Body Lift

Reshape the body and create tighter, smoother contours with a comprehensive body lift in Los Angeles. Dr. Teitelbaum takes an individualized approach to every procedure, ensuring your results are balanced and aligned with your figure.

What Is a Body Lift?

A body lift is an advanced body contouring procedure that removes excess skin, eliminates small fat deposits, and lifts tissues to sculpt a more proportionate silhouette. Most often, patients consider a body lift after losing significant weight, which helps them regain balance. Here, harmony is key, and Dr. Teitelbaum focuses on the big picture to prevent any part of the body from looking overdone or artificial. The procedure is fully customizable, meaning your body lift will address only your areas of concern, leaving the rest of your body untouched. Common treatment areas include the following:

Abdomen
Hips
Buttocks
Thighs
Flanks
Arms
Breasts

Sculpting the Lower Body

A lower body lift raises the buttocks and thighs while tightening the lower back and abdomen, creating a smooth, firm trunk and waist. Most patients seek a lower body lift after a tummy tuck to further enhance their curves, while others combine the two procedures in a single surgical session. Lower body lifts are most commonly done for patients who have experienced significant weight loss, though it can also be part of a Mommy Makeover or Menopause Makeover.

Revitalizing Your Natural Curves

A body lift is one of the most comprehensive procedures offered by Dr. Teitelbaum, creating dramatic transformations from head to toe. Patients can expect the following benefits from their body lift:

Removal of excess or sagging skin
A tighter, more defined waist and hip contour
Lifted and reshaped buttocks
Smoother thigh and arm contours
Improved overall body proportion
Better fit in clothing, particularly in tight or athletic pieces
Enhanced comfort and confidence

Who Is a Good Candidate for a Body Lift?

Ideal candidates for a body lift are healthy, non-smoking adults who have widespread skin laxity throughout the body, though most laxity is typically concentrated in the torso, buttocks, and legs. Most body lift patients have recently experienced major weight loss, and you must be able to maintain a stable weight post-op. During your consultation, Dr. Teitelbaum will perform an in-depth physical examination to confirm your candidacy.

Why Choose Dr. Teitelbaum?

As one of the leading plastic surgeons in Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and beyond, Dr. Teitelbaum has performed hundreds of successful body lifts for local and out-of-town patients. He goes into the finest level of detail to create the greatest amount of lifting and tightening without creating an overdone or artificial appearance.

Academic and Clinical Excellence

Dr. Teitelbaum received his doctorate from the UCLA School of Medicine and completed his residency at Harvard University, earning a double board certification in General Surgery and Plastic Surgery. During his degree, he worked in the plastic surgery wards of the LA County Hospital to further refine his skills. In addition to treating patients at his private practice, which he opened in 1995, Dr. Teitelbaum also serves as an Associate Clinical Professor of Plastic Surgery at the UCLA School of Medicine. Over the course of his 30+ year career, Dr. Teitelbaum has given lectures to peers and students on five continents, bringing his advanced techniques worldwide. His research has been published in peer-reviewed journals like the Aesthetic Surgery Journal and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and he’s earned leadership roles and memberships in the following professional organizations:

Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation, 2016-2017 President
California Society of Plastic Surgeons, Treasurer and Legislative Committee Chair
Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation, Board Member

A Patient-First Philosophy

Patients often come to Dr. Teitelbaum for his thoughtful patient care and commitment to natural-looking, beautiful results. He leads with integrity, trust, and transparency every step of the way, ensuring you get the outcome you desire without any gimmicks or trendy treatments. He holds his team to the highest safety and quality standards in the industry, so you know you’re in good hands.

Schedule A Consultation

(310) 315-1121 Contact Us

Your Private Consultation

To begin your body lift journey, you’ll join Dr. Teitelbaum in his Los Angeles office for a confidential, one-on-one consultation. There, you’ll discuss your aesthetic goals, concerns, and medical history, and Dr. Teitelbaum will evaluate your anatomy, skin health, fat distribution, and body proportions to determine if a body lift is right for you. Then, he’ll begin building your customized procedure.

