Here are some of the more common body plastic surgery procedures performed in order to give patients the silhouettes or looks they desire. Some procedures are more extensive than others and, like with any surgery, it is important to understand potential risks and complications before undergoing any treatment.

Body Lifts and Implants

The skin and muscles of the face aren’t the only parts of the body that can loosen and droop with age. Just like a facelift, there are several procedures designed to lift, tighten and contour various body parts that succumb to gravity over time.

  • Neck lift: A neck lift typically involves the removal of excess skin, fat and occasionally muscle from the neck region. A “turkey wattle neck,” or extra skin and fat dangling from underneath the chin and neck, is a common reason some people choose to have a neck lift.

    Small incisions made under the chin or behind the ears make it possible for your surgeon to remove fat via liposuction or portions of muscle called the platysma, if necessary, with minimal scarring. Botox injections are another common approach for patients who want to remove the appearance of banding around the neck without undergoing surgery.

  • Arm lift: An arm lift, or brachioplasty, removes extra skin and fat located in the underarm and around the elbow to reduce the appearance of “bat wings,” or the sagging skin that often hangs from the underarms as people age or lose weight.

    Depending on the amount of skin and fat that is to be removed, the length and location of the incision will vary, but it usually takes place along the inside or back of the arm and extends from the underarm to the elbow. Some surgeons, however, do a shorter incision that curves just below the underarm. So long as you maintain a stable weight and healthy lifestyle, the results from your arm lift should be relatively permanent.

  • Butt lift: A butt lift, or gluteoplasty, removes excess skin and then repositions fat to create a firmer, more sculpted rear. This procedure is normally performed on people with loose skin and fat hanging from the buttocks and upper thighs, and can also be used for those who want to reduce the appearance of cellulite. Incision location varies on the extent of loose skin and fat, but usually your surgeon will make a cut along the upper backside on the bikini line.

  • Brazilian butt lift: An alternative to the regular butt lift, a Brazilian butt lift takes fat from other parts of the body and injects it into the buttocks to create a fuller, firmer backside. Often surgeons will perform liposuction in areas like the back, stomach and thighs in order to make the butt more prominent. The liposuctioned fat is then processed so it can be re-injected at different locations and depths throughout the buttocks to give them a rounded, even appearance. If done properly, a Brazilian butt lift should not require any additional treatments or touchups.

  • Thigh lift: A thigh lift reduces the amount of skin and occasionally fat around the thighs for people who have lost skin elasticity in that area. This procedure is not for people who want to reduce the size of their thighs. Liposuction alone can help remove excess fat and thin the thighs while a thigh lift helps to tighten the skin and sculpt the entire area. Incisions are usually made above the thigh along either the inner groin or around the hip, depending on the amount of correction required.

  • Butt implants: Gluteal implants are usually solid silicone implants placed under each gluteus maximus muscle in order to alter the size and shape of the buttocks. An incision is made at the midline of the buttocks and the implants are inserted once the surgeon has created a pocket for each between the existing fat and muscle. Scar tissue will eventually develop that holds the implant in place.

Genital Procedures

Genital procedures, while less likely to be brought up in your average conversation, are still popular and sought after by people around the world. Often billed as “vaginal rejuvenation,” genital procedures for women include:

  • Vaginoplasty: Vaginoplasty is used to tighten a vagina that’s loosened with age or childbirth. Extra vaginal tissue is removed either surgically or with a laser and then surrounding soft tissues and muscles are tightened by shortening the stretched muscle at the back of the vagina. All scarring is not visible as it is all inside the vagina.

  • Labiaplasty: Labiaplasty alters the size and shape of either the labia major (larger, outer lips) or labia minor (smaller, inner lips). Most women have this procedure done to make their vaginal lips smaller and/or more symmetrical. Your surgeon will trim the labia either surgically or with a laser, and the procedure is usually short, lasting an hour or less.

  • Hymenoplasty: Also known as “revirginization,” hymenoplasty is a simple procedure that reconnects the skin that once covered the vagina’s opening. The stitches are dissolvable, so after about six weeks the skin is healed and “like new.”

Genital procedures, while requested less frequently, include:

  • Phalloplasty: Phalloplasty is the aesthetic modification of the penis in length and/or girth by releasing a ligament that attaches the penis to the pubic bone or by adding a graft.

  • Penile implants: Penile implants are meant to treat erectile dysfunction and do not change the length or girth of the penis. Inflatable implants are the most common, with a pump in the scrotum that fills cylinders in the shaft of the penis with fluid, causing an erection. Semi-rigid rod implants are placed in the shaft of the penis so it can be bent into an erect or flaccid position, but the rod means there is constant pressure on the penis unlike with an inflatable implant.