappointed because others cannot visually see their transformation
When that skin is removed, the reaction is profound. Clothes fit better and are more flattering. Movement feels comfortable and natural. The mirror reflects the body you earned. And most importantly, you feel free to be yourself.
Procedures Often Combined with Body Lift Surgery
Because body lift patients often have overall laxity, surgeons may recommend combining procedures when medically safe to do so. This approach can reduce total recovery time and optimize aesthetic balance.
Arm Lift (Brachioplasty)
After significant weight loss, the upper arms frequently develop “bat wings” or sagging tissue that hangs beneath the triceps. An arm lift trims this excess skin and sculpts a firmer, tighter arm contour.
Breast Lift (Mastopexy)
Most patients experience breast tissue deflation after weight loss. A breast lift restores natural shape and elevates tissue to a more youthful position. Some patients choose to pair a lift with implants for volume restoration.
Thigh Lift
The skin on the inner and outer thighs can droop and sag significantly after substantial weight loss. A thigh lift smooths the leg line, improving comfort and mobility and helping clothing fit better.
Buttocks Lift
A “butt lift” is often part of a lower-body lift. When sagging skin is repositioned and tension restored, the buttocks regain subtle roundness and support. Some patients opt for fat transfer for additional shape and contour.
Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)
Although a body lift already addresses abdominal tissue, some patients benefit from a more focused tightening of the abdominal muscles. This can strengthen the core and improve posture, particularly in cases of diastasis recti.
Your surgeon will explore these options only when safe and based on your anatomy, goals, and recovery expectations.
Why Choose Edina Plastic Surgery for Body Lift Procedures
A body lift isn’t a cosmetic “touch up.” It is a major transformation that requires surgical mastery, vision, and experience. At Edina Plastic Surgery, patients from Minnesota and Wisconsin (and beyond!) choose us not only for our procedural skill but also for our comprehensive, patient-centered approach.
Board-Certified Plastic Surgeons
Every procedure is performed by surgeons board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, the gold standard in the specialty. This ensures advanced training, proven expertise, and the ability to manage complex cases safely.
Extensive Experience with Post-Weight Loss Surgery
Our surgeons regularly treat patients who have navigated dramatic weight loss journeys. They understand the challenges of physical laxity, the emotional impact, and the desire to finally see your complete transformation come to life.
Personalized Surgical Planning
No two post-weight-loss bodies are identical. Every contour tells its own story. We listen to your goals, analyze your unique anatomy, and design a surgical plan tailored specifically to your needs.
State-of-the-Art Surgical Center
Your body lift will be performed in our fully accredited on-site surgical suite, equipped with advanced technology and staffed by teams that prioritize safety and patient comfort.
A Compassionate, Supportive Team
From your first consultation to your final follow-up, you will be surrounded by a team that celebrates your journey. Our surgeons and staff understand the vulnerability and courage required for this final step, and they walk alongside you every step of the way.
Recovery: A Critical Part of Your Transformation
Because of its comprehensive nature, body lift recovery requires patience and planning. You’ll need to take time off work and daily responsibilities, and you’ll follow detailed post-operative instructions to help your body heal effectively.
Key elements of recovery after body lift surgery typically include:
- Wearing compression garments
- Avoiding heavy lifting or strenuous activity
- Frequent walking to support circulation
- Follow-up appointments to monitor healing
- Gradual return to exercise under your surgeon’s guidance
Most patients agree: the recovery is worth the results. As the swelling subsides and the incisions heal, the body you envisioned begins to emerge.
A Celebration of Strength, Discipline, and Self-Respect
At Edina Plastic Surgery, our surgeons never forget the magnitude of the journey our body lift patients have traveled. They’ve often battled emotional and physical barriers. They’ve worked hard, often for years, to reclaim their health. And they arrive at our doors ready to embrace what they deserve.
For our surgeons, there is nothing more rewarding than watching a patient rediscover their confidence:
- Seeing them wear clothing they once avoided
- Watching them move freely and comfortably
- Hearing them describe how their relationship with their partner has flourished, or that they are dating again
- Witnessing the moment they realize their transformation is complete
You didn’t lose weight only to hide behind excess skin. You did it to live more fully. A body lift does more than remove skin; it removes the physical reminder of your past and allows you to step forward into your future.
You Deserve to See Your Transformation, Not Just Feel It
If you’ve worked hard to lose weight, you deserve to enjoy every part of your transformation. Body lift surgery can help you reclaim your shape, restore comfort, and step confidently into 2026 with the body you fought to create. At Edina Plastic Surgery, we would be honored to help you complete your journey.
Schedule Your Complimentary Body Lift Consultation
If you’re ready to take the final step in your transformation, schedule a complimentary consultation with one of our board-certified plastic surgeons. Together, we’ll explore your goals, evaluate your anatomy, and map out a surgical plan designed to reveal the best version of you in 2026.
Your transformation isn’t over—let us help you finish it!
Call (952) 925-1765 to schedule or book online with us!
