The Bra Line Lift: We Can Back You Up
They sometimes come with cute—even endearing—names, those little fat deposits most of us have somewhere, such as:
• Love handles: rolls of fat on your sides that dieting can’t seem to touch
• The banana: that pudgy crescent just below the buttocks you can’t exercise away
There are several other places on the body that seem to invite fat to come and stay. One troublesome spot for many women is the bra roll. This is the saggy area of back skin and fat that gets emphasized by a woman’s bra or swimsuit, making a smooth, youthful rear silhouette pretty near impossible.
Causes of the Bra Roll
There are three main contributors to bra rolls. For many women, combinations of these are in play:
• Weight gain and loss: if your weight tends to fluctuate—and especially if you have gained and lost a significant amount—it’s likely you’ll have extra fat hanging around your back. Once fat has accumulated in this area, at least some of it tends to persist even when you reach a healthy weight.
• Genetics: as you know, not everyone carries fat deposits in the same places. You may have friends who bemoan their muffin tops, while you have a slimmer waistline with bra rolls in the rear view mirror.
• Aging: with the passing years comes skin laxity. As your skin gives up its tone, it is less able to hold fat deposits in check. You may have had a bit of extra fat near the bra line for a long time, but it’s just now that your skin is letting it show.
Bra Roll Treatment Options
If you’re interested in cosmetic surgery in New York for bra rolls, the best strategy for you will depend on many factors. If you’re young, with relatively good skin quality, you may be able to elect liposuction only. Patients will often add the upper back as a target area for liposuction treatment to other parts of the body: belly, buttocks, thighs and/or knees.
For women who have lost skin elasticity, a bra line back lift may be in order. In this case, we make a horizontal incision, use liposuction to remove fat pockets, then lift and trim excess skin. The procedure is safe and involves a fairly easy recovery. The scar that results will be hidden under the bra or swimsuit.
Candidates for the Bra Line Lift
If you are at or near your ideal weight and just can’t get rid of a lumpy, bumpy back, then cosmetic surgery can help. You should also be in relatively good health and have realistic expectations for what your procedure can do. Most patients can look forward to the loss of a few inches in their chest measurement and reduction or elimination of fat bulges.
For people who have lost dozens of pounds, getting rid of bra rolls may become part of an overall body lift strategy. This is a much more involved procedure, but for weight loss patients it can be the ultimate reward for getting healthy and bring their body back to “slim and trim.”
We can help you understand all the ins and outs of bra roll surgery in our New York consultation room. Give us a call at 212-570-6080 to make an appointment, or fill out our online contact form.
