If you’ve lost a significant amount of weight, whether through diet, exercise, bariatric surgery, or weight-loss medications, you may find yourself dealing with excess skin and droopy folds across your upper and lower body. Body procedures after weight loss can help remove excess skin, improve body contours, and restore a firmer, more balanced appearance.
You can feel more comfortable and confident with a body lift performed by Dr. Ellen Mahony, a highly trained plastic surgeon in Westport, CT. Dr. Mahony can “lift” and remove your extra skin folds from virtually every area of the body, or you can elect to focus on just your lower or upper body. With any cosmetic body procedure, Dr. Mahony’s ultimate goal is to make you feel secure in your new body.
What Is a Body Lift?
A body lift is a surgical procedure that helps people with loose, sagging skin after significant weight loss or as part of the aging process. By removing excess skin and tightening the remaining tissue from your upper, mid, and lower body, this procedure helps create a more natural-looking shape.
See Dr. Mahony’s results: before and after a body lift.
What Is a Lower Body Lift?
If your excess skin is mostly around your waist and thighs, Ellen offers lower-body lifts that combine a tummy tuck (opens in new tab) and liposuction, (opens in new tab) along with skin removal from the pubic area, buttocks, thighs, and hips.
The surgery removes excess skin and tightens the area, giving you a more sculpted lower body. We may also use liposuction to refine your results.
What Is an Upper Body Lift?
A brachioplasty, or upper arm lift, can remove excess skin that flaps beneath the arm to give your upper arms a tighter, more toned appearance. An upper body lift can also smooth out folds that extend from the chest area to the mid-back. And if your skin has retained its elasticity, liposuction can remove excess fat from your arms and back.
Whether on its own or paired with a lower body lift, this procedure helps you feel more confident showing off your body in ways you may have avoided before.
What Happens During a Body Lift Procedure?
A body lift is a highly customized body contouring procedure designed to remove excess skin and improve overall body shape after significant weight loss. During your consultation, Dr. Mahony will evaluate your concerns, discuss your goals, and create a personalized surgical plan, including incision placement and the areas being addressed.
Body lift surgery is typically performed under general anesthesia in an accredited surgical facility. Depending on the extent of the procedure, some patients may return home the same day, while others may stay overnight for monitoring and recovery support.
During the procedure:
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Carefully planned incisions are made in areas that can usually be concealed beneath clothing.
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Excess skin and tissue are removed to improve body contours.
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The remaining tissue is tightened and reshaped for a firmer, smoother appearance.
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Internal sutures may be used to support the newly contoured areas.
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Incisions are closed carefully to support healing and minimize visible scarring.
Because every body lift is personalized, the exact details of surgery will vary based on your anatomy and treatment goals.
Candidates for a Body Lift
Body lift surgery may be a good option for adults who have lost a significant amount of weight and are left with loose, sagging skin that cannot be improved through diet or exercise alone.
Ideal candidates typically:
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Have reached and maintained a stable weight
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Are in good overall health
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Do not smoke
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Have realistic expectations about surgery and recovery
Patients should also maintain healthy nutrition and hydration habits to support healing and recovery after surgery.
Benefits of a Body Lift
A body lift can improve both your appearance and overall comfort after significant weight loss by removing excess skin and refining body contours.
Benefits of a body lift may include:
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Smoother Body Contours: Removes loose, sagging skin for a firmer, more proportionate appearance.
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Improved Comfort: Reduces irritation, chafing, and discomfort caused by excess skin folds.
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Enhanced Confidence: Helps many patients feel more comfortable in fitted clothing, swimwear, and everyday life.
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Better Mobility: Makes physical activity and daily movement easier by reducing excess tissue.
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Healthier Skin: Helps minimize moisture buildup and skin irritation in skin folds.
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Long-Lasting Results: Provides lasting contour improvements when paired with a stable weight and healthy lifestyle.
Why Choose Dr. Ellen Mahony for a Body Lift
Dr. Ellen Mahony is a highly skilled plastic surgeon in Westport, CT, with a unique background that sets her apart. She holds a degree in physical therapy from the University of Connecticut and a master’s in public health from Yale University. Her medical education and advanced surgical training at the University of Pennsylvania included residencies in general surgery and plastic and reconstructive surgery.
As one of the few board-certified female plastic surgeons in Connecticut, Dr. Mahony is known for her meticulous approach. Her work has been featured in national media and recognized by leading medical organizations. Patients choose Dr. Mahony for her dedication, skill, and ability to deliver results that will change their lives for the better.
