Body Lift

Body Lift

Significant weight can leave patients with stubborn fat deposits and sagging, unattractive skin. This may be the result of a serious diet and exercise routine or procedures such as bariatric surgery. The end result is an unappealing, misshapen appearance that leave you feeling awkward and uncomfortable. When that happens a body lift may be the answer.

At Star Plastic Surgery, we strongly believe you deserve to feel confident and secure in your appearance. With body lift surgery, our Novi, Michigan plastic surgeons can contour and firm your body to provide you with the look you need to feel your best.

Surgical Options

Our board-certified plastic surgeons offer our patients three options for body lifts:

  • A lower body lift removes fat and skin from your thighs, hips, buttocks, and waist.
  • Mid-body lifts adds a tummy tuck to a lower body lift, removing excess skin from the abdominal area.
  • A full body lift adds body contouring procedures to your entire body, including lower body, mid-body, and arm lifts and a breast lift that dramatically changes the appearance of  the entire body.

Viewing each patient as an individual with unique needs, our experienced plastic surgeons will work closely with you to target problem areas on your body. Combining only those procedures necessary to give you the look you desire, we can customize a body lift option for you that will produce an appealing, toned physique for years to come.

The Star Plastic Surgery Advantage for Body Lifts

All patients receive the Star Cosmetic Surgery Advantage. Our surgeons are board-certified and utilize only proven, safe techniques with a focus on patient safety and comfort. Body lifts are performed in accredited hospitals or within our state of the art surgical center.

Star Plastic Surgery physicians are committed to personalized care. From the moment you walk into our office, we will work to ensure your comfort and satisfaction through your full recovery from your procedure.

If you are interested in learning if a body lift is right for you, contact us to schedule a free consultation today.

Full Facelift

Full Facelift

If you suffer from jowls, facial folds, deep wrinkles, and other signs of aging, a facelift may be the ideal procedure for you. Unmatched in its ability to provide a more youthful appearance to your face, a facelift can help restore the confidence and appeal lost to premature aging.

Feeling comfortable in your skin is essential to your self-esteem. When aging has left you with an appearance you no longer recognize or feel happy with, our board certified facial rejuvenation surgeons can help reverse the signs of aging and restore your natural, youthful appearance.

Facelift FAQs


Brazilian Butt Lift

Brazilian Butt Lift

A flat, uneven backside can limit your clothing options and leave you feeling less voluptuous and womanly. Alone, a shapely, symmetrical and rounded buttock can be achieved through a buttock lift. Combined with other body contouring procedures, a butt lift can provide you with a firmer, more youthful looking lower body.

At Star Plastic Surgery, our Metro Detroit area plastic surgeons know how important it is to feel comfortable in your skin. We offer proven methods such as the Brazilian butt lift to produce a contoured, full buttock that can expand your clothing options and restore symmetry to your backside.

Surgical Candidates

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Brazilian Butt Lift FAQs


Body Contouring & Lifts

Body Contouring & Lifts

Feeling comfortable in your body is essential for self-confidence. Many people struggle to lose excess weight. Diet and exercise are sometimes inadequate to produce a desired shape. It’s not an issue of how others view you, but instead an issue of how you view yourself. With body contouring lifts, a plastic surgeon can help you achieve the look you deserve.

Ideal Candidates for Body Contouring

The Star Advantage

4 Plastic Surgery Procedures With Shorter Recovery

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Life is busy these days. Sometimes overwhelmingly so. And time is of the absolute essence.

So when you glance over your self-improvement list, you may want to dismiss any sort of cosmetic surgery because, well, recovering from surgery takes a long time, right?

In fact, there are a handful of plastic surgery procedures with shorter recovery times that may just surprise you. And these procedures can also improve your professional and personal relationships.

Plastic Surgery Procedures With Shorter Recovery

If you’re considering a cosmetic procedure but have been putting it off because you’re dreading the recovery time, you may want to look over the following four procedures that require less time for recovery.

The most important thing to keep in mind with all of these procedures, however, is that there will always be variations in recovery times from one treatment to another. Patients who don’t bother to diligently follow their board-certified surgeon’s post-op directions are likely to experience longer recovery times.

  1. In-Office Facelift

Not all facelifts are created equal.

