Florence Mussat, M.D.
680 N Lake Shore Dr. #1030 Chicago, IL 60611 (312) 751-9000

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Category: Body Contouring

Body Contouring After Weight Loss 101: Shaping Procedures For Your New Body

Are you considering body contouring after significant weight loss? If so, you’re in the right place. In this comprehensive guide, Dr. Florence Mussat in Chicago, IL, will explore everything you need to know about body contouring procedures to shape your new body confidently. Whether you’ve recently undergone bariatric surgery or achieved weight loss through lifestyle changes, body contouring can help you finally achieve your goals.

Body contouring after weight loss are surgical procedures that remove excess skin and reshape your body’s contours following significant weight loss. These procedures address areas of loose, sagging skin that often result from rapid or substantial weight loss, such as the abdomen, arms, thighs, and buttocks. By removing excess tissues, body contouring can help you achieve a more aesthetically pleasing body silhouette. In this post, we dive into the specifics of body contouring procedures and why they’re essential for individuals who have undergone significant weight loss.

What is Body Contouring After Weight Loss?

Body contouring after weight loss encompasses a range of surgical procedures to remove excess skin and fat deposits to improve body shape and tone. These procedures are typically performed on individuals who have lost significant weight and are left with sagging skin that detracts from their appearance. Body contouring procedures can address multiple body areas, including the abdomen, arms, thighs, breasts, and buttocks, providing comprehensive rejuvenation and sculpting.

Why Consider Body Contouring After Major Weight Loss?

After significant weight loss, many individuals are left with excess skin and tissue that can inhibit their ability to enjoy their newfound weight loss achievements fully. Body contouring procedures offer a solution by removing this excess skin and fat. Beyond aesthetic concerns, body contouring can also improve comfort, mobility, and self-confidence, enabling individuals to embrace their transformed bodies and lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.

What Are the Most Popular Body Contouring Procedures?

Several body contouring procedures are commonly performed following significant weight loss, each targeting specific body areas to address excess skin and fat. Popular body contouring procedures include:

These procedures can be standalone or combined to address multiple areas of concern and achieve comprehensive body contouring results.

How Do You Know If You’re a Good Candidate for Body Contouring?

Ideal candidates for body contouring after weight loss are individuals who have achieved significant weight loss through bariatric surgery, diet and exercise, or other means and are left with excess skin and fat deposits. Candidates should be in good overall health, non-smokers, and have realistic expectations about surgery outcomes. During a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon like Dr. Florence Mussat, your candidacy for body contouring will be carefully assessed based on your medical history, aesthetic goals, and physical examination.

What Can You Expect During a Body Contouring Consultation?

During your body contouring consultation with Dr. Florence Mussat, you can expect a comprehensive evaluation of your medical history, weight loss journey, and aesthetic goals. Dr. Mussat will perform a physical examination to assess the extent of excess skin and fat and discuss your options for body contouring procedures. She will take the time to answer any questions you may have and provide personalized recommendations based on your unique needs and desires. Additionally, Dr. Mussat will explain the surgical techniques, potential risks and complications, and expected recovery timeline to ensure you are fully informed and prepared for your body contouring journey.

Combining Procedures: What Options Are Available?

For many patients, combining multiple body contouring procedures into a single surgical session can provide more comprehensive results and reduce overall downtime and recovery. Common combinations include a tummy tuck with liposuction, an arm lift with a breast lift, or a thigh lift. By customizing treatment plans to address each patient’s unique concerns and goals, Dr. Mussat can help individuals achieve their desired body contouring outcomes efficiently and effectively.

Learn More About Body Contouring in Chicago, IL

Ready to take the next step towards achieving your ideal body shape after weight loss? Schedule a consultation with Dr. Florence Mussat at her state-of-the-art plastic surgery practice in Chicago, IL. Our compassionate team is dedicated to helping you look and feel your best with personalized body contouring solutions tailored to your needs. Contact us today to learn more and embark on your body transformation journey.

