Got Excess Skin? How to Decide Between Surgery and Non-Surgical Treatments

If you struggle with excess skin — whether from significant weight loss (with or without bariatric surgery), previous pregnancy, or other factors — you already know it doesn’t simply go away on its own. And while diet and exercise can do wonders for your health, unfortunately, no amount of either will cause extra skin on your body or face to suddenly shrink. 

So, if you’re ready to take action to fit better within your skin, what do you do? 

To help you move forward and feel more comfortable and confident, we’ve put together a quick guide for patients across East Tennessee (and beyond) who are unsure whether surgery or non-invasive options are best for their excess skin concerns. We’ll make a high-level comparison between surgical and non-surgical options, including a few pros and cons, so you can begin to discern which might be best for you. 

Surgical Procedures for Excess Skin Removal

Let’s start with the surgical options to address higher amounts of loose, excess skin, particularly in the face, arms, and midsection. Here are several highly effective and popular cosmetic surgery options: 

The Face & Neck Lift

It’s natural for everyone’s skin to lose elasticity as they age. Combined with a natural loss of volume in the face, this often results in sagging, drooping, and “excess” facial and neck skin as people get older. 

In that case, a face and neck lift can do wonders. The surgeon makes careful, discreet incisions near the ears and the hairline, then repositions and removes excess facial skin. At the same time, they can strategically position natural pockets of fat to help fill in the “hollow” areas that can develop in an aging face. 

The Arm Lift

The arm lift (also called “brachioplasty”) is a great solution to the dreaded “bat wings” – loose, flappy skin on the underside of the arms – that can come with age and after massive weight loss. For this procedure, the surgeon makes a discreet incision below the arm (to hide scarring) and removes excess skin and fat, resulting in firmer, more toned arms overall. 

The Tummy Tuck

If the midsection is one of your major areas of concern, a tummy tuck (aka abdominoplasty) or a body lift may be the solution you’re seeking. As with all surgeries he performs, Dr. Lucas customizes the procedure for your unique body. But in general, it involves a low abdominal incision (so any scarring is easily hidden under a bathing suit or underwear), and then the removal of both excess skin and fat, as well as the tightening of the ab muscles, as needed. Often performed with the help of power-assisted liposuction, the tummy tuck results in a much tighter, smoother midsection. 

Non-Surgical Aesthetic Treatments for Volume Loss Causing Loose Skin

If you’re not sure about surgery yet, that’s okay — and it’s always helpful to understand a broad range of options. Depending on the amount of loose skin you have, as well as its location, here are a few non-invasive procedures that may offer some benefit in terms of restoring volume:

Soft-Tissue Fillers

If it’s excess facial skin you’re worried about, caused by the natural loss of volume in the face that occurs with aging, fillers may be an option for you. Injected into the skin, soft-tissue fillers help fill in sunken places that can cause drooping or seemingly excess skin in the face. The result is a firmer, smoother facial surface. 

Microneedling

As its name implies, this popular anti-aging aesthetic procedure involves inserting tiny needles into the surface of the facial skin in order to stimulate your body’s natural collagen production and healing processes. 

As with fillers, microneedling does not actually remove any excess skin, but it can help restore skin health and firmness. 

Ellacor^Ⓡ

This minimally-invasive ground-breaking new technology works by removing tiny “micro-cores” or columns of skin from your face — another way (like microneedling) to stimulate your body’s natural healing and collagen production. Because Ellacor does actually remove some skin without surgery, it addresses sagging, excess skin and signs of aging more dramatically than treatments like Botox™, yet not quite at the level of a surgical face lift. 

Know the Limitations of Non-Surgical Options

As you can see, there are a few non-invasive aesthetic treatments addressing volume loss and mild skin laxity (aka loose, excess skin) — particularly if the face is your main area of concern. Unfortunately, they won’t replace surgery for more advanced laxity. 

In general, non-surgical treatments tend to be more temporary, as well. That means, even if they achieve the results you hope, you will likely need to repeat them somewhat regularly. 

Which Option is Right for You?

Deciding how to care for your body and what procedure(s) are best is highly personal; there is no one-size-fits-all decision. 

To help, keep these major considerations in mind: 

• Non-surgical options treat only mild skin laxity. 
• Severe skin laxity will generally need to be addressed surgically. 
• Age, weight loss, and skin quality each play a role in determining which treatment will be most effective. 
• Surgery tends to offer more dramatic, lasting results. 
• Non-surgical procedures have greater limitations and often require ongoing treatments. 

You Don’t Have to Decide Alone

Many people struggle with excess skin and elect to have personalized treatments or procedures to reach their goals and feel more confident again, so it’s important to remember that you’re not alone in your concerns.

You also don’t have to decide your next steps on your own. In fact, the best way to determine the most effective treatment plan is to consult with a qualified plastic surgeon to get personalized advice. 

At your initial consultation, Dr. Lucas will take time to understand your concerns, needs, and goals, assess your overall health, and then work with you to build a personalized treatment plan. And because The Lucas Center offers both surgical and non-surgical approaches, you can choose the option you feel most comfortable with.

If you’re ready to get started with this process, give us a call at (865) 218-6210 or schedule your consultation online today!