With an in-office facelift, there’s no need for general anesthesia. Instead, this less involved facelift uses local anesthesia. That fact alone cuts down on recovery time. And while there is minimal bruising and stitches, most patients can work from home in three to four days – with the bruises healing and the stitches removed usually within a week.

While the patient will need to hold off on strenuous activities and lifting heavy objects for two to three weeks, he or she can expect to resume their regular activities within a week or two.

  1. Brachioplasty

Brachioplasty is also known as arm lift surgery. It reduces excess sagging skin and localized fat hanging off the upper arm while tightening and smoothing underlying supportive tissue.

Also performed under general anesthesia, there are two types of brachioplasty. With a full brachioplasty, more skin and fat are removed. A modified brachioplasty does not require as much removal. Therefore, it is the one that will involve a shorter recovery time.

Unfortunately, not everyone is a candidate for the modified variation. For those who are though, they can expect to return to work and regular activities within a week.

  1. Localized Liposuction

We’ll start this one off with a disclaimer because recovery from this procedure depends wholly on the extent of the liposuction and the area of the body where you need work.

BUT if you’re wanting to get rid of love handles or small pockets of fat on the lateral thighs or abdomen, you can do so with localized liposuction. No need for general anesthesia here. Local anesthesia does the job in this case. And you can expect to be back to work within three or four days – though you’ll still need to avoid heavy lifting or vigorous activity for two to three weeks.

  1. Blepharoplasty

Finally, as complicated as cosmetic surgery around the eyes might seem, blepharoplasty is performed in one to two hours as an outpatient procedure. This cosmetic eyelid surgery procedure corrects drooping upper eyelids as well as puffy bags under the eyes.

A cold compress is applied in the first two hours after the surgery with minimal bruising resolving within a week. And eye makeup and contact lenses should be avoided for five to seven days. Beyond that first week though, patients can expect to resume strenuous physical activity within two to three weeks.

Be Kind to Yourself

Even when choosing one of the plastic surgery procedures with shorter recovery time, it’s important to give your body the care it needs while healing.

And, as mentioned above, it’s crucial you follow your plastic surgeon’s exact post-op specifications to keep recovery time at a minimum.

Given that, if you’re ready to explore a cosmetic surgery procedure, don’t hesitate to contact us for a free consultation. We’re excited to open you up to a new world full of possibility. And in less time than you may have imagined!

Wondering How Skin Elasticity Affects Plastic Surgery? 

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If you’re considering plastic surgery, you may be so focused on your desired outcome that you haven’t considered how the elasticity of your skin may affect that outcome. 

But you can bet your plastic surgeon certainly has. 

The fact is, skin elasticity affects plastic surgery results. Especially when it comes to liposuction. So skin elasticity is something every plastic surgeon considers when consulting with their patients.  

What Is Skin Elasticity?  

Do you remember the first time you pulled up some skin on the back of your hand to see how quickly it snapped back into its original shape? Given that most of us did this as children the first time, the skin snapped back quickly, right? That’s elasticity. 

The skin is made up of three layers; the epidermis, the dermis, and the subcutis. The dermis is the middle layer and it contains two kinds of proteins known as elastin and collagen. They are responsible for elasticity.  

If you waited until later in life to play this game though, there probably wasn’t so much a snapping back as a slow descent. As we age, the skin loses its elasticity – a condition known as elastosis. The body’s production of collagen and elastin decline. And the increasing lack of elasticity causes the skin to sag, wrinkle, or even take on a leathery appearance. 

Are There Other Causes For Skin Elastosis? 

As previously mentioned, age is one of the biggest perpetrators. And until the enigmatic fountain of youth is discovered, it will almost always be one of the top factors for your skin not looking or behaving as it once did.  

Even so, there are other factors that play into the skin’s loss of elasticity.  

Environmental and lifestyle causes can certainly accelerate it. Excessive exposure to the sun, for example, breaks down collagen and elastin fibers and causes the skin to prematurely age. Smoking is also a factor. Tobacco smoke is notorious for drying out delicate facial skin.   

Finally, rapid and extensive weight gain or loss can also contribute to elastosis. The skin isn’t designed to hold a large amount of weight and then spring back when the weight quickly disappears. 

How Skin Elasticity Affects Plastic Surgery 

Many people come to plastic surgeons because they want to get rid of problematic fat or are looking for a sleeker, more streamlined appearance on some part of the body.  

