Body contouring/sculpting is a surgical or non-surgical procedure that aims to reshape an area of the body. Body sculpting does not usually aid in weight loss. Instead, it helps to shape the body and targets specific areas where weight loss has failed or where excessive weight loss has resulted in excess skin. Some of these procedures involve:

• Getting rid of excess skin

• Eliminating excess fat

• Reshaping or contouring

Body contouring is done to make people look and feel slimmer or to achieve a specific body shape. When diet and exercise aren’t working, it’s often used on specific areas of the body.

Surgical procedures can also be used to remove excess skin, making the skin appear smoother and younger. People who have excess skin after a significant weight loss may benefit from such surgeries. It can also aid with aging skin that is loose, sagging, and wrinkled.

Most parts of the body can be shaped with body contouring. Common sites include:

• Arms

• Back

• Belly and flanks

• Buttocks

• Neck and chin

• Thighs

Surgical body contouring procedures are usually suitable for patients who have lost a lot of weight and want to tighten or remove extra or sagging skin, or for women whose bodies have changed a lot due to pregnancy or breastfeeding and want to get back to their pre-pregnancy form.

Surgical options for body contouring:

Tummy Tuck: A surgical procedure that improves the appearance and contours of the abdomen by removing excess skin and fat while tightening the underlying muscles.

Breast Lift: A surgical procedure that lifts and reshapes sagging or deflated breasts, giving them a more youthful appearance.

Liposuction: A surgical procedure that uses suction to remove excess fat.

Thigh Lift: A surgical procedure that involves removing excess skin and tightening the underlying tissue to contour a patient’s thighs. It can be used in conjunction with liposuction to remove or sculpt fat from specific areas.

Arm Lift: Arm lift surgery is a procedure that improves the appearance of your upper arms. Between the armpit and the elbow, excess skin and fat are removed, and the remaining skin is repositioned over the contoured features.

Butt Lift: A fat transfer procedure that enlarges and contours the size and shape of the buttocks without implants – resulting in an hourglass silhouette.

Body Lift: The underlying tissue that supports skin and fat improves in shape and tone with a body lift. The procedure(s) can help improve a dimpled, uneven skin surface by removing excess sagging skin and fat.

A body lift may include:

– Abdominal area, extending around the sides and into the lower back area

– Buttocks

– Inner/outer and circumference of the thigh

Non-surgical options for body contouring:

Non-surgical fat reduction techniques come in a variety of forms. These procedures contour and shape various parts of the body by reducing or removing resistant pockets of fat.

Non-surgical body contouring procedures aren’t intended to be weight loss solutions. Ideal candidates are those who are close to their ideal weight and want to eliminate stubborn pockets of fat that resist diet and exercise.

CoolSculpting/Cryolipolysis: A fat-freezing method that aims to get rid of stubborn fat in specific areas of the body. The temperature at which fat freezes is higher than the temperature at which skin freezes.

Injection lipolysis (e.g., Belkyra): Belkyra is the first non-surgical injectable treatment for moderate to severe fat deposits behind the chin. It’s made up of deoxycholic acid, a naturally occurring chemical in the body. This naturally occurring chemical aids in fat breakdown and prevents fat cells from forming beneath the chin for long-term repair.

SculpSure: A laser-based, non-invasive treatment that is used to target and reduce or even eliminate fat. It involves a hands-free heat laser belt that uses specific wavelengths and heat to shrink fat cells so they can be expelled through the body’s lymphatic system.

Individuals who have achieved or are close to achieving their weight loss goal and have maintained this weight for a period of 6-12 months are the ideal candidates for body contouring.

An ideal candidate would also be a non-smoker and someone with realistic expectations of their procedure.

The length of time it takes you to recover after body contouring surgery is entirely dependent on the treatments you have done. Any bandages placed over incisions for surgical operations will typically stay in place for a few days, and some portions of the body may require you to wear a compression bandage/garment for several weeks to keep swelling under control.

Whatever body contouring procedure you choose, you must allow enough time for your body to heal before seeing the full effect of your transformation. After a few weeks, the bruising normally goes away. The swelling usually passes in 3-6 months, although scars can take up to a year to fully mature and fade.

Although they are rare, there are risks to any surgical procedure. Risks associated with body contouring surgery include:

• Anesthesia complications

• Bleeding

• Persistent pain

• Infection

• Fluid retention

• Fat necrosis

• Prolonged swelling

• Changes in skin sensation

• Skin irregularities

With non-surgical options, risks are much more limited and include:

• Hives and skin rashes

• Pain/soreness

• Red skin

• Swelling

• Unsatisfactory results

• Need for repeat sessions