Body lift · Lower body lift
Body lift: Compare practices from our network
A lower body lift removes a band of loose skin and fat around the waist and lifts the abdomen, flanks, buttocks and outer thighs, most often after major weight loss.
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Body lift providers from Adoreal's partner network.
London · United Kingdom
iQonic Aesthetics
Lower body lift for loose skin across the lower abdomen, hips, buttocks and thighs, with the scar placed below the bikini line.
London · United Kingdom
iQonic Aesthetics
Lower body lift for loose skin across the lower abdomen, hips, buttocks and thighs, with the scar placed below the bikini line.
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How to choose a body lift surgeon
Board certification is the starting point. The details below are worth weighing carefully when you're choosing the surgeon who's right for your goals.
Here's what to look for before you decide:
One operation or two should be a safety decision.
A circumferential lift is long surgery, and some surgeons split it into two shorter operations. A surgeon who explains how long your operation would take, and why they would or would not stage it, is weighing your safety rather than convenience.
Ask how they protect you against blood clots.
The risk of clots rises with longer operations. Ask what preventive measures the practice uses, how soon you will be walking, and whether you will be monitored overnight. A clear, specific answer is what you are looking for.
Weight stability and nutrition come first.
Many surgeons want your weight stable for at least several months, and your diet high in protein, before operating. After bariatric surgery that matters even more. A practice that insists on this is protecting your healing, not delaying it unnecessarily.
Ask exactly where the scar will run.
The scar circles the lower trunk and is planned to sit low, below the bikini line where possible. A surgeon who draws the scar on your body at consultation, front, sides and back, rather than describing it vaguely, is being honest about the trade-off.
A tummy tuck is sometimes enough.
If loose skin is mainly at the front, an abdominoplasty may treat it with a shorter scar and an easier recovery. A surgeon who tells you when a full body lift is not needed is one you can trust when they say it is.
Before your consultation, prepare this question
“Would you do this in one operation or two for me, and how will you reduce my risk of blood clots?”
A surgeon who answers both questions specifically, with operating time and a clot-prevention plan, is planning for your safety first.
Find a Body Lift ProviderAbout the treatment
About body lift
A lower body lift, also called a circumferential body lift, removes a band of loose skin and fat from around the lower trunk and lifts and tightens the tissue underneath. In one operation it can treat the abdomen, flanks, lower back, buttocks and outer thighs. It is most often done after major weight loss, but pregnancy and aging can leave similar laxity.
It is the most extensive procedure within excess skin removal. If loose skin is also a concern on your arms, thighs or breasts, that page explains how surgeons plan and stage the whole sequence. This page goes into the body lift itself: what it treats, how it differs from a tummy tuck, and what the longer recovery involves.
Tummy tuck, belt lipectomy, lower body lift or back lift
- Tummy tuck, when loose skin is mainly at the front of the abdomen, with a shorter scar.
- Belt lipectomy, removing a band of skin all the way around the waist, treating the abdomen, flanks and lower back together.
- Lower body lift, which goes further to lift the buttocks and outer thighs as well.
- Back lift, removing rolls of loose skin across the upper or lower back.
- Upper body lift, a different operation that treats the upper arms and chest.
What does a body lift involve?
A lower body lift removes a band of loose skin and fat from around the lower trunk and lifts the tissue underneath. It is the most extensive procedure within excess skin removal.
In one operation it can treat the abdomen, flanks, lower back, buttocks and outer thighs, most often after major weight loss.
The options available
Your surgeon matches the operation to where the loose skin is:
Tummy tuck, when loose skin is mainly at the front.
Belt lipectomy, a band of skin removed all the way around the waist.
Lower body lift, also lifting the buttocks and outer thighs.
Back lift, removing rolls of skin across the upper or lower back.
Upper body lift, a different operation for the arms and chest.
Are you ready?
Your surgeon will usually want you to be:
At a stable weight for at least several months, ideally near your goal
Nutritionally well, especially after bariatric surgery
A non-smoker, as smoking substantially increases wound healing problems
In good general health, with any chronic conditions well controlled
Realistic about scarring, which runs around the lower trunk
The treatment, step by step
01. Consultation and planning. Your surgeon assesses your whole trunk and decides with you on the operation and whether to stage it.