In most cases, patients under 40 still have fairly elastic skin. For them, these procedures tend to go smoothly. The skin in the treated area maintains the same tone after the procedure and is able to re-drape tightly over the contoured part.  

Women under 40 who’ve gone through a single pregnancy may have reduced elasticity around the abdominal area, but it may spring back enough.  

Folks under 40 who’ve experienced dramatic fluctuations in weight, however, will likely have issues with their skin not bouncing back after the procedure.  

And nearly everyone over the age of 40 is going to have decreased skin elasticity to some degree. Again, those who have experienced major weight fluctuations (and/or multiple pregnancies) are going to be up against even more challenges. 

So in these cases, the plastic surgeon may encourage skin excision or lift procedures instead. A tummy tuck, for instance, will remove both excess fat and sagging skin. The same goes for a thigh lift or arm lift.  

For Every Problem. There’s a Solution 

Now that you have a firmer (pun intended) grasp on how skin elasticity affects plastic surgery, you may be reconsidering which procedure you want. 

You don’t need to think too much about it though.  

Instead, contact us to set up your free consultation to talk with one of our highly skilled surgeons. He or she will clearly guide you through exactly what you need.  

Your Options for Surgical Body Contouring

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You exercise and you eat well. You’re active and you’re healthy. Yet, you’re stuck with areas of stubborn fat or sagging skin that just won’t go away, no matter how hard you try.

You’re not alone. But you’re also not without help.

With a surgical body contouring procedure, you can eliminate excess fat, as well as get rid of extra skin to reshape and contour an area of the body. And it actually works!

How Does It Differ From Nonsurgical Body Contouring?

In a previous blog post, we discussed the relatively new field of aesthetic medicine known as nonsurgical body contouring. Its objective is to sculpt, tone, and contour the body without surgery. It uses a range of state-of-the-art technology to achieve results across a wide array of body areas including the thighs, abdomen, arms, and legs.

But when there is excess skin or very stubborn fat, surgical body contouring is more effective.

It’s important to understand though that neither surgical nor non-surgical body contouring is intended to help you lose weight. Rather, it aims to address specific problem areas where weight loss isn’t effective, or where there is excess skin after significant weight loss.

The end result isn’t necessarily a slimmed down body, but a more normal appearance with smoother contours. For example, a facelift is going to help with excess skin of the mid-face, jowls, and neck. Or a breast lift will address sagging and flattened breasts.

Other surgical body contouring procedures include:

Liposuction

Liposuction aims to remove excess fat from a variety of areas including the chin and neck, hips, abdomen, inner and outer thighs, knees, ankles and buttocks. Liposuction is one of the less complicated procedures to improve body contour and proportion. While it often requires general anesthesia, it can be performed on an outpatient basis.

Arm Lift

Excess skin on the underarm can be the result of weight loss, aging, or heredity. An arm lift removes that excess skin. The upper portion of the arm is reshaped from the armpit area to the elbow and weakened tissues are addressed.

Tummy Tuck

Patients seek a tummy tuck when they want a smoother, firmer abdominal profile. This procedure removes excess abdominal fat and skin while reestablishing weakened or separated muscles.

Lower Body Lift

Excess skin, cellulite, and sagging fatty tissue on the buttocks, abdomen, waist, hips, and thighs are removed in this comprehensive procedure. Smoother leg and abdomen contours are the result.

Recovery From Surgical Body Contouring

Because there’s such a wide range of options for surgical body contouring, recovery varies based on the procedures as well as the individual. For example, a tummy tuck surgery will result in greater scarring and healing than liposuction.

General anesthesia and at least one overnight stay are often required for surgical body contouring procedures. Your surgeon may also require you to wear a compression garment for several weeks.

Again, depending on your procedure, full recovery could take several months – though the initial discomfort usually fades within two to four weeks. Not much to endure to get rid of that pesky fat and sagging skin!

How Could Surgical Body Contouring Benefit You?

If you’re healthy and near your ideal weight, but have stubborn fat and excess skin that won’t respond to diet and exercise, then it could be time to consider a surgical body contouring procedure.

Contact us today to meet with one of our board-certified plastic surgeons. During your free consultation, they’ll discuss your body shaping goals and offer with the best treatment options to meet your needs.

 

Bariatric Skin Removal for a Whole New You!

