Lower Body Lift

A lower body lift requires strategically placed incisions through which a plastic surgeon can reshape your body contours by reducing fat; lifting, tightening and shaping the underlying skin matrix; and smoothing and reducing the overlying skin.

Landsdowne, VA plastic surgeon Phillip Chang, MD, says that if your skin doesn’t have enough elasticity, and your rear end looks a little deflated, a lower body lift is the only way to eliminate the excess skin and restore a more taut appearance. This procedure is essentially a more extensive tummy tuck that uses incisions along the upper area of the buttocks as well as under the buttocks crease so your surgeon can lift and rejuvenate the area.

Depending on skin quality and the regions your lift will address, incisions could be limited or extensive. In general, patients are willing to accept the trade off of visible scars for improved contour and shape.

The lifted shape of new and improved body zones is visible immediately after surgery, but contours, skin tone and scars will continue to refine for as long as six months to a year after surgery. 

Pear-shaped women who have truly slack skin, uneven contours and unwanted pockets of fat in the lower body.

Women who gain an excessive amount of weight during pregnancy and are left with extra skin on their lower body.

Those who are not willing to undergo surgery to eliminate excess skin and fat.

Those who are stisified with the appearance of their thighs.

Overview

During a lower body lift, excess skin and fat are removed in order to reshape the target areas and deliver smoother contours. Your new shape is visible immediately after surgery, but results (including skin tone and scars) will become increasingly refined for up to six months. You’ll likely be sent home after a one- to two-day hospital stay in a compression garment to help the skin conform to the body and reduce swelling.

Overview

Thin, flexible tubes may be placed in your incisions to drain any excess fluid after surgery. Walking as soon as possible after surgery is a must to keep blood circulating and to prevent blood clots. Your plastic surgeon may provide you with crutches or a walker after surgery because standing fully upright will be difficult for a few days and bearing all your weight on your lower body can be very stressful.

Within a few days you'll be able to shower, probably with some assistance. And if you have been wearing a compression garment, limit the time that garment is removed to no more than 10 minutes, or swelling can increase sharply.

“Minimal incisions are not part of the equation,” explains Charlotte, NC, plastic surgeon Dr. Felmont Eaves. “We do everything we can to place them well, but certain areas—and patients—heal better than others.” Properly caring for healing incisions, not smoking and maintaining a stable weight can all lessen your risk of developing raised, wide or poorly healed scars.

After any body lift procedure, it’s imperative to maintain a stable weight to ensure lasting results.

You may be asked to minimize sitting down for 10 days to two weeks and lying on your back for up to two months.

• A number of patients will also need additional surgery down the line to refine results, but these secondary procedures usually are less extensive. “For a lot of these patients, lower body lift surgery is like the completion of a journey,” says Dr. Felmont Eaves. “Although the two or three stages of surgery can take a year or more, these procedures bring them back to the realm of normalcy.”
• Although health insurance does not cover most of these procedures, it may be tax deductible, so be sure to speak with your accountant.

For more tips about preparing for your lower body lift procedures, download the NewBeauty Workbook here. >