Body Contouring

Stubborn fat, loose skin, and uneven contours can be frustrating, especially when healthy habits don’t deliver the visible results you want. Whether you’re navigating post-pregnancy changes, weight loss-related skin laxity, or areas that resist diet and exercise, these concerns can make it hard to feel fully comfortable in your body. 

At Northstate Plastic Surgery in Chico, CA, we offer personalized body contouring procedures designed to reshape and refine your figure. From targeted fat reduction to skin tightening and lifting, our board-certified team tailors each treatment plan to your anatomy and goals, helping you achieve a smoother, more balanced silhouette.

What Is Body Contouring?

Body contouring refers to a range of surgical procedures designed to reshape and refine the body’s appearance by removing excess fat, tightening loose skin, or enhancing natural curves. These procedures can target virtually any area, such as the arms, abdomen, thighs, back, or buttocks, and are often customized based on your goals and body type.

Body contouring may be recommended after significant weight loss, pregnancy, or simply to address areas that haven’t responded to diet and exercise. Whether performed as a single procedure or as part of a multi-step transformation, body contouring can help create a more proportionate and sculpted silhouette.

Our Body Contouring Procedures

Arm Lift

Also known as brachioplasty. An upper arm lift, or brachioplasty, reshapes the upper arm to tighten loose skin and remove fat that often creates a “bat wing” appearance under the arm. Removing the excess skin caused by weight loss or natural aging can tighten loose skin that extends from the underarm area to the elbow; liposuction is sometimes used in combination to achieve the best results. Every year, thousands of people undergo successful upper-arm-lift surgery and are pleased with the results.

When to consider an upper arm lift:

• If your weight is normal, but you feel your shape is marred by underarm laxity.
• If you have lost a massive amount of weight and are left with excess upper-arm skin and fat that may resemble bat wings.
• If you are willing to accept a scar in exchange for shapelier arms.

For more information visit The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and The American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Buttock Augmentation

Also known as Brazilian butt lift or butt implants. Buttock augmentation is a procedure that reshapes and enhances your gluteal area, providing you with an uplifted and shapelier buttock profile. In the past ten years, this procedure has become increasingly popular worldwide, with shapely buttocks often seen as a symbol of femininity and sensuality. The most frequent methods for enlarging and reshaping your buttocks are fat grafting using your own natural fatty tissue (popularly referred to as the Brazilian butt lift), or with buttock implants.

When to consider buttock augmentation:

• If your buttocks are too small for your body frame and you want a more balanced look
• If your buttock shape is too flat or square and you would like more curves and a more youthful appearance
• If weight loss or the aging process has left your buttocks loose, sagging, or flat
• If clothes and swimwear do not fit properly on your figure

For more information visit The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and The American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Liposuction

Also known as lipoplasty and body contouring surgery. Liposuction surgery sculpts your body, eliminating unwanted pockets of exercise and diet-resistant fat from the buttocks, hips, love handles, saddlebags, thighs, calves, ankles, breasts (including male breasts), back, arms and neck. Liposuction is often combined with other procedures to create a desired shape and is one of the safest and most popular cosmetic procedures.

When to consider liposuction:

• If you have localized areas of fat deposits that are disproportionate with the rest of your body.
• If you would like more definition or a sleeker contour in certain areas of your body.
• If your skin elasticity is good (Liposuction removes fat, but does not tighten skin).

For more information visit The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and The American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Mommy Makeover

Also known as post-pregnancy surgery. A mommy makeover is any combination of cosmetic procedures that restore your before-pregnancy appearance, typically focusing on the breasts and abdomen. A typical makeover might include a tummy tuck, a breast procedure such as an augmentation, lift or reduction and liposuction of the legs, arms or trunk. The term “mommy makeover” may be new, but the procedures involved have a long, successful, and safe track record.