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If you recently had bariatric surgery or lost a lot of weight, you know how life-changing it is.

You look better. You feel better. Maybe you’ve bought all new clothes. Or perhaps you’re engaged in activities you previously couldn’t do. You feel lighter and more confident. Most importantly, you’re healthier.

Yep. For the most part, these changes are really positive. There is one drawback though.

Excess and loose hanging skin that remains after the weight loss can leave you uncomfortable, embarrassed and reminiscent of the days when you were overweight. Fortunately, bariatric skin removal procedures were developed with this in mind.

Areas Most Affected by Hanging Skin

The degree to which you experience excess skin depends on your skin’s elasticity, i.e. its ability to shrink back over the new foundation. Elasticity decreases with age, sun exposure, weight gain then loss, pregnancy, and genetic factors. Also, if you’re a smoker, your skin has less elasticity.

Obviously, your skin will be loosest in the areas where you lost the most weight.

The area people are most concerned with is the belly. There’s even a term for the overhanging apron of skin that folds over the abdomen. It’s called pannus and aside from being unsightly, it can also cause skin irritation and rash.

Because there are so many different areas that can be affected by weight loss, there are a number of procedures that fall under the umbrella of bariatric skin removal.

Procedures for Bariatric Skin Removal

An abdominoplasty (i.e. Tummy Tuck) is the most common procedure performed. And there are many different levels. It may be simply a matter of removing the pannus, also known as a panniculectomy.  But there might be the need for a more complete tummy tuck with contouring of the abdomen, tightening the abdominal muscles, and moving the belly button.

Thigh Lift/Arm Lift

Treatment of loose skin on the thighs and buttocks involves an array of procedures that are customized to a patient’s individual needs. For example, an Inner Thigh Lift is performed by creating a crescent-shaped incision that allows the surgeon to remove excess skin. For patients with extremely loose skin, the Extended Inner Thigh Lift procedure uses a different incision that allows for even more excess skin to be removed.

Similar to the Thigh Lift, the particulars of an Arm Lift (or Brachioplasty) depend on each patient’s individual needs.

Various Body Lift Procedures

Since weight gain and loss is unique to the individual, plastic surgeons have to get creative when it comes to removing rolls of skin on the back and sides. So they may employ various other body lift procedures.

In addition, while liposuction is not used as a sole procedure for patients who have lost a lot of weight, it may be used along with lifting procedures to get a better contour.

Breast Reshaping

A large amount of weight loss in the chest/breast can result in the presence of sagging, deflated breasts in both men and women. For men, a breast reduction may be required. For women, the surgeon may recommend a breast lift with or without implants.

Could Bariatric Skin Removal Be Right for You?

If it’s been 12-18 months since your major weight loss or bariatric surgery, your weight has been stable for 3 months, and you’re just plain ready to get rid of that excess skin, then contact us today for a free consultation.

Your surgeon will advise you on the best bariatric skin removal procedures to treat your specific trouble areas.

And right now through October 31st, 2020, you will receive $1500 off a Thigh Lift, Arm Lift, or Body Lift. So don’t wait!

Fall in Love with the Fall Specials at Star Plastic Surgery

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After a less-than-normal summer, it’s hard to believe that our less-than-normal fall has arrived.

But even though the world continues to be in a strange space, we’re keeping some continuity by offering our seasonal specials.

So right now is your opportunity to take advantage of the fall specials at Star Plastic Surgery. Here’s what we’re offering this year:

Surgical Procedures

For those of you who are able (or required) to keep working virtually, this is the ideal time to schedule that surgical procedure you’ve been putting off. And just imagine how great you’ll look and feel by the time the holiday party rolls around – even if it IS on Zoom.

  1. Mommy Makeover

While there’s nothing quite so rewarding as having a child, childbirth can take a serious toll on your body. So if you’re remembering those pre-child days when you had a sexy figure, why not get it back? Right now, a Mommy Makeover is $1500 off. Or, if you prefer, you can opt for free implants instead.

  1. Abdominoplasty

If you’re feeling less than confident about how your belly looks these days, we’ve got good news. During our fall specials, your abdominoplasty procedure includes two areas of free liposuction. That’s a $2500 value. So remove that excess fat and skin and tighten weakened and separated muscles to get a slimmer, tighter stomach.