Top 5 Recovery Tips for Body Contouring after Weight Loss

Reaching your goal weight is a monumental achievement, whether through bariatric surgery or diet and exercise. The journey can be challenging, especially when significant weight loss is necessary. But after losing, say 50, 75, or even 100 pounds, you will notice some excess skin left behind.

This skin can become unsightly and uncomfortable when wearing tighter clothing. The answer to this common post-weight loss problem is cosmetic body contouring surgery. These procedures include tummy tuck, lower body lift, arm lift, buttock lift, thigh lift, and breast reshaping.

As with all surgical recoveries, optimal healing is necessary for your best results. With that in mind, here are 5 recovery tips we recommend for our body contouring procedures after significant weight loss.

#1: Eat a Healthy and Well-Balanced Diet

You need your body to heal quickly after body contouring surgery, so it’s essential to eat nutritious foods, like protein-rich salmon and chicken, and add some healthy fat to your diet so that your skin can recover and heal correctly.

#2: Take Walks

Your mobility will be limited after body sculpting surgery, especially following procedures like body lifts and tummy tucks. So, plan on taking a 20- to 30-minute stroll each day or stepping on the treadmill for a light walk. Walking is an excellent exercise for circulation and helps the healing process during your recovery after surgery.

#3: Prepare Your Recovery Space

When you get home after surgery, you’ll probably want to go straight to bed. You’ll be in no mood or condition to start arranging and rearranging things to ensure you don’t reach, bend, or cross the room for anything you need.

It’s crucial to prepare a recovery space for healing from plastic surgery before you leave for the operation. This area should not involve stairs and be close to the bathroom.

Fill your bed, sofa, or recliner with soft pillows and blankets. You’ll need to keep the surgical area elevated, so a plethora of pillows is a must. Medical-grade cushions can position your body to a comfortable angle after breast and body contouring procedures.

Place water, medicine, ice packs, and other essentials at your bedside or where you relax for easy access. Keep your books, tablet, and remote control within arm’s reach.

#4: Wear Recommended Compression Garments

You will endure significant swelling around the incision sites for weeks after surgery. Therefore, we recommend you wear compression garments 24/7 to support your new contours during the healing process. This can help manage inflammation and help the skin to re-drape over underlying tissues.

#5: Stay Hydrated

You must drink plenty of water before and after your procedure in order for your body to flush out toxins and reduce surgical risk. Before your surgery, it’s essential to get into the routine of drinking plenty of water throughout the day to prevent dehydration and support your recovery.

Contact Dr. Florence Mussat today to learn how she can give you the perfect body shape for your life today. Schedule a private consultation with Dr. Mussat or call (312) 751-9000.

Choosing the Best Body Contouring Procedure for Your Body Shape

So many body contouring procedures are available, creating slimmer arms, sculpting your chest, flattening your tummy and giving your derriere a rounder contour. Dr. Florence Mussat can make you look and feel more confident, no matter your body type. But how do you know which body contouring procedure is best suited for your unique body shape?

Dr. Mussat can help you choose the perfect approach to enhance your best features and improve those trouble areas. During your consultation, she will provide helpful guidance so you can learn more about the options available. Here are a few of your choices.

Liposuction

When a healthy diet and routine exercise regimen are not enough, liposuction removes stubborn, unwanted fat that seems to hide in all the wrong places. Dr. Mussat performs this time-tested, highly effective treatment to remove localized fat from nearly any part of the body to achieve a sleek, slim shape.

Arm Lift

When weight fluctuations have your upper arms sagging, brachioplasty reshapes this area from your underarms to your elbows. This procedure removes excess fat and skin to reveal sleek and slender upper arms, perfect for sleeveless blouses, spaghetti straps, and that little red dress.

Thigh Lift

Are your thighs in need of a reshaping? A thigh lift reduces excess skin and fat when necessary to produce better-proportioned thighs that allow for a better overall body image. Afterward, you can wear short skirts and other styles with confidence.

Brazilian Butt Lift

Looking to add shape to a flat derriere? A Brazilian butt lift with Dr. Mussat will deliver a perky, lifted back end without the need for implants. Strut your stuff at the beach or by the pool with a shapely posterior that’s bikini perfect.