When to consider a mommy makeover:

• If your pregnancy has negatively affected the size and shape of your breasts
• If you’re distressed about your sagging tummy and stretch marks
• If pockets of fat on your waist, abdomen, arms or thighs do not improve with diet and exercise

For more information visit American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and The American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Lower Body Lift

Also known as belt lipectomy. Dramatic weight loss, weight fluctuation or natural aging frequently results in sagging skin in areas below the waistline. Lower-body-lift surgery tightens and sculpts the buttocks, back of the thighs, outer thighs, inner thighs, hips and abdomen. Loose skin that looks aesthetically displeasing or causes mobility restrictions is removed. A lower body lift is appropriate if you are near your ideal weight and may precede or follow an upper body lift procedure. Every year, thousands of people undergo successful lower-body-lift surgery and are pleased with the results.

When to consider a lower body lift:

• If you have had dramatic weight loss due to bariatric surgery or dieting.
• If you have relatively thin layers of fat below the skin in the hip, thigh, abdomen and buttock areas.
• If overhanging skin in your lower body restricts your mobility and/or causes painful chafing, rashes or infection.
• If you are distressed by sagging skin in your lower body

For more information visit The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and The American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Body Contouring after Massive Weight Loss

Also known as post-bariatric surgery or body contouring after massive weight loss. Plastic surgery after dramatic weight loss reduces excess skin and fat left behind after major weight loss. Its goal is to restore attractive proportions by removing the sagging skin around the face, neck, upper arms, breasts, abdomen, buttocks and thighs that creates a misshapen contour. Although these procedures leave scars, most patients find them to be an acceptable tradeoff for an improved appearance.

When to consider plastic surgery after dramatic weight loss:

• If you have experienced dramatic weight loss from bariatric surgery or diet and exercise.
• If you have sagging skin in multiple areas, including the face and neck, breasts, arms, abdomen, back and thighs.
• If your weight has stabilized following bariatric surgery or diet and exercise. This may be 18 months or more after your weight loss.

For more information visit The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and The American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Tummy Tuck

Also known as abdominoplasty. Tummy-tuck surgery or abdominoplasty, can flatten your abdomen by removing loose, excess fat and skin and tightening muscles in the abdominal wall. It can also remove some if not all of the stretch marks in your lower abdomen. It is popular following pregnancy, massive weight loss or whenever a flabby abdomen with weak muscles impairs body contour. Most patients report improved self-esteem as a result of this procedure.

When to consider a tummy tuck:

• If you’ve got flab, stretch marks or excess skin in your abdomen that does not improve with diet or exercise.
• If the shape of your abdomen has been affected by pregnancy or massive weight loss.
• If you feel that your protruding abdomen is unattractive.
• If your self-confidence is marred by your stomach contour.

For more information visit The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and The American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Benefits of Body Contouring

Improved Body Proportions

Body contouring can help balance your frame by removing or redistributing excess fat and tissue. This creates a more streamlined and defined silhouette across treated areas.

Enhanced Fit of Clothing

Clothes often fit more comfortably and naturally once excess bulk or loose skin is addressed. Many patients find they have more wardrobe options post-procedure.

Long-Lasting Results

When paired with stable weight and healthy habits, the results of surgical contouring can last for many years. Fat cells removed during procedures like liposuction do not return.

Post-Weight Loss Transformation

Significant weight loss can leave behind loose, redundant skin, obscuring progress. Contouring procedures remove this excess to highlight your new shape.

Targeted Fat Reduction

Body contouring allows for the precise removal of localized fat deposits that don’t respond to diet and exercise. This makes it ideal for refining specific problem areas like the abdomen, thighs, or upper arms.

Customized Treatment Approach

Each procedure is tailored to your anatomy and goals, whether focusing on one area or combining multiple treatments. This personalized plan supports more consistent and natural-looking results.

Risks and Considerations for Body Contouring

While body contouring procedures are generally safe when performed by experienced, board-certified plastic surgeons, it’s important to understand the potential risks and limitations before moving forward. Every surgical treatment carries a degree of risk, and outcomes can vary based on your health, healing process, and adherence to aftercare instructions.

