Body Contouring · Abu Dhabi & Dubai
After major weight loss the loose skin does not stop at the front — it goes all the way around. A body lift (belt lipectomy) removes hanging skin circumferentially from the abdomen, flanks and lower back and lifts the buttocks and outer thighs in one operation.
Overview
A body lift — also called a lower body lift or belt lipectomy — is essentially a 360-degree tummy tuck. A standard tummy tuck only removes excess skin from the front of the abdomen. A body lift continues the same excision all the way around the waistline, removing loose skin from the flanks and lower back as well.
Because the incision passes around the back, it also does something a tummy tuck cannot: as the skin is tightened, the buttocks and the outer thighs are lifted at the same time. The result is a firmer, smoother lower body in every direction, not just from the front.
It is the defining operation for patients after massive weight loss — from diet or bariatric surgery — who are left with an apron of hanging skin that circles the body. Where appropriate, the abdominal portion also includes muscle repair, exactly as in a tummy tuck.
The honest science
A tummy tuck is a front operation. After significant weight loss the loose skin does not respect that boundary — it wraps around the hips, flanks and lower back too. Treating only the front leaves the sides and back untouched.
Massive weight loss stretches and then deflates the skin of the whole lower torso. What remains is a circumferential roll of loose skin — abdomen, hips, flanks and lower back. A front-only tummy tuck cannot reach the two-thirds of it that sits at the sides and behind.
Carrying the incision around the waist does more than remove more skin. As it is closed and tightened, it lifts the buttocks and the outer thighs upward — correcting the sag that weight loss leaves behind, which no front operation can address.
This is why the honest answer for a post-weight-loss lower body is usually a body lift, not a tummy tuck. Dr. Paulo Michels assesses how far the laxity extends and recommends only what your body actually needs.
The key decision
It comes down to how far the loose skin extends: only the front, or all the way around. Here is the honest comparison.
| Tummy tuck | Body lift (360°) | |
|---|---|---|
| Treats the front abdomen | Yes | Yes |
| Treats flanks & lower back | No | Yes |
| Lifts buttocks & outer thighs | No | Yes |
| Repairs abdominal muscle | Yes | Yes |
| Scar | Low, hip-to-hip | Around the waistline |
| Best for | Front laxity only | Circumferential laxity after weight loss |
If your loose skin is confined to the front, a tummy tuck is enough. If it circles your body after major weight loss, only a body lift will truly correct it.
Our philosophy
Inside the procedure
One circumferential operation that corrects the abdomen, flanks, back, buttocks and outer thighs together.
Circumferential
Excess skin is removed in a continuous band around the lower torso — the abdominal apron at the front, and the loose skin of the flanks and lower back. The incision is placed low, to sit within underwear and swimwear.
The core
Where the abdominal muscles have separated — common after pregnancy or weight fluctuation — they are stitched back together (plication), exactly as in a tummy tuck, rebuilding a firm front wall.
The lift
As the circumferential incision is closed, the tissues of the buttocks and outer thighs are lifted and re-draped upward, correcting the sag that weight loss leaves — the part a tummy tuck can never reach.
Refinement
VASER liposuction is often added to refine the hips, flanks and thighs at the same time, so the whole lower body is sculpted as well as tightened.
Book a private consultation with Dr. Paulo Michels — an honest assessment of your skin, your goals, and whether a full body lift or a tummy tuck is right for you.
Recovery
A body lift is a major operation and asks more of recovery than a tummy tuck — but ultrasound-guided nerve blocks and a staged, supported plan make it far more manageable than most expect.
One to two nights in hospital. You walk (slightly bent to protect the closure) from day one. Drains and a compression garment are placed; the nerve blocks ease the first days.
Drains are removed as they slow. Most people return to desk work around two weeks, standing progressively straighter as the closure settles.
Garment worn continuously. No heavy lifting or straining while the circumferential closure and muscle repair consolidate.
Exercise builds back to full. The new lower-body contour is already clearly visible.
Swelling fully resolves and the scar matures and fades. The final, firm, lifted contour settles in.
Candidacy
Good to know
Patient stories
“I lost 40 kg and the loose skin went all the way around. A tummy tuck would only have fixed the front — the body lift changed everything.”Body lift 360
“My buttocks and thighs lifted at the same time. I finally look the way my effort deserved.”Belt lipectomy
“He was honest about the scar and the recovery. Worth every day — the shape is incredible.”Body lift after bariatric
Investment
Every post-weight-loss body is different, so there is no single price. A personalised quotation follows an in-person assessment. The main factors:
In line with UAE medical-advertising regulations, prices are shared privately in consultation rather than published.
FAQ
Essentially, yes. A body lift (lower body lift or belt lipectomy) is the circumferential version of a tummy tuck. Instead of treating only the front abdomen, it removes loose skin all the way around the waistline and also lifts the buttocks and outer thighs.
A tummy tuck treats the front only. A body lift continues around the flanks and lower back, and lifts the buttocks and outer thighs — correcting the whole lower body rather than just the abdomen. Both repair the abdominal muscle at the front.
Most often people after major weight loss — from diet or bariatric surgery — left with loose skin that circles the body. If the laxity is only at the front, a tummy tuck is enough; if it goes all the way around, a body lift is needed.
The scar runs low around the waistline, like a belt, positioned to sit within underwear and swimwear. It is longer than a tummy-tuck scar because it goes all the way around, and it fades over 12–18 months.
Yes — that is one of its advantages. Because the incision passes around the back, closing it lifts the buttocks and the outer thighs, which a front-only tummy tuck cannot do.
Yes. A body lift reshapes; it is not a weight-loss operation. Your weight should be stable, at or near your target, for several months before surgery for the best and most durable result.
Yes. After major weight loss, a body lift is often combined or staged with arm lift, thigh lift or breast procedures as part of a total body-contouring plan, decided together at consultation.
Most people return to desk work around two weeks and to exercise at six to eight weeks; the final contour settles over six to twelve months.
It is a major but well-established operation when performed by an experienced plastic surgeon in a licensed hospital, with careful planning, stable weight and good nutrition. Suitability is assessed fully at consultation.
Enquiry
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