More Than Skin Deep: How Body Contouring Improves Quality of Life

In certain circles, plastic surgery has a bad reputation. Some people consider it nothing more than vanity taken to extremes. But the truth is that plastic surgery accomplishes more than an ego boost — for many, procedures like body contouring can mean real, positive life changes across the spectrum.

A recent study showed that body contouring surgery not only improves self-esteem and self-image, but also alleviates physical symptoms, boosts social performance, and increases the overall quality of life.

What is body contouring surgery?

Body contouring, sometimes referred to as body sculpting, is a type of plastic surgery that’s designed to reshape certain portions of the body. The procedure can range from small, targeted liposuction to complete lifts for the upper body, which typically involve removing substantial portions of excess tissue.

The more dramatic body contouring surgeries are becoming common for many patients who lose weight rapidly after receiving bariatric surgery. This procedure, better known as a gastric bypass, helps people lose weight by restricting the amount of food that can be stored in the stomach.

But while the rapid weight loss itself can drastically improve patient health, bariatric surgery also typically results in significant amounts of hanging tissue from the patient’s arms, legs, and stomach. This excess tissue presents physical problems and has a negative impact on a patient’s image, self-esteem, and social interactions. Body contouring surgery aims to correct these issues.

Results of the Body Contouring Study

The research study on body contouring and quality of life showed that people who obtain body sculpting procedures after weight loss surgery enjoy a higher quality of life than people who don’t receive additional body contouring work.

In the study, researchers questioned 112 female patients who had received weight loss surgery and followed up with cosmetic procedures about their self-image and quality of life prior to the body contouring procedures. Follow-up questions were asked of 57 study participants around 4 months after the surgeries, and then 87 women were questioned around two years after the procedures.

Research questions included areas such as body satisfaction, self-esteem, social performance, sex life, and physical symptoms. On a scored range of 0 to 100 points, the average short-term quality of life scores (one to nine months after body contouring) rose from 44 to 86 points. Long-term results showed a similar increase in quality of life scores among patients questioned from one to 2.7 years after the procedure.

One shortcoming for this research was the lack of male participants in the study. At the hospital where the study was conducted, the two men who had received body contouring procedures declined to participate.

However, body contouring is known to improve outlook and quality of life for men as well as women. A similar recent study done through self-reporting patient questionnaires included approximately 55 percent women and 45 percent men, and the findings mirrored those of the more formal study. Patients reported significant improvements in quality of life for psychological and social aspects, including home and work life.

Many plastic surgeons can confirm that the findings of these and similar studies are accurate. Dr. Mitchell Kim, a physician at Cosmos Clinic Gold Coast, states, “Having undergone Vaser Hi Def Liposuction myself, I understand the satisfaction that a cosmetic procedure brings to patients. The feeling of being beautiful is priceless.”

Who should consider body contouring surgery?

In light of the considerable to dramatic increases in overall satisfaction and quality of life, body contouring is a good solution for any patient who has lost significant amounts of weight, whether through gastric bypass surgery or some other means.

Many people who lose weight are often surprised that they don’t "look" good, or that they no longer look like themselves. Body contouring or body sculpting can restore a sense of self-esteem and positive body image, helping the patient to truly feel great after significant weight loss.