Losing a significant amount of weight can be a great source of joy but more often than not, it is accompanied with loose skin hanging from the arms, thighs and abdomen. The abdomen especially develops rolls of excessive skin. The sudden removal of fat tissues below the skin doesn't give the skin time to shrink to the size of the underlying musculature. Also, if weight loss occurs late in life, the earlier suppleness of the epidermis (upper layer of the skin) is by this time, lost and hence, excess skin is left behind. Sometimes, if a person has been overweight for a long time, the skin grows with the weight and does not simply snap back when the weight is lost.

Plastic and reconstructive surgery can aid patients who have extra skin issues. Plastic surgery is the option most commonly exercised by patients that want to get rid of embarrassing loose and hanging excess skin. Among the many surgeries available to correct post-weight loss excess skin, surgeons increasingly advocate the following: Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), which tightens loose skin about the abdomen, thigh lift for the extra flesh of the upper legs and breast lift surgery for sagging bust line. These three surgeries, according to plastic surgeons, can make the most significant changes in the condition of patients and should be undertaken following weight loss.

There are other surgeries that can be done following these three main ones. These include upper arm lift, medial thigh lift, gynecomastia (in males), lower body lift, liposuction and facelift. A patient should ideally discuss surgical options with the surgeon concerned that would optimize the appearance of the patient following the surgery. With increasingly affordable charges, the path towards utopia in relation to desired appearance has been smoothened for the patient. However, it is important to find out whether the plastic surgery procedures are covered by your medical insurance policies before taking a decision.