
Scrolling through social media posts filled with chiseled abs and flat stomachs can make it hard to feel confident if you’re struggling with excess skin around your midsection. But despite the perfect bodies you see online, skin laxity in the stomach area is much more common than you might think.
Whether past pregnancies have stretched out your stomach or the aging process has left you with sagging skin, excess skin removal surgery in Jacksonville can help you sculpt the body of your dreams.
Keep reading our blog to learn about some of the most common causes of skin laxity and the excess skin removal process at Cosmetic Surgery Affiliates. Ready to speak with our team of experts? Visit our website or give us a call to schedule your initial consultation.
What causes skin laxity around the stomach?
Skin laxity is a condition where the skin hangs off of the body because of a lack of elasticity and structure. This condition is generally caused by a decrease in or damage to collagen, one of the primary building blocks of the body. Collagen accounts for around 30% of the body’s total protein by providing support to your bones, muscles, and skin.
There are a variety of factors that can impact your body’s collagen levels and your skin’s ability to stretch. Here are just a few of the reasons why you may be dealing with loose skin in your midsection:
Pregnancy
Pregnancy is one of the main causes of excess, sagging skin around the stomach area. During pregnancy, the skin stretches to accommodate your growing bump. This process can damage collagen structures, leaving new mothers with skin laxity well after giving birth.
In some cases, the skin will shrink back to its normal size after pregnancy. For other women, this excess skin will remain despite exercise and healthy eating efforts.
Weight Loss
Significant weight loss is another cause of loose, sagging skin. Very similar to pregnancy, the skin expands to make room for increased weight gain and growth. When the skin is stretched for a long period of time, collagen and elastin fibers become damaged and lose some of their ability to retract.
The length of time and amount of weight lost also have a substantial impact on the extent of skin laxity you experience. The longer you are overweight, the more likely you are to have sagging skin after you achieve your weight loss goals. Similarly, if you rapidly lose a significant amount of weight, you have a higher chance of developing skin laxity around your midsection.
Age
Believe it or not, but age can also have an impact on the amount of sagging skin around your stomach.

As we get older, the body produces less collagen and breaks down existing collagen at a faster rate. While many adults over the age of 60 experience a decline in collagen, women who have experienced menopause are at a significant risk for decreased collagen levels.
Lifestyle Habits
In addition to pregnancy, weight loss, and age, other lifestyle factors can decrease your body’s collagen supply, including:
- Smoking – Smoking can damage collagen and elastin proteins, leading to wrinkles and slow healing.
- Poor eating habits – Consuming too much sugar and refined carbohydrates can cause collagen to become weak and brittle.
- Excessive sun exposure – Continued UV exposure without proper sunscreen reduces collagen production and causes it to break down more rapidly.
How Excess Skin Removal Surgery Can Help
If sagging skin around your midsection is negatively impacting your self-confidence, excess skin removal surgery in Jacksonville can help!
Excess skin removal surgery is a procedure that removes stretched, overhanging skin from your abdomen. Also referred to as a panniculectomy, excess skin removal can also help you contour your best body yet.
It’s important to note that while excess skin removal and a tummy tuck both address sagging skin around the stomach, they are not the same thing. During a tummy tuck, known as an abdominoplasty, your surgeon will make an incision around your underwear line to trim away excess skin and fat. Excess skin removal only addresses sagging skin that has lost its elasticity.
The Excess Skin Removal Process at CSA
At Cosmetic Surgery Affiliates, we’re here to take the stress out of excess skin removal surgery in Jacksonville. Our team of experts are more than happy to serve as a guiding hand throughout every step of the treatment process to help you achieve your aesthetic goals.
Here’s what you can expect when you choose us for your excess skin removal surgery:
An In-Depth Consultation
Your excess skin removal experience at Cosmetic Surgery Affiliates will begin with a comprehensive consultation with one of our triple-board certified surgeons.
At this time, your surgeon will ask about aesthetic concerns and how you would like to look after surgery. This information will help determine if excess skin removal surgery is right for you.
