Let’s be honest. You’ve been ready for body contouring surgery since you first got serious about losing all that weight. Of course you wanted to lose weight to protect your health. And that was smart because being overweight, especially severely overweight, puts you at a greater risk for heart disease, respiratory problems, diabetes and a whole host of other life-threatening problems.

But you wanted to look better, too, didn’t you? You pictured yourself exercising comfortably. Wearing clothing many sizes smaller – stylish clothing that accentuates your womanly or manly shape nicely. Maybe you even pictured yourself at the beach, showing off your slimmer, trimmer self in shorts and a tank top or new swimwear.

Excess Skin is a Problem

What you didn’t picture was all that excess skin. Not only your torso, but your arms and thighs and breasts and jowls. Sagging folds and rolls are heavy and cumbersome. You can’t, in fact, get the exercise you want and need to maintain a healthy weight or even comfortably take care of personal hygiene or enjoy intimate moments. In some cases, there are rashes and infections, thanks to all that skin rubbing together between the folds. You want it gone.

You are so ready for post-massive weight loss surgery!

But, we have to be honest again. It takes more than a mental picture of the future to successfully undergo body contouring surgery. For one thing, it usually takes multiple surgical procedures to renew all the areas of your body that now have excessive, sagging skin. And while we combine procedures when possible, removing excess skin may mean going into surgery a few separate times. Just like losing a lot of weight, it’s a process, and it might take another year or two to achieve the results you want.

Are You Ready to Explore Body Contouring?

If you have maintained a stable weight for at least six months, you might be ready. This is vitally important for two reasons. If you jump the gun and go for body contouring surgery while you’re still losing weight, you increase risk of complications because extra weight puts a greater strain on the body. And if you gain or lose more than a little weight afterward, it could negate much of the contouring. So hang in there if you haven’t reached six months yet, it will be worth the wait.

If you feel emotionally ready to reveal the “true you” beneath all that extra skin and lingering fat, you might be ready. Many massive weight loss patients remain depressed about their physical condition, even after reaching their desired weight. You want to feel good about yourself – as well you should – and body contouring surgery can help achieve that.

If you feel emotionally and functionally ready to take on another big time commitment and the work of recovery, you might be ready. That means you have a support system of friends or family members in place to assist you and cheer you on, especially in the early days and weeks when you can’t do everything for yourself. Remember, you may need to have multiple procedures, completed during multiple surgeries, so this need will repeat itself.

If you understand that this will be a big financial commitment as well, you might be ready. Our Image Surgical Arts financing expert can help you understand your financing options.

Honest Talk and a Very Personal Surgical Plan

We applaud you for the work you’ve done to lose weight. And we’re here to help you take the final steps to achieve your body contouring goals. It’s never too soon to discuss the process, and if you mentally checked “yes!” to each of the points above, you’re ready to get started. The next step is scheduling a personal consultation with Dr. Harris to discuss your specific concerns, desired improvements and priorities. We can’t wait to see you!