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From Liposuction to Skin Lifts: Your Body Contouring Primer

Body contouring can help you achieve the look you've been dreaming about. Learn about different types of procedures including liposuction, breast augmentation and nonsurgical fat reduction.

Posted November 01, 2019

Four women meditating with eyes closed on yoga mats

Body contouring can help you look exactly the way you’ve been dreaming about. You’re so close, you just want to take a few final steps on your journey to the ideal you. That’s where body contouring can help.

Body contouring can help you achieve more natural looking proportions by removing excess skin after serious weight loss, enhancing shape or removing pockets of fat that stubbornly refuse to disappear despite weight loss and exercise. There are many types of surgical and nonsurgical contouring procedures. We’ve outlined several below to help you decide which might fit well with your needs — and your vision of the perfect you!

  • Liposuction. Fat is suctioned out of specific areas of your body, such as stomach, waist, hips, thighs, arms, chin, cheeks and more. It’s often paired with other procedures that help to tighten and tone skin.
  • Abdominal etching. Also known as liposculpture, this variation of liposuction focuses on creating “six-pack abs.” Thin tubes are inserted into the abdomen, dislodging fat deposits. Most of the fat is suctioned out, but some is left to simulate the look of muscle.
  • Skin lifts. Excess, sagging skin is removed, and remaining skin is tightened. Lifts also can include manipulating underlying muscle and soft tissue to enhance shape. The procedure is commonly used for upper arms, face and neck, abdomen, buttocks, thighs and breasts.
  • Body and breast augmentation and implants. Enhances the shape or symmetry of areas such as buttocks, biceps, triceps and breasts. The procedure may use implants (such as silicone-based shapes) or may involve transferring fat from other body areas to the place that needs a little more volume.
  • Nonsurgical fat reduction. A variety of nonsurgical procedures use heat, cooling or injected medication to damage or destroy fat cells that won’t disappear with diet and exercise. Procedures may be based on ultrasound, radio frequency, infrared light, vacuum massage, freezing or lasers. Some brand names include CoolSculpting®, Vanquish, SculpSure® and Kybella®.

If you’re near your desired weight and committed to a healthy lifestyle, then body contouring could give you long-lasting results and help you attain the look you’ve been working hard to achieve. And remember, your CareCredit credit card can help you pay for surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic treatments and procedures.* Use our Acceptance Locator or download the CareCredit Mobile App to find a qualified cosmetic surgeon near you who accepts CareCredit.

* Subject to credit approval.

The information, opinions and recommendations expressed in this content are for informational purposes only. Information has been obtained from sources generally believed to be reliable. However, because of the possibility of human or mechanical error by our sources, or any other, Synchrony and any of its affiliates, including CareCredit, (collectively, “Synchrony") does not provide any warranty as to the accuracy, adequacy, or completeness of any information for its intended purpose or any results obtained from the use of such information. The data presented was current as of the time of writing. Please consult with your individual advisors with respect to any information presented.

Sources:

“Body Contouring: Skin Removal After Major Weight Loss,” PlasticSurgery.org, https://www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures/body-contouring, accessed Feb. 28, 2019
“How to Prepare for Post-Weight Loss Body Contouring Surgery,” David Kaufman, M.D., PlasticSurgery.org, posted Dec. 11, 2018, https://www.plasticsurgery.org/news/blog/how-to-prepare-for-post-weight-loss-body-contouring-surger, accessed Feb. 28, 2019
“Cosmetic Procedures,” PlasticSurgery.org, https://www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedure, accessed April 1, 2019
“Plastic Surgery After Weight Loss,” WebMD.com, reviewed by Stephanie S. Gardner, M.D., July 15, 2017, https://www.webmd.com/beauty/plastic-surgery-after-weight-loss#, accessed April 1, 2019
“Compare CoolSculpting and 5 Top Body-Contouring Solutions,” reviewed by William LoVerme, M.D., and Jennifer Reichel, M.D., RealSelf.com, https://www.realself.com/concerns/body-contouring#.XHgdBlNKg1, accessed on Feb. 28, 2019
Multiple pages on RealSelf.com, accessed April 1, 2019: https://www.realself.com/abdominal-etching https://www.realself.com/bicep-implants https://www.realself.com/tricep-implants