Restore Smoother, Firmer Contours With a Body Lift in Westport, CT
A body lift can help remove excess skin, improve body contours, and restore comfort and confidence after significant weight loss. Dr. Ellen Mahony combines advanced surgical expertise with a personalized, compassionate approach to help patients achieve natural-looking results tailored to their individual goals and body shape.
To learn more about body lift surgery in Westport and Fairfield, contact Dr. Ellen Mahony, MD, at 203-221-0102 to schedule your private consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Dr. Mahony usually finds she gets the best contouring results when it’s all done in one procedure. Occasionally, there may be a reason to stage the procedures, such as if your health, recovery capacity, or specific goals make it safer to have separate surgeries. Dr. Mahony will discuss the right approach for you during your consultation.
We recommend waiting at least one year after reaching your goal weight before having a body lift. This gives your body time to stabilize and ensures that any natural skin retraction has occurred. Waiting also helps minimize the risk of needing additional procedures if you lose more weight after surgery. Dr. Mahony will assess your readiness and guide you on the best timeline.
Unfortunately, there really is no way to spot-reduce trouble areas on the body. And, if you have excess skin from a dramatic weight loss (which sometimes happens after bariatric surgery or weight loss medications like semaglutide or tirzepatide), it can be especially loose and require surgical removal. The tightening Dr. Mahony can achieve during the procedure yields the most desirable result. For patients that have good skin elasticity but fatty tissue under the arm, she sometimes uses liposuction to get the perfect result.
Patients will see a difference in their bodies as soon as they can look at themselves in a mirror after surgery. You may have to wear compression garments for at least a week, which can somewhat obscure the effects of your surgery, so you’ll need to be patient. As swelling subsides over several weeks, you’ll start to see the improvements. It can take up to two years for the final outcome of your body lift to fully develop. The incision scars of a body lift remain but typically fade very nicely. Once the incision line has healed, it may be possible to begin a scar treatment program to help fade visible scarring. With age, it is natural to lose some tissue and skin firmness. However, the effects of the body lift typically last indefinitely.
Recovery from a body or arm lift involves some bruising, swelling, and tightness, but most patients find it manageable. Here’s a general recovery timeline:
- Day After Surgery: You’ll be able to shower.
- First 1-2 Weeks: Expect some bruising and swelling, especially if liposuction was part of the procedure. Most patients begin feeling better around the two-week mark.
- 2-3 Weeks Post-Surgery: Avoid bending, lifting, or strenuous activity.
- Time Off Work: Recovery time varies, but most patients take 7-10 days off for a body lift and around 3 days for an arm lift, depending on individual healing.
- 4-6 Weeks Post-Surgery: You can typically resume exercise, heavy lifting, and other strenuous activities around three weeks after an arm lift or four to six weeks after a body lift.
Dr. Mahony will provide specific instructions based on the details of your procedure and personal recovery progress.
We know you’re probably excited to show off your arms in sleeveless shirts, so it’s natural to think about scarring from an upper body lift. Each patient is unique, but Dr. Mahony generally places the incision on the inside of the arm, the side that faces your body. It usually extends from the armpit area to the elbow. In rarer cases, it is possible to make the incision under the armpit. There are many great ways to care for incisions post-surgery that help to minimize the appearance of the scars. Patients are so thrilled with their new, toned arms that they’re never afraid to show them off, scars or not!
Often, when a person loses so much weight that they could benefit from a body lift, a thin layer of subcutaneous fat persists. For this reason, body lift procedures may be performed with liposuction to remove stubborn fat deposits from the treatment area.
All surgical procedures carry risks. Studies of body lift procedures have indicated a very low rate of complications, such as:
- Anesthesia reaction
- Blood clots
- Excessive bleeding or clotting
- Deep vein thrombosis
- Cardiac and pulmonary complications
- Fat or skin necrosis (tissue death)
- Persistent edema (swelling) or fluid accumulation
- Persistent pain
- Poor wound healing or wound separation
- Recurrent looseness or sagging of skin
- Temporary or permanent change/loss of skin sensation
- Unfavorable scarring and/or skin discoloration
- Unsatisfactory aesthetic results requiring additional surgery
Dr. Mahony carefully evaluates patients’ health and candidacy for body lift surgery and makes every effort to minimize surgical risks. Patients must also carefully follow post-operative instructions to prevent unnecessary complications.
To maintain your body lift results, keep your weight stable by following a healthy diet and a regular exercise routine. Stay hydrated, practice good skin care, and avoid smoking, as it can affect skin elasticity and healing. Regular check-ups with your surgeon and following all post-operative care instructions will also help preserve your results for years to come.
