Q: I lost a lot of weight last year, but my skin isn’t bouncing back. How can I remedy this?
A: Following significant weight loss, the body may be left with excessive loose, sagging skin in typical areas such as the face and neck, breasts, abdomen, arms and thighs. Sometimes the body will recover and tone up, at least to some extent. Oftentimes, however, the loose skin persists in spite of diet and exercise.
While there are a few nonsurgical and less-invasive options that may provide some degree of improvement, plastic surgery is usually the best option for a predictable, precise, cost-effective result that will hold up over time. A few of the most common plastic surgery procedures after weight loss are tummy tuck (abdominoplasty), breast lifts (mastopexies) with or without augmentation, and arm lifts (brachioplasty). Be sure to consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon experienced in these types of procedures.
Christopher Chase, M.D., is a plastic surgeon at Associates in Plastic Surgery and a member of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society.
Contributed Photo / Dr. Christopher Chase