Common side effects may include temporary swelling, bruising, numbness, and discomfort in the treated areas. Scarring is also expected, though surgeons typically place incisions in discreet areas and provide instructions for scar care.

Potential risks can include infection, poor wound healing, fluid buildup (seroma), skin irregularities, or asymmetry. In rare cases, complications such as blood clots or adverse reactions to anesthesia may occur. Certain factors—such as smoking, underlying medical conditions, or extreme weight fluctuations—can increase these risks or impact healing.

Choosing a board-certified plastic surgeon with experience in body contouring is essential for your safety and results. We will review your medical history, evaluate your goals, and guide you through a personalized surgical plan to minimize risks and support a smooth recovery.

Candidacy for Body Contouring

Body contouring procedures are best suited for individuals who are in generally good health, maintain a stable weight, and are not smokers. Ideal candidates typically have specific areas of excess fat or loose skin that haven’t responded to diet and exercise.

Surgical body contouring is often recommended after significant weight loss, including post-pregnancy or following bariatric surgery, once the body has stabilized. Timing is important—candidates should be at or near their goal weight, as future weight fluctuations can affect long-term results.

Patients should also have realistic expectations about what these procedures can achieve. While body contouring can dramatically reshape the body, it is not a substitute for weight loss or a guarantee of perfection. A consultation can help determine whether your goals align with what a procedure can safely and effectively deliver.

What to Expect for Your Body Contouring Procedure

Consultation

Your consultation at Northstate Plastic Surgery begins with a private, in-depth conversation with Dr. Kevin D. Myers to discuss your goals, concerns, and the areas you’d like to improve. After a thorough physical exam and evaluating factors like skin laxity and fat distribution, Dr. Myers may take reference photos and recommend a personalized surgical plan. Whether you’re considering a single procedure or a combination approach, he’ll walk you through your options, explain expected outcomes, and answer any questions about techniques, incisions, and recovery.

We’ll also review your medical history, current medications, and lifestyle habits to ensure surgery can be performed safely. If needed, pre-op instructions or health adjustments may be recommended. Our team will then provide an overview of projected costs, financing options, and a timeline for next steps, so you leave your consultation feeling informed, supported, and ready to move forward.

Procedure

After your consultation, we’ll provide a customized surgical plan tailored to your anatomy, goals, and timeline. On the day of your procedure, our team will guide you through pre-op preparation, answer any last-minute questions, and ensure you feel fully informed and at ease. Most surgeries are performed under general anesthesia in our accredited surgical facility, with safety and comfort as top priorities.

Recovery and Downtime for Body Contouring

Body contouring recovery varies depending on the procedure and your individual healing process. Here’s what to expect as you heal and regain strength.

Initial Healing Phase

Most patients experience swelling, bruising, and tenderness in the first 7 to 10 days. These symptoms are a normal part of healing and gradually improve with time, rest, and proper care. Pain is typically managed with prescription or over-the-counter medication, and light walking is encouraged early to promote circulation.

Compression Garments

After most body contouring procedures, you’ll be advised to wear compression garments. These help minimize swelling, support the healing tissues, and encourage smooth, even contouring. You may need to wear them for several weeks, depending on your procedure.

Activity Restrictions

While light movement is important, strenuous exercise and heavy lifting should be avoided for 4 to 6 weeks. We will let you know when it’s safe to return to work, drive, and resume physical activity. Patience during this time helps prevent complications and supports better long-term results.

Follow-Up Care

Regular follow-up visits at Northstate Plastic Surgery allow us to monitor your healing progress, manage dressings or sutures, and answer any post-op concerns. You’ll receive detailed instructions tailored to your procedure, including wound care, medications, and signs to watch for during recovery.

Long-Term Healing

Final results develop gradually over several weeks to months as swelling subsides and tissues settle into place. Following your surgeon’s post-operative guidance closely will help you heal safely and maximize the aesthetic outcome of your body contouring procedure.