If your surgeon decides that excess skin removal is your best option, they then will begin creating your personalized procedure plan. At this time, your surgeon will explain each step of the procedure process and give you the opportunity to ask questions or voice concerns. They will also ask about your medical history and medications you’re currently taking to minimize your risk for complications.
Preparing for Surgery
In preparation for your excess skin removal, your surgeon will have you get lab work done and stop taking certain medications that increase your risk for bleeding, including aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). We also recommend patients quit smoking and avoid using tobacco products before surgery.
Excess skin removal surgery in Jacksonville involves general anesthesia. For this reason, patients must avoid eating or drinking anything for 8 hours before surgery.
Excess Skin Removal Procedure
To start your excess skin removal procedure, your surgeon will make an incision from under your breastbone to just above your pelvic bone. They’ll then make a horizontal cut in your lower body above the pubic area.

From there, your surgeon will remove the excess skin around your stomach and close your incision with stitches. They may also insert small drainage tubes to direct fluid out of the wound as you heal. Your surgeon will then finish the procedure by placing a dressing, or bandage, over the treatment area.
Post-Care Instructions
After surgery, you must arrange for someone to drive you home from the hospital. We also recommend having that person stay with you through your first night of recovery to help monitor for complications.
As with all procedures, your surgeon will give you a detailed guide with additional post-care instructions to follow in the weeks after surgery. Every excess skin removal procedure is different, but we recommend patients take 1 to 3 weeks off work to ensure optimal recovery.
For the next 6 weeks, it will be of utmost importance that you avoid strenuous physical activity or heavy lifting. This includes sleeping with pillows elevating the knees and avoiding standing upright for a few days. You will also need to care for your incisions by changing bandages and applying ointment frequently.
Finally, you will need to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and go on walks regularly once cleared by your surgeon to prevent blood clots.
Answering Your Frequently Asked Questions
At Cosmetic Surgery Affiliates, we understand that choosing to undergo excess skin removal surgery in Jacksonville is a major, life-changing decision. You need to have all your questions answered to determine if surgery is right for you.
Here are a few more details about excess skin removal to inform your decision:
Are there any risks associated with excess skin removal?
Like all surgical procedures, there are risks associated with excess skin removal. Fortunately, our expert surgeons know exactly how to perform your procedure to create the best experience possible.
Contact your surgeon immediately if you develop any of the following side effects:
- Excessive bleeding
- Infection
- Breathing problems
- Numbness
- Fluid buildup
What other procedures pair well with excess skin removal?
Our surgeons recommend pairing excess skin removal surgery in Jacksonville with liposuction to eliminate excess fat and create a sculpted figure.
Liposuction is a procedure that uses suction to remove fat from specific areas of the body. This procedure is especially useful in areas that have not responded to diet and exercise efforts.
If you have good skin tone and elasticity, the skin around your treatment area will look smooth after liposuction. If your collagen levels have decreased and your skin does not stretch easily, excess skin removal can help eliminate the loose, dimpled skin liposuction may leave behind.
Though it isn’t a weight loss procedure, we recommend liposuction and excess skin removal surgery to patients who have reached their goal weight but need an extra push to create their dream body.
How long does recovery from excess skin removal surgery take?
You can typically expect 2 to 4 days of downtime and 1 to 2 weeks of recovery from your excess skin removal surgery in Jacksonville. This recovery time varies from person to person, but will generally depend on your health condition before surgery and how well you follow your post-surgery care guide.
Schedule Your Consultation
If sagging skin is keeping you from feeling your best, excess skin removal surgery in Jacksonville can help. Regardless of if you’ve recently achieved your weight loss goals or have added a new baby to the family, our team of experts at Cosmetic Surgery Affiliates can help you create the body you’ve always dreamed of.
Your journey to self-confidence starts now. Visit our website or give us a call to schedule your initial consultation.
Want to learn more about other cosmetic procedures, like a facelift and Botox? Head over to our blog for more information.