Beauty Doc Blog

People struggle with weight loss everyday to achieve their physical goals. After losing a significant amount of weight, many dieters wind up disappointed because their bodies do not look like they expected. Sagging skin and nagging love handles remain despite their best efforts to exercise and eat right. Dieters can feel reassured knowing the Biggest Loser contestants have body life surgery after losing weight.

Adro Sarnelli won “The Biggest Loser” during its debut season in Australia. He had excess loose skin after losing 130 pounds and wanted to bring closure to his weight loss experience. During an interview, Adro stated, “Yes, I have heaps of excess skin left after the weight loss. It has nothing to do with how fast I lost weight because I would have it no matter what because I had it all before I lost weight and worse now. I am actually going in for surgery on October 2, 2006 to have my first operation, which is the body lift. Then I will get my arms, man boobs and thighs done on November 14, 2006. Most of all, these surgeries are for me to have closure on the whole idea of not being a fat guy anymore.” Sarnelli featured a video of his surgery decisions on YouTube while working on a related documentary.

Jez Luckett, another Biggest Loser contestant with loose skin, stated, “When we all got back for the finale, I was lovingly voted the contestant with the ‘worst skin’ by my fellow cast mates, so yeah, it’s there. I found an amazing surgeon…who will assist me in removing the dubious distinction of ‘worst skin’ as voted by the cast of The Biggest Loser 4.” Removing this loose skin is a final phase for many people looking to reach their physical fitness goals.

Finally, Eric Chopin was 407 pounds before he won NBC’s “Biggest Loser”. His total weight loss during and after the show brought him to a trim 192 pounds. The television show ended in December, 2006 and Chopin decided to have surgery in March, 2007 to get rid of excess skin from his waist, buttocks, arms and back. Chopin said, “I had just had it with the loose skin. It was irritating me and flopped around when I ran my daily miles. In a dress shirt, I looked nice and neat at the collar and chest, but then there was this big, sloppy bulge at my waist.” Eric comments about the surgery, “After the body shaping procedure, I had a fairly easy recovery. I love being an inspiration to others.”

To sculpt their bodies into shape, Biggest Loser contestants have body lift surgery to get rid of the sagging, excess skin that keeps them from achieving their goals.

When a patient experiences excessive weight loss, often they are left with a large amount of hanging skin and fat.  This can make a patient feel discouraged about their weight loss efforts because of an inability to reach their final goals.  A panniculectomy removes the excess fat and skin, unlike an abodominoplasty which also tightens muscle.  For many, a panniculectomy is the final step after losing a significant amount of weight.

Candidates for panniculectomy surgery usually suffer obesity or have lost a significant amount of weight recently.  Other patients may have post-pregnancy problems with fat beneath the belly button.  The fat and skin that hang may extend to the knees, over the hips and even around the back.  Skin rashes, ulcerations, skin disorders and back problems may result from excessive hanging skin and fat, causing difficulty with everyday tasks such as sitting, standing or walking.

Patients should have stabilized their weight and be engaged in proper diet and exercise habits prior to surgery.  If a candidate had gastric bypass, they should discuss the waiting period for a panniculectomy with their plastic surgeon.  The surgery may take several hours and is normally performed under general anesthesia with a hospital stay of one day to one week.

The plastic surgeon makes an incision in the lower sternum to the public bone with another horizontal incision at the pubic area to remove excess skin and fat.  The remaining skin is pulled together and stitched with drains inserted for home care.  Tape is applied to the areas with incisions.

After a panniculectomy, patients need to avoid heavy lifting and exercise for a few weeks.  The plastic surgery provides a postoperative list of instructions that must be carefully followed.  Drains will need to be emptied and dressings changed.  Patients may have some pain, swelling and bruising when they heal, which can be managed with pain medication and the right care.  The risks are minimal including bleeding, infection and scarring.  With proper care, patients experience little discomfort after panniculectomy surgery.

The stitches are removed within 5 to 7 days after the panniculectomy with deeper sutures coming out after 2 or 3 weeks.  Patients may be given a support garment to wear for 4 weeks and should start walking as soon as possible after the procedure to boost circulation.  Most patients can return work within 2 to 3 weeks after surgery but should stick to light duty for another 3 or 4 weeks.  Within a year, the scars will lighten in appearance.  The patient will enjoy a trimmer, smoother figure with the ability to finally reach their fitness goals.

