Various variants of body contouring offer individual procedures
Many people feel they could benefit from some type of body contouring but are confused about which body contouring option would be best for them. The term “body contouring” includes a wide range of cosmetic procedures and operations.
Using both new and traditional procedures in addition to being able to choose between surgical, minimally invasive, and non-invasive body contouring procedures, men and women can customize their body contouring to suit their needs.
Narrowing your search
With all the options you have to improve your appearance, the choices can seem overwhelming. Fortunately, there are five questions you can ask yourself to begin determining how to choose body contouring procedures.
- People who are within a healthy weight range may benefit most from liposuction or one of the many non-surgical body contouring procedures. These people are considered generally healthy but have certain areas of stubborn body fat that they want to remove.
- Is your body mass index (BMI) 30 or less? A person should have a BMI of around 30 or less to be fit enough for most body contouring procedures. If someone’s BMI is over 30, it’s a good idea for them to focus their efforts on diet and exercise before exploring treatment options.
- Do you have sagging muscles or loose skin? Sagging is a common cosmetic problem, especially as people get older, experience weight fluctuations throughout their lives, or lose a lot of weight recently. Separation of the abdominal muscles is common during pregnancy and can be eliminated with abdominoplasty. Excess skin stretched and weakened muscles can be tightened or removed surgically.
- Do you want fast results? Liposuction and other body contouring surgery options can produce results that can be seen within days or weeks. Non-surgical body contouring procedures often require multiple treatment sessions spread out over time to achieve the best results.
- Do you have time to recover? Surgical operations, such as liposuction and tummy tuck, require a special recovery time during which physical activity is limited. Nonsurgical treatments can provide less downtime or even no downtime because they don’t involve surgical incisions, anesthesia, or needles. That way, you can get back to your daily activities fairly quickly.
Surgical options for body contouring
There are many surgical and non-surgical body contouring options to consider. Body contouring can be an excellent option for those who want to revise their figure. It is especially effective for people who have experienced severe weight loss. A combination of procedures can help reduce stubborn fat deposits and tighten loose skin and muscles that are often left behind.
Here are some common surgical procedures that people choose:
- Liposuction involves removing unwanted stubborn pockets of fat to create a slimmer, more streamlined body. This can be done on almost any part of the body that has excess fat.
- Abdominoplasty, commonly known as a tummy tuck, involves toning and tightening the abdominal area. Using this procedure, loose skin is removed, and stretched and weakened muscles are restored.
- Thigh lifts and body lifts can help improve the condition of baggy skin around the buttocks and thighs, which can be caused by genetics, aging, or significant weight loss. This is achieved by getting rid of excess skin and stubborn fat and tightening the underlying muscles.
- An arm lift can help improve the appearance of loose, sagging skin on the forearms by removing excess, hanging skin.
- A Brazilian butt lift can increase the size of the buttocks, providing a better balance to the natural curves. This is achieved by using a person’s fat cells to increase the buttocks.
- Minimal and non-invasive body contouring options
Non-surgical options may be suitable for people who want a mild body contouring solution that may not require extensive treatment after a surgical procedure. They are also a popular choice for people who have busy schedules and cannot take the necessary time to recover from surgery. For example, a busy mom looking to achieve some toning and lifting now has non-surgical options to consider, whereas 10-15 years ago, a surgical mommy makeover was her only reliable contouring option.
There are many non-surgical treatments to consider. Some use cold temperatures to kill unwanted fat cells, some use heat. Some treatments use ultrasound waves to target the fat cells under the skin to break up the fat. All of these options then rely on your body’s natural cleansing process to remove damaged cells and create a more refined appearance in the treated area. Most of them require 30-90 minute treatment sessions, with several sessions required for noticeable body weight loss. In some cases, non-surgical procedures can also tone and tighten the skin in the treated area.
When considering non-surgical options, it’s important to visit several board-certified plastic surgeons to find out what treatments they offer and why they chose one method over another. See how each can help your particular beauty concern, get the prices and spend the time you need to make the right decision for your own goals.