Maintaining Results Long-Term

Body contouring can deliver long-lasting improvements, but maintaining your results depends on how you care for your body after surgery. One of the most important factors is keeping a stable weight. Significant weight gain or loss can stretch the skin and alter your surgical outcomes, potentially reversing or diminishing the effects of the procedure.

To maintain your body contouring results, consider the following long-term strategies:

Maintain a Stable Weight

Weight gain or loss can stretch the skin and compromise your surgical outcome. Aim to stay within 5–10 pounds of your post-surgery weight for the most consistent results. If you’re actively losing weight, complete that journey before surgery to prevent future skin laxity.

Follow a Healthy, Balanced Diet

Eat whole foods rich in lean protein, healthy fats, fruits, and vegetables. Limit processed foods, excess sugar, and alcohol, which can contribute to fat accumulation. Stay hydrated—adequate water intake supports skin elasticity and overall healing.

Stay Physically Active

Incorporate a consistent exercise routine that includes cardio, strength training, and flexibility work. Regular activity helps tone the muscles beneath treated areas and prevents fat buildup. Always wait for medical clearance before resuming workouts after surgery.

Care for Your Skin

Use high-quality moisturizers to keep skin hydrated and supple. Apply broad-spectrum sunscreen daily to prevent UV damage and protect scar healing. Consider medical-grade skincare products for targeted maintenance if recommended.

Plan Around Major Life Changes

If you’re considering future pregnancies, it may be best to delay body contouring surgery. Pregnancy and childbirth can significantly stretch the abdomen and other treated areas. Discuss your family planning timeline with Dr. Myers during your consultation.

Stay Connected With Us

Attend all scheduled follow-up appointments so your progress can be monitored. Reach out to our team if you notice any changes in your results or have concerns post-surgery. Periodic check-ins help ensure your results continue to meet your goals.

Frequently Asked Questions About Body Contouring

Can I combine multiple body contouring procedures?

Many patients combine procedures, such as a tummy tuck with liposuction or an arm lift with a breast lift, for more comprehensive results. During your consultation, we’ll create a safe, personalized surgical plan based on your goals and anatomy.

Will I have scars after surgery?

Yes, surgical body contouring does involve scarring. However, we use advanced techniques to place incisions strategically and provide detailed scar care instructions to help them fade over time.

Are results permanent?

The fat or skin removed during surgery will not return, but maintaining your results requires a stable weight and healthy lifestyle. Significant weight changes or future pregnancies can impact long-term outcomes.

Is body contouring covered by insurance?

Body contouring is usually considered cosmetic and not covered by insurance. However, some post-weight-loss procedures may be eligible for partial coverage if they cause medical concerns, such as skin irritation or infection. We’re happy to help you navigate your options.

When will I see my final results?

You’ll notice improvements soon after surgery, but final results may take several months as swelling subsides and tissues settle. We’ll guide you through every stage of the healing process so you know what to expect.

Why Choose Northstate Plastic Surgery for Body Contouring?

At Northstate Plastic Surgery, your body contouring journey is led by board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Kevin D. Myers. With extensive experience in reshaping and refining the body after weight loss, pregnancy, or aging, Dr. Myers combines surgical precision with an artistic eye to deliver balanced, natural-looking results. Every procedure is carefully tailored to your anatomy, goals, and lifestyle, with personalized planning and compassionate care from your initial consultation through every stage of recovery.

Begin Your Body Contouring Journey in Chico, CA

If you’re ready to reshape your figure and address areas that diet and exercise haven’t improved, body contouring at Northstate Plastic Surgery offers a safe, effective path forward. Whether you’re focused on post-weight loss changes or refining your natural proportions, Dr. Kevin D. Myers provides expert care and customized surgical planning tailored to your needs.

To take the next step, call us at (530) 345-5900 or reach out through our online contact form. We’re proud to care for individuals in Chico, CA, and throughout the Northstate region.