Introduction to Cosmetic Surgery of the Body
When it comes to body shape, our ideals of what is beautiful have changed significantly over the years from voluptuous to athletic to waif-like and back again. Most recently, the ideal body is considered to be one that is healthy and fully functional with an appreciation that many different shapes and sizes can be highly attractive.
Considering Body Surgery?
Although diet and exercise are a key part of maintaining a healthy physique, many people still find that life’s experiences can alter the way their body looks and feels unavoidably and irreversibly. Childbirth, massive weight gain or loss or following physical trauma such as ill health or an accident are just some examples. Time is another phenomenon. As we age, our body undergoes significant changes that can leave our bodies different and less desirable than earlier in our lives. For some it could just be that genetics may not have given us the breast size or proportion for which we had hoped. Others may find that maturing into middle-age and beyond alters the body we still deserve to have.
To ensure optimal outcomes with cosmetic surgery of the body, clients should be focused on achieving natural-looking proportions and symmetry. Of course, there is room for personal preference as individual ideals of the perfect body form are different. As with all cosmetic surgeries, it is important to engage in self-exploration to understand your expectations for surgery. While changing your body’s physical appearance can have a positive impact on your confidence and the way you look in clothes, it can’t fundamentally change your standard of living or your true personality.
What are my options?
Examples of body contouring procedures that Dr. Belsley’s practice offers include lipoplasty, lifting of the arms and thighs, tummy tuck, breast surgery, and surgical implants. Clients considering surgery on the body should make themselves aware of the various options that are available. Considerations must account for individual goals and technical considerations such as the amount of fatty vs. glandular tissues, degree of weight-loss, age and general fitness. Dr. Belsley can help you ascertain what is technically possible and is well placed to create a surgery plan that can address your specific needs. We invite you to make an appointment for more information on how to develop a tailored approach to realizing your aesthetic goals.
General advice for clients considering Cosmetic Surgery of the Body
- Procedures that involve implants should be carefully considered as they result in significant changes to the body’s structure and can result in permanent changes even if removed.
- For clients considering surgery after bariatric surgery or significant weight-loss, it is important to ensure that your weight has stabilized. While you might be eager to complete your transformation with the removal of excess skin and fat, it is strongly recommended that you wait at least 12-18 months after bariatric surgery before undergoing cosmetic contouring.
- Be prepared for healing time, not only in terms of how you will look but also to make arrangements for time taken off work and follow up visits with the surgeon. Surgeries on the body can significantly affect your ability to perform physical tasks, the exact time depends on the procedure and it is of utmost importance that you follow Dr. Belsley's advice to avoid complications and allow for the best recovery and outcomes.
Related Surgical Examples:
1 of 10
The female abdomen embodies the essence of womanhood, both in form and in function. However, pregnancy stretches the abdominal skin and the muscle layers beneath it.
In both men and women, these layers may simply loose elasticity over time. In either case, some aspects of the changes in the appearance of the abdomen will not be responsive to diet or exercise.
An abdominoplasty or a "tummy tuck" can enhance the body's contour by making the abdomen firmer, flatter and tighter. An enhancement in the fit of an individual's clothing, their posture and their self-image often results.
In individuals with overly full upper arms but good skin tone, arm liposuction can result in shapelier, more muscular appearing upper arms without lengthy incisions.
Even a subtle change can produce a striking overall effect.
Dr. Belsley often utilizes ultrasound assisted liposuction in this area in order to promote skin shrinkage, making more individuals candidates for this minimally invasive method of arm contouring.
Most men and some women have a tendency to accumulate fat deposits in the back immediately above the buttocks. This area is often referred to in popular culture as "love handles." The lower rise pants that have become fashionable of late, especially when worn snugly, emphasize excess fat in these areas. Liposuction can provide an excellent resolution to this concern with a relatively short recovery period.
Dr. Belsley feels that liposuction of the upper back, especially around the bra strap area in women, has proven increasingly successful with the addition of ultrasound-assisted liposuction. This specialized technique of liposuction involves the use of high frequency sound waves to assist in breaking up fat cells prior to liposuction. Dr. Belsley uses it frequently in order to obtain a more thorough and even removal of fatty tissue from various regions of the body.
Weight gain, genetic tendencies and ageing have their own independent effects on the appearance of the mid-body. Pregnancy can stretch the abdominal skin wall. In individuals whose skin and muscle have not been damaged or malpositioned by stretch and who have appropriate skin elasticity, the mid-body may be contoured very effectively with liposuction alone. When an individual is a candidate for mid-body liposuction, the advantages of this method of body contouring over more invasive methods are many; they include shorter incision and also an easier and sometimes shorter recovery period.
Although numerous body types exist, many women are genetically predisposed to accumulate fat in the hips and thighs. When this is the case, clothing can be difficult to fit and an individual with a relatively normal body fat percentage can appear to be significantly overweight. In the extreme, this tendency may result in a body proportion that appears markedly off balance.
Further, fatty deposits in these areas are notoriously unresponsive to diet and exercise. Liposuction can successfully address these concerns and also improve the fit of clothing.
Liposuction can result in shapelier legs, especially in those individuals who have fat deposits around the knees.