For most of us who are not genetically blessed, we have encountered stubborn portions of our bodies that refuse to budge in spite of our best efforts at diet and exercise. Whether it is a persistent bulge that has fought off a million crunches or a flap of skin that served as a reminder of heavier times, the sad fact is that a healthy lifestyle does not guarantee a sleekly toned body. This is where body contouring comes in, in the form of a number of different surgical procedures whose primary objective is to reshape our bodies into a smoother, leaner form.

Liposuction is a popular and effective method of removing fat deposits that ruin an otherwise athletic figure. Small incisions in the affected area are all that is needed to insert a tube and siphon out the fat cells permanently. Its more aggressive counterpart, abdominoplasty, is utilized for more advanced cases where excess skin around the midsection has remained, and no options exist other than to remove it completely.

Body contouring is not always a matter of removal. Sometimes, in order to construct a well-defined, muscular physique, nature requires a bit of assistance from plastic surgeons. A wide variety of body implants are available to contribute to the shape of a certain muscle region. If you need your biceps, calves, pectorals or butt enhanced, an implant in the right place could give you that additional definition that you require.

There are extreme cases where a person has lost a large amount of weight, 25 kilograms or more, in a short period of time. People who have undergone gastric bypass or lap band implant surgery are prime examples. In most such instances, the skin has lost its elasticity or was unable to contract to match the weight loss, leaving behind unsightly, heavy loose folds. This leads to difficulty wearing clothes, infection due to accumulation of bacteria in the skin folds, and inability to participate in sports activities. For these situations, cosmetic surgeons normally recommend a series of surgical procedures to remove the excess skin, and reshape the body to conform to the drastic weight changes. It is essentially a combination of an abdominoplasty, a brachioplasty for the arms, a medial thigh lift for the legs, and in the case of female patients, a breast mastopexy to elevate the nipple, reshape the breast itself and remove excess breast skin. The operations have to be performed in several phases, as the risks involved in performing such major procedures all at once would be too high.

The procedures themselves would have to be carried out over a period of up to two years, to give the body sufficient time to heal from the major surgeries. During this time, the patient is expected to maintain a stable weight and sufficient nutrition to stabilize the healing process. Even after the completion of the surgery, it is important to keep in mind that skin naturally does lose elasticity and sags over time, and consequently, you cannot expect your body to be restored to what it looked like in your youth or before the weight gain. Also, given that such a large amount of skin will be removed, some scarring is unavoidable, although it can eventually be smoothened and lightened over time with the use of conventional scar treatment methods.

Most patients will be asked to remain in the clinic for one to four nights, and afterwards, pain and swelling for up to three weeks is considered normal. In addition, patients are requested to stay at home for two to four weeks, depending on the physical demands of the occupation.

It must be emphasized that none of the body contouring techniques described thus far are remedies for obesity or excess weight. They are meant to complement, not substitute, established weight loss regimens.