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Atlanta post-weight loss surgery

Why Do I Have Excess Skin After Weight Loss?

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Every patient has their own reasons for seeking plastic surgery, but one group of patients that I’m especially glad to serve are those who have successfully lost large amounts of weight. Whether it’s done through bariatric surgery or through a lifestyle change including diet and exercise, healthy weight loss is an accomplishment to be proud of. Unfortunately, instead of celebrating when they reach their goal weight, many patients find themselves disappointed by the excess skin that has been left loose and saggy instead of keeping up with the slimming process. On the other hand, other weight loss patients never have a problem with loose skin. Why does this affect some patients but not others?

post-weight-loss-surgery-atlantaThe answer lies in the makeup of the skin, and what makes it firm in the first place. A large proportion of our skin is made up of collagen—a protein that our bodies produce significant amounts of when we’re young. This protein gives the skin youthfulness, firmness, and elasticity. However, collagen is only effective to a point. If the skin is stretched too much for the collagen to be able to seamlessly bounce back into shape when it no longer needs to stretch as far, the results are stretch marks and loose skin. Unfortunately, there are a number of factors that contribute to whether your skin will be able to keep up with weight loss or whether it will fall behind:

  • Amount of weight lost—Understandably, the more drastic the change in size, the more difficult it will be for the skin to stay firm. For instance, patients who lose 20 pounds generally won’t experience much of a change in their skin’s firmness, while patients who lose 100 pounds are much more likely to have loose skin.
  • Age—Collagen production naturally slows as we age, which is why facial aging often occurs in the form of sagging skin. The younger you are when you lose the weight, the more collagen your skin will have, which makes it more likely that your skin will look firm and youthful after you’ve reached your goal weight.
  • How many times you gain and lose weight—We’ve all seen the effect on a rubber band when it’s been used many times—every time it’s less and less able to snap back to its original size. Your skin experiences a similar problem when weight is gained and lost repeatedly, so each time you’re more likely to have loose skin.
  • How quickly you lost weight—The patients that tend to be at higher risk for excess skin after weight loss are those who have lost their weight through bariatric surgery. In general, the more slowly you lose weight, the easier it is for your skin to gradually shrink as your body does, but when weight loss occurs more quickly, it’s more difficult for your skin to keep up.
  • Genetics—With skin’s recuperation after weight loss, as with many situations, there is a bit of luck involved. Just as some women can go through pregnancy without a single stretch mark, some patients are genetically more or less likely to have skin that struggles to retain firmness through weight loss.

It’s impossible to predict whether you’ll find yourself facing excess skin after dramatic weight loss. Rest assured, however, that weight loss is a victory that should always be celebrated, and cosmetic surgery like a tummy tuck, thigh lift, or arm lift can help weight loss patients finally reap the benefits of their hard work. To get started on your journey toward an appearance that makes you feel confident, schedule a consultation with me, Dr. Franklyn Elliott, or join me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Winning Combinations of Cosmetic Procedures

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Plastic surgery can be a great way for patients find renewed confidence in their appearance. But many patients have more than one “problem area” that they would like to improve, so I’m often asked whether or not it’s wise to combine multiple procedures into one surgery. As long as the patient is healthy enough, combining cosmetic procedures can be an effective way to not only address several concerns at once, but to cut down on the recovery time and costs that would be involved if each of the procedures were performed separately. While there are a limitless number of combinations, below are some of the most popular groups of procedures that are performed together.

Mommy Makeover: Breast procedure, tummy tuck, liposuction
In general, a mommy makeover is a group of procedures that are designed to rejuvenate and repair the areas of a woman’s body that are affected by pregnancy. The surgery typically includes liposuction for areas of stubborn fat; a tummy tuck to re-firm the abdominal skin and repair the muscles that have been separated during pregnancy; and a breast surgery. Every woman’s breasts respond differently to pregnancy and breastfeeding, so a mommy makeover can include a breast augmentation, a breast reduction, or a breast lift.