There are real, important psychological benefits of having plastic surgery.  Reconstructive surgery helps a person to fix or bring to a normal state an irregularity on the body such as a scar or torn earlobe.  People can be self-conscious for years about such physical issues, compromising their self-confidence.

When a physical flaw is corrected, a person has a better self-image.  An improved appearance and self-image benefits people of all ages emotionally, psychologically and physically.  A person’s image or perception of their appearance can indirectly and directly take control of their direction in life.  When a person has difficulty with their image, it can dominate their perception of their surroundings.  When someone is unhappy with their appearance, they often communicate through negative actions or body language.  Having plastic surgery can give a person an improved outlook on their life.  They communicate more openly and have a more positive opinion of the world around them.

Often adults and children suffer due to cruelty from their peers when they have a noticeable physical flaw.  Teasing can give people fear of being taunted in the future about the way they look and lower their self-confidence.  Having the option to change the element that makes you feel uncomfortable gives you a greater sense of control about your appearance.  You get a major emotional boost when you have the ability to change your appearance.

At every age, a person can get a healthy dose of self-esteem from reconstructive surgery.  Older people can regain a more youthful appearance for a more meaningful life.  A healthy appearance can even make older people feel more healthy.  A better body image can improve personal relationships.  Correcting physical elements with plastic surgery can also lift a person spiritually.

Social situations become more comfortable when a person is less self-conscious.  After plastic surgery, people can enjoy contact with new people or interactions in large groups without worrying about their appearance.  This comfortability helps people form more meaningful interpersonal relationships after plastic surgery.  People can face with world with more self-esteem when they feel secure about their appearance after plastic surgery.

Plastic surgery can even accomplish what endless exercise doesn’t seem to achieve to sculpt a person’s body shape.  Even slight changes can make a huge difference to the person who has them.  The benefits of plastic surgery far surpass the risks.  Patients derive benefits psychologically, physically and emotionally from having reconstructive surgery.  When people feel good, their life improves.

Getting medi-spa treatments can help to improve the appearance of uneven skin pigmentation.  Skin pigmentation may become irregular due to sun exposure, aging, pollutants, acne scarring and other factors.  Medi-spa treatments can even the skin tone for a more attractive appearance.

Resurfacing techniques are commonly used to help skin pigmentation.  The outer layers of skin are removed which results in tighter, smoother skin after the healing occurs.  By removing the outer layers of skin, the body is stimulated to form new collagen elastic fibers.  During the aging process, these essential fibers are broken down and lost.  By stimulating new collagen, the skin has a fresher, more even tone.

A laser or chemical peels works well to resurface the skin and even out pigmentation.  A Phenol chemical peel is quite effective, depending on your skin type, the extent of uneven pigmentation, severity of sun damage and how deep the skin imperfections are.  A laser process uses light energy made by a machine, such as carbon dioxide, to resurface the skin.  The plastic surgeon will conduct a thorough examination with the patient to decide whether a chemical peel or laser peel is the right option.

Resurfacing lasers have become a very popular method to treat fine lines, deep facial wrinkles, acne scars, precancerous sun damaged skin and abnormal pigmentation.  Lasers are often preferred by plastic surgeons because they are more controlled and precise than using dermabrasion or deep chemical peels.

A carbon dioxide resurfacing laser delivers laser energy in fast, short bursts to surface cells on a patient’s skin and vaporizes them.  The laser allows the plastic surgeon to remove one layer of skin at a time with pinpoint accuracy.  A laser gives the plastic surgeon the ability to get rid of sun damage, freckles and brown spots while removing or minimizing wrinkles by stimulating the body to product new collagen.  Unless the patient is treating a very small area, usually general anesthesia is administered prior to carbon dioxide laser resurfacing.  The procedure can be performed as an outpatient.  However, many patients decide to spend a night in aftercare facilities after carbon dioxide resurfacing.

Patients should allow approximately 2 weeks to heal after laser treatment, after which makeup may be applied.  Soothing ointments are applied while the patient heals and there is little pain associated with the healing process.  After healing, the skin has a flawlessly smooth appearance.  Deep wrinkles are smoothed and reduced.  The treated skin is a reddish color for around 4 to 6 months then fades to a lighter color.  While there are some risks, the results of a laser resurface are dramatic.  Skin pigmentation evens out and acne scarring fades away after laser resurfacing.