Arms and Inner Thigh Elevation (after massive weight loss)

The upper inner thigh and the arms often depict loss of skin elasticity as an early sign of aging. Both areas are often involved in the process of weight gain/loss. The skin in these regions usually responds to weight loss by hanging rater then shrinking, hence the reason for cosmetic surgical elevation.

About the procedure
Young men and women with elastic skin will benefit from liposculpture of the inner thighs and arms but older individuals who underwent massive weight loss require excess skin excision. An attempt to conceal the scar in the arm pit or in the skin crease of the groin is made in the suitable candidates. This scar requires a year or more to settle completely.

About the Anesthesia
The operation can be performed on a day basis or may require an overnight stay in hospital. Local Anaesthetic is often performed under conscious sedation or light general anesthesia.

Tightening Up

Loosing a substantial amount of weight is a positive step for one’s health and  appearance.  However, the downside of this is that it can result in loose and sagging skin.  This also often occurs after pregnancy.  If a woman has carried a number of children, more often than not she will find the skin in certain parts of her body is no longer as tight as it once was.  It is therefore not surprising that an increasing number of women are undergoing cosmetic procedures to improve the appearance.

The areas of the body that are most frequently subject to loose skin are the inner thighs, the arms and the abdomen.  In the past, anyone who wanted to correct these problem areas usually faced complex surgery.  
In recent times, surgeons have started using non-invasive rejuvenation techniques on these three problem areas on the body.  Over a period of around three months, the patient is treated with different modalities tailored to what their circumstances are   e.g.  when patients come to see the surgeon, she may present with a combination of little extra fat as well as loose skin and stretch marks. In this case the practitioner would concentrate on reducing the fat volume and would then try to tighten and shrink the skin. This is done by stimulating the formation of certain components within the skin such as collagen and elastine that will cause a process of contraction and retraction.  A number of key treatments are being used when putting together an individual program including mesotherapy and Laser therapy and because each program varies so greatly, results will differ.  In some cases, liposculpture is also performed.  The treatment program usually takes around three months, however some patients may find the result only final after six months.  If there is only a little bit of loose skin to start with, the patient will usually see a big improvement early on. If there is a lot of loose skin, they can still achieve a very good result but it will be more difficult to achieve and will take more time.  

That is why it is so important to diagnose the problem properly and concentrate on administering the right series of treatments for each individual patient.  Patients are encouraged to make general life style changes usually related to diet and exercise to achieve optimal results.  A maintenance treatment is usually required every six months to a year.  With practitioners reporting up to 80% improvement in skin tightness after a 3-month program it is no wonder that an increasing number of patients are turning to non surgical techniques to return elasticity of the skin of their body to what it once was.