Pricing Your Procedure

A body lift with Dr. Teitelbaum typically ranges from $30,000 to $50,000. Because no two body lifts are the same, the cost of a body lift in Los Angeles varies widely from patient to patient. Your cost will depend on the following factors:

Number of treatment areas
Number of procedures included in the body lift
Surgical complexity
Whether the lift is performed in one or multiple surgical sessions

After your consultation, Dr. Teitelbaum's team will share a clear cost breakdown and extensive financing options for total transparency.

What to Expect From Your Body Lift in Los Angeles

Your body lift will be performed under general anesthesia at Dr. Teitelbaum’s exclusive, accredited surgical center. You may need to take a staged approach to a body lift, splitting procedures into multiple sessions to allow for safe, streamlined healing. During surgery, Dr. Teitelbaum will make strategic incisions along the body's natural curves to access the tissue, working conservatively to remove the optimal amount of excess skin.

Depending on your treatment plan, the procedure may involve tightening the abdominal muscles, using liposuction to remove stubborn fat, or reshaping the underlying tissue to sculpt your figure. All incisions will be closed with small sutures to promote smooth healing and consistent, minimally visible scars.

High-Touch, Gentle Recovery

Recovery after a body lift in Los Angeles involves mild swelling, bruising, and soreness in your treatment areas, which should resolve within a week. You’ll have limited mobility at the start, but your comfort will gradually increase until you’re able to return to light activity, typically within 10-14 days. Most patients will need to wear compressive garments during early recovery to support their tissues and reduce swelling. After your procedure, Dr. Teitelbaum and his team will share extensive aftercare instructions for your recovery. The list may include the following items:

Incision site care and cleaning protocols
Supportive garment guidelines
Surgical drain care methods, if applicable
Activity limitations
Sleep position restrictions
Recovery clothing requirements
Swelling and pain management strategies
Hygiene recommendations

Over the coming months, you’ll regularly return to Dr. Teitelbaum’s office for follow-up appointments. There, he’ll monitor your healing progress, remove any remaining drains or sutures, and approve you to resume strenuous activities like running, swimming, and high-impact exercise. It may take several weeks for residual swelling to fully fade and reveal your final results.

Alternative Procedures to Consider

Depending on your needs, Dr. Teitelbaum may suggest more targeted, singular procedures instead of an overarching body lift. Typically, these alternative treatments include the following:

Tummy tuck
Full thigh lift
Liposuction

Body Lift FAQs

Will I have scars all over my body?

During surgery, Dr. Teitelbaum strategically makes incisions along the natural curves of your treatment areas, hiding the scars in hard-to-see or easily camouflaged areas.

How long will my results last?

The final results of your body lift are designed to be long-lasting, with most patients enjoying them for 10+ years or more. Gravity and aging will naturally affect the body, but you can extend the longevity of your results by maintaining a stable weight, a healthy diet, and an exercise routine.

Is a body lift worth it after weight loss?

For patients with significant excess skin, a body lift can dramatically improve comfort, reduce skin irritation, and enhance quality of life. Regardless, plastic surgery is an intensely personal decision, and you should discuss all concerns with Dr. Teitelbaum during your consultation.

References

Teitelbaum, Steven A. M.D.; Burns, John L. M.D.; Kubota, Junichiro M.D.; Matsuda, Hidenori M.D.; Otto, Morkel J. M.B.Ch.B., M.Pharm. Med., M.Phil.; Shirakabe, Yukio M.D.; Suzuki, Yoshiro M.D.; Brown, Spencer A. Ph.D. Noninvasive Body Contouring by Focused Ultrasound: Safety and Efficacy of the Contour I Device in a Multicenter, Controlled, Clinical Study. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 120(3):p 779-789, September 1, 2007.
Steven Teitelbaum, Demystifying High-Lateral-Tension Abdominoplasty, Aesthetic Surgery Journal, Volume 26, Issue 3, May 2006, Pages 325–329.
Teitelbaum, Steven M.D. Discussion: Clinical Implications of Gluteal Fat Graft Migration: A Dynamic Anatomical Study. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 142(5):p 1196-1197, November 2018.