02. Medical optimization. Blood tests, nutritional review and management of chronic conditions.
03. Preparation and marking. Instructions on medication, smoking and clot prevention, then incision lines marked on the day.
04. Anesthesia. General anesthesia, with monitoring throughout.
05. Skin removal and lift. A band of skin and fat is removed around the trunk and the tissue underneath lifted with deep sutures, often with liposuction.
06. Closing and support. Incision closed in layers, drains placed and a compression garment fitted.
Recovery and aftercare
Recovery is more demanding than after most aesthetic surgery. Plan for real time away from normal life.
Drains for several days, sometimes longer
Compression garment continuously, often for around six weeks
Walk gently and often from the first day to reduce clot risk
Return to desk work commonly after two to four weeks
Heavy lifting and the gym usually after six to eight weeks
The contour settles over six to twelve months, and scars mature over one to two years.
Risks and side effects
Complications are more common than after smaller procedures, largely because of the length of the incision:
Delayed wound healing, particularly where the incision is under tension.
Seroma, fluid collecting under the skin.
Blood clots, a real consideration in long operations.
Extensive scarring, permanent, and sometimes widening.
Changes in sensation, often over large areas.
Infection or bleeding, uncommon.
Asymmetry or returning looseness, which occasionally needs revision.
When to seek medical attention
- Swelling or pain in one leg, chest pain, or shortness of breath
- Fever, or spreading redness, warmth, or discharge from an incision
- An incision that opens or separates
- Severe pain not controlled by prescribed medication
Contact your surgeon's practice directly, or seek emergency care, if you experience any of the above.
Common questions
Body lift questions, answered.
If your question isn't here, ask us directly. A real person answers, and we won't push you toward anything.
Talk to us →How is a body lift different from excess skin removal?
A body lift is the most extensive procedure within excess skin removal. If you also have loose skin on your arms, thighs or breasts after major weight loss, your surgeon may plan the body lift as one stage of a wider sequence, which our excess skin removal page explains.
How is a body lift different from a tummy tuck?
A tummy tuck treats loose skin at the front of the abdomen. A lower body lift continues around the sides and back, so it also treats the flanks, lower back, buttocks and outer thighs. If your loose skin is mainly at the front, a tummy tuck may be enough.
Is a belt lipectomy the same thing?
Practices use the terms in overlapping ways. A belt lipectomy removes a band of skin all the way around the waist, and a lower body lift often goes further to lift the buttocks and outer thighs. Ask your surgeon exactly which areas their plan covers.
Where will the scar be?
Around the lower trunk, planned to sit low, below the bikini line where possible, so that underwear or swimwear can cover much of it. It is long and permanent, starts red and raised, and can take a year or more to mature.
Is it done in one operation or two?
It depends on how much is being treated. Some surgeons perform a lower body lift in one operation, while others split it into two shorter, staged operations to reduce the time under anesthesia.
Will I stay in hospital?
Often. Some patients go home after monitoring in the recovery area, while longer or circumferential operations may need an overnight or longer hospital stay. Your surgeon will plan this with you.
How much time off work will I need?
Commonly two to four weeks, and longer for physical jobs or when other procedures are combined. Full recovery can take up to around eight weeks.
When can I exercise again?
Walking is encouraged from the start to reduce the risk of clots. Light activity usually builds up over the first weeks, while heavy lifting and the gym generally wait around six to eight weeks.
Is a body lift covered by insurance or public healthcare?
Usually not when it is done for appearance. Where excess skin causes documented problems, such as eczema, chafing or difficulty keeping clean, public or insurance funding is sometimes possible. Criteria, such as a stable weight and a BMI limit, vary by country and region, so ask the practice directly.
How long do the results last?
The skin that is removed does not come back, and results are long lasting as long as your weight stays stable. Pregnancy, aging and weight change can still alter the result over time.
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