Breast Reduction

Reducing overly enlarged breasts not only improves body outline, but it can serve to minimize discomfort as well. A breast reduction can resolve back pain and a hunched posture, improving your figure and quality of life.

Mommy Makeover

Being a mom is rewarding, but pregnancy and breastfeeding can take a toll on your figure, especially after multiple childbirths. The areas hardest hit are the breasts and the belly. That’s why the most popular mommy makeover approach addresses these areas to help women restore their pre-pregnancy figure.

Dr. Mussat most often employs tummy tuck surgery with a breast lift to achieve the best results for mothers after pregnancy.

To discover more about your body contouring options, schedule a private consultation with Dr. Florence Mussat today by calling (312) 751-9000 or reaching out online.

Get Ready for Valentine’s Day – 10 Ways to Look and Feel Your Best

Valentine’s Day comes at the perfect time of year. The joy and excitement of the Christmas season are but a memory. As we eagerly begin to anticipate the arrival of spring, February brings us Valentine’s Day and, with it, a much-needed dose of fun, romance, and excitement.

With more and more people going the extra mile to look their best for Valentine’s Day, why not schedule a visit with Dr. Florence Mussat at her Chicago plastic surgery office?

Be on your way to a fresh, vibrant look with one of these 10 solutions from Dr. Mussat.

1.     Restore Youthful Fullness to Your Face

Perhaps it’s due to genetics, aging, or simply your facial structure, but parts of your face could be lacking in volume and making you appear gaunt. Well, it is possible to enhance your facial volume and improve the appearance of your face with a facial fat transfer expertly performed by Dr. Mussat.

2.     Fall in Love With Your Skin

Taking care of one’s skin is essential throughout the year, and there’s no better time than now to get back your radiant glow in time for Valentine’s Day with a nonsurgical facial rejuvenation treatment.

With medical-grade, topical retinoids, various conditions, including mild to moderate acne, signs of sun damage, freckles, fine lines, and wrinkles, can be treated.

3.     Refresh Your Eyelids

Your eyes may be the window to your soul, but drooping eyelid skin or undereye bags could be concealing and aging your eyes, making you look tired, sad, or angry. If so, you could be a good candidate for an eyelid lift, also known as blepharoplasty. It could take years off your appearance and give your self-esteem a big boost.

4.     Repair the Sun Damage

Even though summer is long gone, your skin could still be showing signs of too much sun with dryness, new lines, and wrinkles. Dr. Mussat offers a range of treatments to undo the harsh effects of summer, and just two of these are highlighted below.

Chemical Peel: Replaces thickened and damaged skin with fresh, youthful cells, eliminating uneven pigmentation and skin discoloration.

Microdermabrasion: By rubbing fine crystals across the skin with a medically-calibrated wand, the rough outer layer is removed, and new skin stimulated.

Laser Skin Rejuvenation: A concentrated beam of light is used to gently exfoliate the skin’s sun-damaged outer layer.

5.     Reclaim Your Youthful Shape

Becoming a mother can be one of the most rewarding experiences. However, pregnancy and breastfeeding can leave you with unwelcome reminders such as stomach flab and flattened breasts.

While diet and exercise can go a long way towards reclaiming your youthful appeal, a mommy makeover as a Valentine’s gift to yourself could be all you need to restore your youthful figure.

6.     Get Back Those Perky Breasts

Full, perky breasts may be a distant memory of the days before gravity, weight loss, pregnancy, or breastfeeding changed things. To regain confidence in your appearance this Valentine’s Day, a breast lift could be exactly what you need.

7.     Slim Your Jawline

Whether it’s the result of age or weight gain, a double chin can be one of the most frustrating facial flaws to have. Through a facelift, Dr. Mussat can tighten loose skin under your chin and neck area, lift those sagging jowls and restore a youthful appearance.

