How to Get Rid of Back Fat

Back fat is one of the most common areas people ask us about, and one of the most frustrating, as it often stays put when the rest of the body slims down. This guide explains the different types of back fat, why it builds up, what actually works to get rid of back fat naturally, how long it takes, and when back liposuction or a back lift is the better answer.

If your main concern is the roll of fat that spills over your bra strap, our guide to bra bulge removal covers it in detail. For fat on the sides of the waist, see love handles liposuction.

What Is Back Fat? The Three Types of Back Fat

Back fat is subcutaneous fat, the layer of fat that sits under the skin, over the muscles of the back. Where it collects varies from person to person, but there are three main areas.

Upper back fat

Upper back fat sits between and around the shoulder blades and can extend into the back of the armpit. It tends to show in fitted tops and as a soft pad at the base of the neck. Many people with upper back fat also notice fat at the back of the arms, which our guide on how to lose arm fat covers.

Bra bulge and back rolls

The bra bulge, also called bra fat or back rolls, is fat (and sometimes loose skin) that spills above and below the bra band at the side of the chest and back. It is partly about fat and partly about where the band sits: a band that is too tight or too high makes the roll more obvious.

Lower back fat above the buttocks

Lower back fat collects across the back of the waist, just above the buttocks, and often continues round the sides as love handles (the flanks). This is the area people most often describe as stubborn, and the one most commonly treated with liposuction.

Why Do I Have So Much Back Fat?

There is rarely a single cause. The main factors are:

• Overall body fat. Back fat is part of your total body fat. As overall fat rises, the back is one of the places it collects, and as it falls, back fat reduces too.
• Genetics. Where you store fat is largely inherited. Some people store more around the trunk and back, others around the hips and thighs.
• Hormones and age. A 2024 review of weight gain in midlife women in Current Obesity Reports ↗^[3] found that the hormonal changes of the menopause shift fat towards the centre of the body, while falling activity and energy expenditure make weight gain more likely.
• Loose skin after weight loss or pregnancy. What looks like back fat can be skin that has lost its elasticity, which no amount of exercise will tighten.
• Posture and clothing. A rounded upper back pushes soft tissue into folds, and a tight or poorly fitted bra band creates rolls that are not really extra fat at all.

What causes back fat in females?

Women naturally carry more subcutaneous fat than men, and many store it around the bra line and lower back. Pregnancy, weight changes and the menopause all affect where that fat sits. A well-fitted bra can make a visible difference to bra bulge on its own, so it is worth a professional fitting before assuming the roll is all fat.

Is back fat a health problem?

Back fat is subcutaneous fat, which carries less health risk than visceral fat, the deeper fat stored around the organs inside the abdomen. Our guide to visceral vs subcutaneous fat explains the difference. That said, large back rolls, particularly after major weight loss, can cause real problems: bra straps that dig in, chafing, and sore or infected skin in the folds where moisture collects. These functional symptoms are a common reason people look into back lift surgery.

Can You Spot-Reduce Back Fat?

No, and this is the most important thing to know before starting a back fat workout. Training a muscle does not burn the fat that lies over it. In a 2011 randomised trial in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research ↗^[1], six weeks of daily abdominal exercises improved muscular endurance but did not reduce abdominal fat. In a 2013 controlled study ↗^[2] in which people trained one leg for 12 weeks, fat mass fell, but mainly in the upper body and trunk, not in the trained leg.

The same applies to the back. Back exercises are worth doing, but the fat comes off from the whole body, in the order your genetics decide, which is why the back is often one of the last areas to change.

How to Get Rid of Back Fat Naturally

Getting rid of back fat naturally means lowering your overall body fat and building the muscles underneath. In practice:

• Eat in a modest calorie deficit. A sustainable deficit, built around vegetables, lean protein and whole foods, with fewer sugary snacks and drinks, is the foundation of fat loss anywhere on the body.
• Keep protein high. Protein helps preserve muscle while you lose fat and keeps you fuller for longer.
• Do regular cardio. Brisk walking, cycling, swimming and rowing all raise energy use. Rowing and swimming also work the back muscles.
• Strength train two or three times a week. Building muscle across the back gives a firmer, smoother outline as the fat reduces.
• Work on posture and bra fit. Standing tall with the shoulders back and wearing a bra band that sits level and is not too tight can reduce the look of rolls straight away.

Best exercises for back fat

These exercises target the muscles of the upper, middle and lower back. They will not burn the fat over them on their own, but they shape the back as you lose fat overall:

• Rows (bent-over dumbbell rows, seated cable rows or single-arm rows) for the middle back and lats.
• Lat pull-downs or assisted pull-ups for the upper back.
• Reverse flies for the upper back and the back of the shoulders, which also help posture.
• Back extensions, bird dogs and planks for the lower back and core.
• Rowing machine intervals, which combine cardio with back work.

