5. Why Should I Consider Plastic Surgery After Weight Loss

  • Peak Rejuvenation   •   Nov 20, 2018

I have a patient who once told me, “I’m 40 years old and lost 150lbs.  I have quite a bit of skin leftover and the folds itch…not like a rash, but like a nerve itch.  I’m not the “type” to get surgery and would only consider it if the excess skin effects his health.”

The truth is that excessive skin after weight loss, if present, can be irritating.  This gentleman’s experience can be common. For some people, the actual redundancy of the skin can cause chronic irritation simply due to the rubbing of the skin upon itself.  The only true way to deal with this issue is to remove the excessive skin. This will of course, leave one with a surgical scar, but the scar is often far superior to that of the chronic irritation caused by the skin rubbing upon itself.  While you may relate to this gentleman as someone who is not the “type” for surgery, your mind may be changed if you discussed this with a person who had undergone just that. In the end, you should not limit your possible solutions simply because you think you don’t need surgery.  Simply going to a consultation will often help educate and direct you on whether a) you even need surgery in the first place, and b) what type of treatment would best suit your goals, beit surgical or non-surgical.

What are the benefits vs. risks? 

Benefits of Plastic Surgery

Overall, the benefits of removing excessive skin are simple.  Decreasing the amount of redundant skin can decrease the occurrence of rashes or infections, decrease odor, improve hygiene, help clothing to fit better, decrease pain, make it easier to exercise, and restore confidence.

Risks of Plastic Surgery

Risks associated with Plastic Surgery have general risks and individualized risks.  Generalized risks may include infection, bleeding, poor wound healing, contour irregularities, etc.  Those risks may be increased depending on other factors such as comorbidities such as diabetes and nicotine use.  Please keep in mind that I have seen many cases in which programs such as PhD Nutrition has cured some of these comorbidities such as diabetes.  So, don’t think that the presence of a medical problem makes you a poor candidate.  Your candidacy may, in fact, change after you lose weight. Individualized risks may be present and often depend on a person’s overall health and the presence of other types of medical conditions such as auto-immune disorders, use of anticoagulation, heart disease, etc.  Your surgeon can help you determine the overall risks to you specifically.

When should I consider Plastic Surgery?

In general, Plastic Surgeons generally like a person to maintain their plateau weight for around 6 months before considering a patient for surgical skin reduction.

I hope I have helped to dispel some myths about Plastic Surgery.  Next, we’ll talk about specific types of procedures based on area of the body.  Feel free to skip to the area that pertains to you. Below are links to specific areas:

Feel free to contact us with any questions you mayor schedule a consultation by email info@peakrejuvenation.com or call us at 970-259-5990.