Have you recently lost a lot of weight and found yourself with leftover loose skin? Maybe you recently had a baby and are looking to tighten and tone your body. If any of these scenarios sound familiar, body contouring after weight loss may be a good option for you. There are different scenarios to choose from depending on what you are looking for.
What Counts As Body Shaping?
Body shaping services include any process that shapes or contours your body. It can apply to whole-body reshaping but often applies to specific target areas. For example, many people seek out “tummy tucks”, which flatten and tone the stomach area. Others find that they carry extra fat around their hips or thighs so they want to address those. You typically can choose from surgical or surgery-free body shaping options.
Surgical Types
There are quite a few options for surgical forms of body contouring after weight loss. As mentioned above, one of the most popular is abdominoplasty, known colloquially as a “tummy tuck”. This procedure works by surgically tightening the skin in the stomach area as well as removing excess fat. Other examples are breast augmentation or reduction. Liposuction is another surgical body-shaping procedure. It involves suctioning fat from areas that have not responded well to diet and exercise, including arms, waist, stomach, and buttocks. It is still an invasive procedure, so there are some non-invasive and nonsurgical alternatives available.
Non-Invasive Body Recontouring
Some of the most popular non-invasive body reshaping options are Coolsculpting, EmSculpt, TrueSculp, and SculpSure. CoolSculpting works by “freezing” the fat cells off from a specific area like the thighs. The others use light and heat to target and destroy deep fat tissue. All of these options do not require surgery and yield incredible results.
When To Choose These Services
There are several reasons why you might feel body-shaping cosmetic services are right for you. Some include:
- Tightening up loose skin after significant weight loss
- Reshaping your body after pregnancy and childbirth
- Diet and exercise programs do not give you the results you want
- You want to feel more confident in your body
Pros and Cons of Body Contouring After Weight Loss
Body shaping services do come with some pros and cons. Of course, the advantages of these services are related to the results you can see after the procedure. You can lose fat and even gain without the gym. This can be especially attractive if you have stubborn fat that does not respond to diet and exercise. As stated above, there are several options that do not even require surgery to provide fabulous results. Some disadvantages of body recontouring services have to do with cost. Since body contouring is considered a cosmetic service, insurance usually does not cover it. Several treatments can be expensive regardless of whether you choose a surgical or non-invasive alternative. It can also be difficult to know which one is right for you and your unique body.
If you are in Western MA and want to learn more about the options to reshape your body after weight loss or any other circumstance, our team at Ascent Laser Aesthetics is here to help you meet those goals. Book your consultation today to get started.