Post weight loss surgery in London to remove loose skin after bariatric surgery, weight loss injections or diet and exercise, planned in stages from the tummy and waist to the arms, thighs, back and breasts.
Whether the loose skin is on your tummy, arms, thighs, back or breasts, or all the way round your waist, there is a specific operation for it, from the extended tummy tuck and lower body lift to the arm lift and thigh lift.
After major weight loss, whether through bariatric surgery, weight loss injections or diet and exercise, skin that has been stretched for years rarely shrinks back fully. Exercise builds the muscle underneath but cannot remove the skin, which is why surgery is the only way to take it away; our guide to loose skin after weight loss explains why it happens. Matching the area to the procedure:
If you are not sure where to start, our page on excess skin removal surgery sets out every option in one place.
Once your weight has been stable for several months and you are at or close to your goal. Operating while you are still losing weight means more loose skin appears afterwards, and a stable weight also means better healing. If you are taking weight loss injections, your surgeon will discuss when to pause them around surgery, because they slow stomach emptying, which matters for anaesthetic safety. Our article on skin removal surgery after rapid weight loss covers timing in more detail, and our guide to skin removal surgery on the NHS explains the eligibility criteria if you are considering that route.
Most people need more than one operation, and they are usually staged rather than done at once. The tummy and waist are commonly treated first, with the arms, thighs, back or breasts at a later operation, so that each one stays within safe limits for operating time and blood loss. Your surgeon agrees the whole plan at consultation, and each stage is consented separately. Our guide to body lift surgery after massive weight loss explains what to expect at each stage.
Every post weight loss operation is performed by a GMC-registered consultant plastic surgeon, and the surgeon who assesses you at consultation is the surgeon who operates. Operations take place under TIVA or local anaesthetic with sedation, depending on the procedure, at our Baker Street hospital, rated Good overall by the Care Quality Commission. Excess skin is often a medical problem as well as a cosmetic one, causing rashes and infection in skin folds, and we assess both.
You can see real patient results in our tummy tuck before and after photos, arm lift results and thigh lift before and after photos, and prices in our cosmetic surgery cost guides. We recommend a two-week cooling-off period before any surgical procedure.
A few short questions, including a simple pinch test you can do now. You will get a suggested procedure, realistic recovery times, and a straight answer if surgery should wait.
Excess skin removal surgery matches each area of loose skin left by big weight loss to the right lift, planned in stages. Start here if skin hangs in several places.
An extended tummy tuck carries the scar further round the sides to remove skin hanging over the hips and tummy. Choose it if loose skin wraps onto your flanks but not your back.
A fleur de lis tummy tuck adds a vertical midline scar so skin is removed from side to side as well as top to bottom. Choose it if your tummy is loose in both directions.
A mons lift slims and lifts the area just above the pubic hairline, removing fat, skin or both. Choose it if a pubic bulge shows through clothing, often after weight loss or a tummy tuck.
Panniculectomy cuts away a heavy fold that hangs over the pubic area, without tightening muscle or reshaping the waist. Choose it if you want to ease rashes, chafing and soreness more than a cosmetic change.
A breast lift raises sagging breasts and moves the nipple back to a youthful height, tightening the skin around them. Choose it if your breasts have dropped after pregnancy, weight loss or with age.
An arm lift tightens the underside of the upper arm by cutting away excess skin, with the scar along the inner arm or armpit. Choose it if bingo wings are skin, not just fat.
A thigh lift tightens the inner thighs by removing excess skin, with the scar in the groin crease and, if needed, down the inner leg. Choose it if loose skin, not fat, causes chafing.
A buttock lift takes away loose skin above the buttocks so they sit higher, with the scar placed low on the back. Choose it if the problem is sagging skin, not a lack of volume.
A bra line back lift removes rolls of loose skin on the upper back, leaving a scar that the bra strap covers. Choose it if back rolls are loose skin that liposuction cannot tighten.
A lower back lift removes skin folds from the lower back and sides along the underwear line. Choose it if the rolls are behind you and your tummy is fine or already treated.
An upper body lift treats the chest, back and arms as one plan, usually over more than one operation. Choose it if loose skin circles your upper body rather than sitting in one place.
A lower body lift circles the waist to lift the buttocks and outer thighs as well as the tummy. Choose it if skin sags at the back and sides, not just the front.
A male body lift removes hanging skin from men’s chest, tummy, back and limbs after large weight loss, usually in stages. Choose it if loose skin, rather than fat or gland, affects several areas.
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Patient Library
30 articles on loose skin and body lifts, written for patients and medically reviewed by Dr Spyridon Vlachos, Specialist Plastic Surgeon.
After weight loss
Itchy skin and rashes after weight loss are usually intertrigo in loose skin folds. How to treat it, which creams help, and when skin removal surgery helps.
Read the article: Skin Irritation After Weight Loss — Causes, Treatment and When Surgery HelpsThe Centre for Surgery newsletter
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