By: Richard Chaffoo, MD, FACS, FICS

If you’re like many of my patients, January 1st marked the first day of your resolution to lose a few pounds. It’s an excellent goal, one that will repay you with better health, improved quality of life, and greater self-confidence. If you have a big weight loss goal in 2010, I wish you the best and, in addition to my full support, I’d like to give you a tip for when you’ve lost the weight.

My Suggestion: Plastic Surgery After Weight Loss

I’m not a bariatric surgeon, so I won’t get into the details of weight loss surgery for the morbidly obese. However, I can talk about what you can do after the weight is gone. One of the unfortunate aftereffects of substantial weight loss is the formation of loose, excess skin, often seen on the face, arms, chest/breasts, midsection, and thighs.

This skin – which doesn’t “shrink to fit” your slimmer body shape – can be really frustrating. I’ve heard post weight loss patients say things like, “I’ve worked so hard to lose the weight, but now I don’t feel like I’ve achieved my goal because all this skin is standing in my way.” I perform procedures like body lift and face lift for this group of patients. San Diego face lift procedures are ideal for re-tightening jowls and improve the “hollow” look that can occur after significant weight loss. More complex than a face lift, a body lift involves a number of procedures to address multiple areas of excess skin (and residual pockets of fat as well).

After you’ve done such a wonderful job accomplishing your New Year’s resolution and making such a positive change, you deserve to look great. Whatever you do, don’t feel discouraged if you start to see loose skin; instead, remember that there’s definitely something you can do and congratulate yourself for your hard work and success.

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