How long does it take to lose back fat?

Most people need several months of consistent eating and exercise to see a clear change in back fat, and the lower back is often the slowest area. Losing back fat “in a week” or “fast” is not realistic: quick results on the scales in the first week are mostly water. Aim for steady weight loss and judge progress by how clothes fit over a couple of months.

When Back Fat Will Not Shift: Is It Fat or Loose Skin?

If you are close to a stable, healthy weight and still have back fat that has not changed despite months of effort, it is worth working out whether the problem is fat, loose skin or both. A simple guide:

• Soft fat you can pinch, with skin that springs back: usually suits liposuction.
• Some fat with mild skin laxity: liposuction, sometimes with skin tightening such as Argo Plasma.
• Folds of loose skin that hang, especially after major weight loss: usually needs a back lift to remove the excess skin.

A surgeon can tell the difference at a consultation and will check your weight history, skin quality and general health.

Back Liposuction for Stubborn Back Fat

Back liposuction removes fat from the upper back, bra roll area, middle and lower back through small 3–4 mm incisions. At Centre for Surgery it is usually a day case under TIVA (total intravenous anaesthesia). Back fat is often denser and more fibrous than fat elsewhere, and both power-assisted liposuction (PAL) and VASER liposuction are available; your surgeon recommends the technique for your tissue. Up to five litres of fat can be removed in a single session.

You wear a compression garment for six weeks, and the final result shows at three to six months as swelling settles. Back liposuction is often combined with treatment of the flanks or with 360 liposuction for a smoother result all the way round. Our main liposuction page explains the procedure in more detail.

Real Centre for Surgery patient, photographed at least six months after back liposuction.

Back Lift Surgery for Loose Skin and Back Rolls

When the problem is loose skin rather than fat, liposuction alone can leave the skin looser. A back lift removes the excess skin and tightens what remains. A 2015 study in the Annals of Plastic Surgery ↗^[4] lists back rolls among the common upper body findings after massive weight loss, alongside breast changes and folds at the side of the chest.

The main options are:

• Bra line back lift: removes rolls of skin across the upper and middle back, with the scar placed so it sits under the bra strap.
• Lower back lift: removes loose skin across the lower back, often as part of body contouring after weight loss.
• Upper body lift: treats the back, sides of the chest and sometimes the arms together, for more extensive skin excess.

Your weight should be stable for at least six months, and ideally twelve, after major weight loss before a back lift, so the result is not undone by further change. Our guide to excess skin removal surgery covers the wider options.

Tap to reveal

Real Centre for Surgery patient, photographed at least six months after back lift surgery.

Back Fat, Bra Bulge or Love Handles: Which Is It?

These terms overlap, and the right treatment depends on exactly where the fat sits:

• Bra bulge: the roll around the bra band at the side of the chest and back. See bra bulge removal.
• Love handles: fat on the sides of the waist above the hips. See love handles liposuction.
• Back fat: the upper and lower back themselves, often treated with back liposuction, sometimes alongside the flanks.

Back Fat in Men

Men tend to store fat around the lower back and flanks rather than the bra line, and it often goes with fat around the abdomen, the shape sometimes called a dad bod. The same rules apply: overall fat loss first, then male liposuction for stubborn areas, often combined with the flanks and abdomen. Men’s back fat is usually firmer, which is one reason surgeons often use VASER or PAL for it.

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1. Vispute SS, Smith JD, LeCheminant JD, Hurley KS. The effect of abdominal exercise on abdominal fat. J Strength Cond Res. 2011;25(9):2559-2564. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181fb4a46 ↗
2. Ramírez-Campillo R, Andrade DC, Campos-Jara C, et al. Regional fat changes induced by localized muscle endurance resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2013;27(8):2219-2224. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e31827e8681 ↗
3. Hurtado MD, Saadedine M, Kapoor E, et al. Weight gain in midlife women. Curr Obes Rep. 2024;13(2):352-363. doi:10.1007/s13679-024-00555-2 ↗
4. Patel NB, Wong MS. Extended fasciocutaneous flaps for autologous augmentation mastopexy with upper body lift after massive weight loss: an early experience. Ann Plast Surg. 2015;74 Suppl 1:S41-S45. doi:10.1097/SAP.0000000000000413 ↗

Talk to a Surgeon About Back Fat

If you have back fat or back rolls that have not responded to diet and exercise, you can book a consultation at our Baker Street clinic by calling 020 7993 4849 or using the form below. A surgeon will assess whether liposuction, a back lift or a combination suits you.