What is Body Contouring Surgery? A Complete Guide
Body contouring surgery is a name given to a range of procedures designed to refine, sculpt and enhance specific areas of the body. By eliminating excess fat, tightening loose skin and improving the shape and tone of the underlying tissue, body contouring enhances the body’s natural silhouette and boosts your confidence.
Body contouring and sculpting procedures have become hugely popular in recent years due to their ability to achieve proven results. There has been an increase in the number of non-surgical treatment options. However, it’s the long-lasting and immediate impact of body contouring surgery that makes a surgical intervention so attractive to many.
What is body contouring surgery?
Body contouring surgery refers to a range of reconstructive surgical procedures that enable patients to achieve their desired body shape by removing surplus fat and sagging skin and reshaping and toning the underlying tissue.
The process can involve a single procedure or a series of treatments, performed simultaneously or in stages, to achieve a more sculpted silhouette. The areas that patients most commonly want to improve via body contouring surgery include the following:
- Abdomen
- Upper arms
- Buttocks
- Thighs
- Breasts
- Back
These areas are often susceptible to excess skin and fat and a loosening of the underlying tissue resulting from weight loss, pregnancy, ageing and other factors. Body contouring procedures, such as liposuction, tummy tucks and liposculpture, can target one or more areas to help patients achieve their aesthetic goals.
What are the different types of body contouring procedures?
These body contouring procedures can be used in isolation or combined to achieve the patient’s aesthetic goals.
Liposuction
Liposuction is often used in body contouring procedures to remove stubborn and unwanted fat from areas, including the hips, arms, abdomen, thighs and buttocks. The surgeon can also remove loose skin as part of the procedure and sculpt the area to create a more refined silhouette.
Liposculpture
Rather than removing large amounts of fat, liposculpture focuses more on reshaping and contouring specific areas to enhance natural curves and define muscle contours.
Tummy tuck
A tummy tuck, also known as abdominoplasty, removes excess skin and fat from the abdominal area. Weakened or separated muscles are also tightened to create a flatter and more toned appearance, improving the way the area looks and the patient’s core strength.
Breast lift
A breast lift, or mastopexy, involves the lifting and reshaping of sagging breasts through the tightening of surrounding tissue and removal of excess skin. A breast lift creates a perkier and more youthful breast contour and is sometimes combined with a breast augmentation and tummy tuck in a so-called ‘mummy makeover’.
Who is body contouring surgery suitable for?
Body sculpting procedures are a good fit for patients with a particular part (or parts) of their body that they are not happy with. That could be due to an asymmetry, stubborn fat or loose skin. Suitable candidates are those who are in good health, are close to their ideal weight, can maintain a stable weight, and do not plan to have any more children.
Patients usually decide to go ahead with body contouring surgery due to one of the following motivations.
Removing excess skin after weight loss
After significant weight loss, people often find their skin is no longer elastic enough to conform to their new body shape. In this case, body contouring procedures can remove the excess skin and tighten the underlying tissue to create a smoother contour.
Correcting post-pregnancy body alterations
Pregnancy can change the way fat is distributed around the body and lead to distended abdominal muscles and sagging skin that some patients want corrected. These are changes that exercise or eating a healthy diet cannot undo. Here, body contouring procedures such as a tummy tuck, potentially alongside liposuction or liposculpture, can restore the area to its pre-pregnancy form or make it look better than ever before.
Addressing ageing and skin laxity
The skin loses its elasticity as we age, leading to sagging skin in certain areas. It can be particularly noticeable on the face and neck, which is where a facelift can help, as well as the upper arms, inner thighs, and abdomen. Body contouring can remove the sagging skin to revitalise the area’s appearance.
Removing localised fat
Some patients have areas of stubborn fat, often due to genetics, that no amount of exercise or healthy eating can shift. Body contouring surgery can permanently remove the fat tissue, improve the proportionality of the area and create a more sculpted appearance.
Enhancing body symmetry
It’s not unusual for patients to have some asymmetry in their bodies resulting from uneven fat distribution or previous surgeries. Body contouring procedures can resolve those balances to create a more proportionate and harmonious physique.
Which type of body contouring surgery is best for me?
The right type of body contouring surgery for you really depends on your aesthetic goals, motivations and current body shape.