8.     Tone and Tighten

Are you plagued by problem areas of flab that won’t go away? Regardless of how much you exercise and eat healthily, do you find that lean, sexy stomach continues to elude you?

Well, you might consider a tummy tuck, also known as abdominoplasty, which surgically removes excess skin and flesh from the abdomen and even repairs abdominal muscles damaged during pregnancy or weight gain.

9.     Restore Those Smooth Contours

If you’ve lost a significant amount of weight either through diet, exercise, or bariatric surgery, you could now have excess skin in areas of the body where large amounts of fat used to be. Through one or more body contouring procedures, expertly performed by Dr. Mussat, you could be well on your way to having your body’s contours restored by Valentine’s Day.

10.            Put Your Best Face Forward

Despite taking good care of yourself and trying to age gracefully, age-related changes in your face are still inevitable.

With facelift surgery, Dr. Mussat can tighten and lift the soft tissues of your face, tighten lax, excess skin and surgically reposition sagging facial tissue giving you a more youthful, rejuvenated look.

Regain Your Sexy, Youthful Look in Time for Valentine’s Day!

What better to get a self-confidence boost and bring some excitement back into your love life before Valentine’s Day than a visit to board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Florence Mussat in Chicago, IL?

Too look your absolute best before Valentine’s day, schedule a personal consultation or call (312) 751-9000 today!

What Causes Stubborn Fat and What Can You Do About It?

It seems like no matter what diet you’re on or how much you exercise, that stubborn fat on your thighs, belly, and buttocks just won’t go away. Everything from our genetics to our age most likely dictates where most of our fat is going to accumulate. And if you’re a woman, it won’t make you feel any better being told that women tend to store fat on the belly and buttocks in addition to the hips and thighs.

Dr. Florence Mussat offers different options for medically-supervised weight loss, and she will help you choose from a number of diets, as well as weight loss prescription medicine.

A Board-Certified Plastic and Reconstructive surgeon, Dr. Florence Mussat has the skills, training, and experience to work with you in understanding the underlying causes behind your stubborn body fat. To find out more and help you develop a plan to achieve the body you desire, please schedule a consultation or call (312) 751-9000.

Taking a Closer Look at the Causes of Stubborn Fat

Here are just a few of the causes of stubborn fat and what you can do about them.

Unhealthy Diet

Having an irregular diet plan made up of large meals, processed takeout foods, refined carbohydrates, and sugary drinks could well result in the accumulation of stubborn fat on your abdomen, buttocks, and hips. Apart from leading to an increase in fat, with this type of diet, there is an increase in insulin resistance leading to the storage of undesirable hard-to-lose fat.

Menopause and Estrogen Imbalance

For a woman, the stubborn fat found on your abdomen, hips, and buttocks can be caused by the drop in estrogen that usually occurs during perimenopause and menopause. As your body winds down after its child-bearing years, fat is redistributed to your midsection, creating what is sometimes referred to as a “muffin top.”

Yo-Yo Dieting

Yo-yo dieting refers to the repetitive process of losing weight through dieting and then gaining it back again. This dieting pattern results in the loss of muscle tissue along with the fat, especially if you’re not consuming enough protein. When you start to regain weight, unless you’re doing strength training, the weight you put on will mostly be fat. As a result, you’ll end up with a higher body fat percentage.

Sedentary Lifestyle

You’re probably not locked into a completely sedentary lifestyle but instead juggle several responsibilities, many of them all at the same time. However, large parts of your day may require you to sit stationary in the same place for hours on end, making it more challenging to be more active and burning excess fat. 

Consider setting a reminder on your phone or activity tracker and getting up to take a short walk every hour. All these steps will count towards your step goal for the day!

Start on Your Way to Losing That Stubborn Fat

If you’ve had enough of the cycle of working out and dieting without getting the results you want, then contact Dr. Mussat for help. Dr. Mussat offers a variety of surgical and non-surgical body procedures that have helped many patients finally do away with stubborn fat. Schedule a personal consultation with her online or by calling (312) 751-9000. You can be on your way to achieving a look you’ll love. Call Dr. Florence Mussat today!