The Change
The landscape of medicine has changed with the introduction of GLP-1 agonists, such as Ozempic® and Mounjaro®. These medications, originally designed for glucose control in diabetic patients, has literally transformed the shape of the American people after the side effect of significant, sustained weight loss was discovered.
Between 2023 and 2025, the total amount spent on GLP-1 activators in the United States skyrocketed from around $14 billion to $72 billion, an increase of more than 500%. This staggering increase in use of this type of medication has resulted in a problem that is specific to plastic surgery– loose, extra skin.
A Consequence
Extra skin is a well-known complication of significant weight loss. Women often develop a small amount of loose skin with weight changes associated with pregnancy– with breast deflation that also frequently occurs, these changes are therein reason for the popularity of “mommy makeover” operations. However, massive weight loss changes, often occurring with as little as forty pounds of weight loss, result in extra skin present over most parts of the body. Often, only the forearms and lower legs are spared.
Loose, extra skin can occasionally contribute to medical problems, including “erythema intertrigo,” or rashes under folds of skin. Occasionally, infections can become serious. However, these complications are thankfully rare. Far more common are the other bothersome effects of having too much skin– difficulty hiding sagging tissue in normal clothing, and dissatisfaction with appearance with minimal clothing or when naked. The resulting psychological effects can have devastating effects on relationships, with a fear of intimacy and other social anxieties.
The Solution
Extra skin after significant or massive weight loss is a problem that can only be fixed by surgery. Although there are many devices and workouts that promise skin tightening, once skin folds and wrinkles develop, all of these treatments are a waste of time and money. Building muscle by working out is great for health and contour–but will not fix skin laxity. Lasers, ultrasound, red light therapy, and a thousand such devices can sometimes improve small areas of fatty tissue and skin texture– but will not tighten extra skin in any meaningful way– and will cost a pretty penny for lackluster results.
The good news is that body contouring surgery is effective for removing extra skin, allowing patients to wear normal clothing and have more confidence even fully naked. All forms of body contouring, from facelift to thigh lift (and everything in-between), trade scars for a better appearance– however, the scars flatten and fade over the course of about a year, whereas the shape improvements remain. The best techniques hide these scars so that they are difficult to see in most clothing and most positions.
Your Surgeon
Because of their effectiveness in weight loss patients, many body lift procedures increased over 20% from 2024 to 2025 in the United States. Tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, was the third most common cosmetic surgical procedure occurring in 2025, followed by breast lift. Arm and thighs lifts had large increases in the same period. These operations work. However, the quality of results from a body contouring surgery is dependent upon the skill and experience of the surgeon performing the operation.
Dr. Jarred McDaniel is a board-certified plastic surgeon with more than 12 years of private-practice experience focusing on cosmetic surgery. He specializes in body contouring surgery, with individualized care. But don’t trust our words– check out our results. The pictures speak for themselves.