If you have recently lost a significant amount of weight, you might be left with an unexpected and unwelcome surprise – namely, loose skin around the abdominal area. In that case, a tummy tuck effectively removes the skin and tightens the underlying muscles. If you also have stubborn fat you cannot shift despite your weight loss efforts, you could also have liposuction in one or more areas alongside the tummy tuck procedure.
If you have finished having children, you may want your pre-pregnancy body back. One or multiple pregnancies can leave you with separated abdominal muscles, loose skin, stubborn fat and sagging breasts. In this case, you could opt for multiple body contouring procedures in a mummy makeover. That could include a tummy tuck to tighten the abdominal muscles and cut away the loose skin, liposuction to remove stubborn fat and a breast lift, with or without implants, to return your breasts to their previous condition – or give you the breasts you’ve always dreamed of.
However, body contouring surgery can also be more subtle. If you want to fine-tune your workout results or have areas of your body you are less confident about, liposculpture is a less invasive procedure with faster recovery times than traditional liposuction. You can use it on almost any area, from the hips and thighs to the back and upper arms, to create impressive results.
Body contouring surgery recovery
Your exact recovery timeline will depend on the specific body contouring treatments you have. However, generally speaking, after the procedure, you can expect to wear compression garments for four to six weeks, and a drainage tube is likely to be fitted for up to one week or more to prevent fluid build-up.
- Tummy tuck – A tummy tuck usually has the longest recovery time due to the more invasive nature of the surgery. You will typically need to take at least two weeks off work and it can take up to eight weeks to fully recover.
- Liposuction – Liposuction is less invasive, with most patients with more sedentary jobs returning to work after just one week. The initial swelling and bruising will peak in the first few days. It will subside over the next three weeks, and after four weeks, you can resume most day-to-day activities. You should be fully recovered after around six weeks.
- Liposculpture – Most patients have a week off work after liposculpture, but it may be possible to return after just a few days if the surgeon only removes a small amount of fat. You can expect to be fully recovered after around four weeks
- Breast lift – A breast lift is more invasive than breast augmentation as it involves reshaping and lifting the breast tissue and requires more extensive incisions. That leads to a longer recovery time. Most patients take two weeks off work and make a full recovery after six to eight weeks.
Things to consider before getting body sculpting surgery
- Body contouring is not a form of weight loss surgery. You should be at or close to your ideal weight before having the procedure.
- It’s beneficial to wait until you’ve finished having children, as further pregnancies can impact the results.
- Although the results of body contouring surgery are long-term, you will continue to age and your skin will sag over time.
- Body contouring does not prevent weight gain or the enlargement of the remaining fat cells in the treated area. However, the treated area will remain in proportion with the rest of the body.
- Scars will fade over time but can take up to a year or more to fade significantly.
- After the procedure, you can expect to experience swelling, bruising and some pain.
- All surgery carries a risk of complications. Your surgeon will explain these to you before you agree to go ahead.
- Your silhouette will change immediately, so you may need to invest in some new outfits.
- Always choose a GMC-registered surgeon with significant experience in your chosen procedure.
How much does body contouring surgery in the UK cost?
The cost of body contouring surgery depends on the specific procedure(s) and the areas you want to treat. At the Enhance Medical Group, the costs for each treatment are as follows:
- Tummy tuck – from £6,795
- Liposuction – from £3,150
- Lipsculpture – from £3,150
- Breast lift – from £6,450
We also offer finance options so you can spread the cost of your treatment over time.
It’s worth noting that combining body contouring procedures is more cost-effective than having separate surgeries. For example, you can combine a full tummy tuck with liposuction for £9,295.
Does non-surgical body contouring work?
Non-surgical body contouring procedures are worth considering as they can deliver subtle results, are less invasive and have a shorter recovery time. However, you will require multiple treatments to maintain the results, so the costs will quickly add up. You also cannot remove excess skin or large amounts of fat.
Surgical treatments, on the other hand, offer more dramatic and longer-lasting results. You can remove large amounts of fat or skin in one procedure to immediately change your appearance and boost your confidence.
Why choose Enhance Medical for your body contouring surgery?
At Enhance Medical, we offer safe, high-quality and affordable body sculpting procedures at our state-of-the-art clinics throughout the country. Our experienced surgeons and patient coordinators deliver the highest standard of care before, during and after your surgery, and our comprehensive aftercare package, which is included in the price of your procedure, ensures complete peace of mind.
Find out more about our body contouring procedures, including a tummy tuck, liposuction, liposculpture and breast lift, and book a free consultation to start your journey.