Post Weight Loss Surgery: Arm lift, tummy tuck, breast lift, thigh lift
Like pregnancy, weight loss can cause dramatic changes in the size of your body that occur too quickly for your skin’s natural elasticity to keep up. For many patients, this results in sagging excess skin that cannot be corrected with diet and exercise. For these patients, cosmetic procedures that are designed to remove the unwanted skin and tighten the remaining skin can give them the contour they’ve worked so hard to achieve. When the excess skin occurs in multiple areas of the body, procedures like an arm lift, tummy tuck, breast lift, and thigh lift can be combined in order to accomplish the patient’s aesthetic goals with a shorter recovery time.

Procedures to Minimize Aging: Facelift, brow lift, neck lift
Aging may happen to everyone, but facial plastic surgery allows patients to combat its effects. Because every patient ages differently, I offer a variety of rejuvenating procedures to target each patient’s individual areas of concern. For patients who choose to address facial aging in several areas at once, procedures like the facelift, brow lift, and neck lift can be combined to provide a more comprehensive, natural-looking rejuvenation.

Choosing the plastic surgery procedure (or combination of procedures) is a very personal decision that should be based on your aesthetic goals and an understanding of your options, and I recognize the importance of customizing each patient’s procedure to their needs. To start discussing your options and creating a treatment plan, schedule a consultation with me, Dr. Franklyn Elliott, and visit my Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ for more helpful plastic surgery information.

Why You May Need an Arm Lift, Not Exercise, to Give You Those Dream Arms

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It’s no secret (nor is it new) that many people want a slender midsection and toned legs. But one area of the body that has been receiving increasing cosmetic attention is the arms. More and more people are self-conscious of the excess skin and fat on their upper arms, and dream of having slender, toned arms that can make them feel better about beating the Atlanta heat with sleeveless tops. Unfortunately, this area is notoriously difficult to improve, and for many people, years of arm-targeting exercises won’t give them the arms of their dreams.

Why You May Need an Arm Lift, Not Exercise, to Give You Those Dream ArmsWhy won’t exercise give me slender, firm arms?
When the underside of the upper arm has a sagging, loose appearance, this is often the result of either excess fat, sagging skin, or both. While fat in the upper arms can be difficult to lose, the more persistent issue is that of the skin. Through our body’s natural aging process, over time our skin loses elasticity (the ability to remain tight and firm). In the upper arm area, this natural loss of firmness is compounded by the effects of constant gravity and of weight fluctuations throughout life, so the skin has a strong tendency to sag as we age. Exercise can reduce fat and build muscle tone, but it cannot tighten skin or remove excess skin.

What can I do to give my arms a younger, contoured appearance?
An arm lift is a plastic surgery procedure that can repair the sagging, excess tissue that extends from the underside of the upper arm. As with many surgeries, the procedure varies depending on the patient’s needs and desired results. For some patients, a combination of liposuction to remove the unwanted fat and the removal of excess skin provides optimal results. For other patients who have minimal fat on the arms (often patients who have recently lost extreme amounts of weight), the procedure may focus solely on removing excess skin.

An arm lift procedure begins with an incision that varies in size and position depending on the amount and location of the tissue to be removed, as well as how much scarring the patient is comfortable with. The incision is often placed along the inside of the back of the arm, so that scarring is minimally visible from both the front and the back of the patient. For some patients who require less tissue to be removed, the incision can be made in the armpit to minimize visible scarring. The unnecessary fat and skin is removed, and the remaining skin is tightened to create a firm and toned shape.

While the upper arms are not always the most talked-about problem area, they can be a source of constant self-consciousness for many people. I have seen many patients become frustrated because their diet and exercise efforts have not produced results on their arms, but fortunately, there is another way. To learn whether liposuction, an arm lift, or a combination of both procedures can give you slimmer, more contoured arms, set up a consultation with me, Dr. Franklyn Elliott, and remember to join us on social media as well for health tips and updates on our procedures.

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