  1. Breast Augmentation

Do you feel that your breasts aren’t the size or shape that fits your frame? Or is one larger than the other? Now is the time to change that! Breast augmentation will help to restore your confidence by providing a natural look that complements your body’s silhouette. And if you decide to have breast augmentation surgery with a breast lift, the procedure is $1250 off during our fall specials.

  1. Post-Bariatric Skin Removal

Did you recently lose a lot of weight? Whether from surgery or just a major lifestyle change, it’s quite an accomplishment. Yet, the result can leave excess sagging skin where there was formally fat. That’s why right now we’re offering $1500 off an Arm Lift, Body Lift, or Thigh Lift. You went to all of that effort, now take it to completion.

Nonsurgical Procedures

Though procedures of the nonsurgical variety certainly take less time and require a shorter recovery, they’re no less impactful! So consider one of the following procedures as you head into the cooler autumn months.

  1. EMsculpt

For many of us, it’s difficult to keep the abs toned and firmed – no matter how many sit-ups we attempt. But what if you could do 20,000 sit-ups in just 30 minutes? That’s precisely what EMsculpt can do for you. And all you have to do is simply lay back and relax. It’s that easy. Try it! Buy two treatments and get two free. That’s a savings of $1500.

  1. Botox

Is your skin prematurely aging? Would you like to restore a more youthful sheen? (The answer is yes.) Botox does just that. The better you feel about how you look, the more confident you’ll feel. That’s a recipe for success. And at just $10 per unit during our fall specials, you can afford a lot of confidence!

  1. Halo and BBL Combo

Regular everyday living can be tough on the skin. The sun, environmental factors, acne, and aging can take their toll on your skin. Fortunately, laser resurfacing can bring new fullness and glow to your skin. And Halo Laser Treatment is second-to-none. Right now, if you opt for Halo, you’ll receive a free BBL Forever Young treatment at the same time as your HALO procedure. That’s a savings of $500.

  1. VI Peel

Are you tired of your skin looking old and damaged, and longing for a more youthful and appealing appearance? A chemical skin peel could be just what you need. And with the revolutionary VI Peel, chemical peels are just as effective on dark skin as they have been on lighter skin. Plus, with $50 off any VI Peel during our fall specials, why pass it up?

Don’t Miss the Fall Specials at Star Plastic Surgery

The fall specials at Star Plastic Surgery only run through Halloween (10/31/20) so don’t hesitate!

Contact us today for a free consultation with one of our board-certified surgeons. They will help you determine which procedure(s) will best fit your needs so you can move confidently into the fall.

Body Contouring

Body Contouring

Surgical body contouring following major weight loss removes excess fat and skin while improving the shape of the body. The result is a more normal appearance with smoother contours. Body contouring procedures may include:

  • Facelift: Helps with sagging of the mid-face, jowls, and neck
  • Liposuction: Removes excess fat, including the chin and neck, hips, abdomen, inner and outer thighs, knees and ankles and buttocks.
    • Improves body contour and proportion
    • Trims fat that won’t go away with weight loss or exercise
  • Arm Lift: Removes excess skin from the underarm and reshapes the under portion of the upper arm – from the armpit area to the elbow.
    • Improves sagging upper arms resulting from weight loss, aging or heredity
    • Addresses excess skin, weakened tissues and localized fat deposits
  • Breast lift: Helps with sagging, flattened breasts
  • Tummy tuck: Removes excess abdominal fat and skin; typically, also reestablishes weakened or separated muscles.
    • Creates a smoother, firmer abdominal profile
  • Lower body lifts: Removes excess sagging fat and skin to treat conditions caused, in part, by poor tissue elasticity.
    • Treats excess skin, cellulite and sagging fatty tissue
    • Can treat the buttocks, abdomen, waist, hips and thighs in one procedure
  • Medial thigh lift: Reshapes the thighs by reducing excess skin, and in some cases fat.
    • Offers smoother leg contours
    • Different types of thigh lifts target certain areas

Why Consider Body Contouring?

Dramatic weight loss has many benefits. After weight reduction surgery, or dramatic weight loss, skin and tissue often lacks elasticity to conform to the new body size. Body contouring may assist in patients having the desired body shape and size. Doing so builds self-confidence, allows clothes to fit more comfortably, and improves self-esteem.

To find out if body contouring is right for you, contact us to schedule a free consultation.