Is Body Contouring Right for You? What to Know

You’ve been working out and eating right for months. Your weight has dropped significantly, but you’re still not satisfied. You want to lose a few final pounds, or maybe the shape and tone of your body isn’t quite what you want yet.

Body contouring may have been on your mind, but you’re unsure exactly what it is or if you’re a good candidate.

At Frederick H Watkins, MD, we’ve helped many patients achieve the bodies they want through body contouring. Here’s what you need to know about whether body contouring is right for you.

What is body contouring?

Body contouring (also called body sculpting) is a surgical or medical procedure designed to reshape a specific area of your body by eliminating excess skin and fat. Once the excess is removed, Dr. Watkins shapes the targeted region to your desired specifications.

Body contouring isn’t designed to help you lose weight. Instead, it addresses specific areas of your body where weight loss isn’t effective or where you have extra skin after losing a significant amount of weight. Think of body contouring as the last steps before the finish line, not the entire race.

Body contouring is an FDA-approved treatment. Be sure to work with a board-certified plastic surgeon who has demonstrated experience with body contouring procedures.

Which procedure is right for me?

The right procedure for you depends on your goals and body shape. If you’ve lost a lot of weight and have excess skin on your abdomen, for example, a tummy tuck and liposuction can give you the shape you want.

Our body contouring procedures target other areas of the body as well. An arm lift, or brachioplasty, removes excess skin and fat from your upper arm. A thigh lift does the same for your upper legs. (We often do this in combination with a tummy tuck and arm lift so you can maintain an attractive body proportion.)

If you’ve lost volume and plumpness in your face, we can take fat from your abdomen or thighs and transfer it to your face — a process called fat grafting. 

A buttock augmentation can enlarge or reshape your buttocks, while a labiaplasty can reshape or resize labia that are uneven.

What should I expect?

Ideal candidates for body contouring are at or very near their target weight. These types of procedures refine and enhance your body’s natural shape rather than helping you lose a drastic amount of weight. Most body contouring procedures also require some time after the treatment before you see full results.

Ready to take the final steps in your weight loss journey? Feel free to schedule a consultation with our team at Frederick H Watkins, MD, to discuss your body contouring options.

To schedule an initial consultation, call our location nearest you — Rockville, Maryland, or McLean, Virginia. You can also use our online scheduling tool to request an appointment anytime.