Body contouring is less a procedure than a goal: changing shape where diet and exercise have done what they can. After pregnancy that usually means the abdomen and waist. After a large weight loss, including weight lost with the new weight-loss medicines, it often means loose skin in several places at once. This guide sorts out the procedures involved and the questions that decide which ones make sense.
A free referral service, Mommy Makeover Las Vegas is not a clinic: a request sent from this page reaches an independent plastic surgery office in the Las Vegas Valley, which sets its own prices and answers for its own care.
What the term covers
In plain terms, body contouring means reshaping the body rather than reducing its weight. ASPS notes that liposuction can be done on its own or combined with other plastic surgery procedures for more comprehensive body contouring. A mommy makeover is one such combination, built around the changes pregnancy leaves.
The useful way to think about it is by what needs to change. Fat that will not shift points to liposuction. Loose skin points to a procedure that removes skin, because liposuction cannot tighten it. Separated abdominal muscles point to a tummy tuck, which repairs them in most cases. Many people have more than one of these, which is why plans combine.
After pregnancy
After children, the questions are usually about loose skin, separated stomach muscles and fat that stays put. ASPS describes a mommy makeover as treating the breasts, abdomen, waist and sometimes the buttocks, typically in a single stage. Its good candidates have finished having children, are close to their ideal weight and have realistic expectations.
After big weight loss
Losing a lot of weight can leave skin that no longer fits the body under it. ASPS reported that lift procedures, of the arms, thighs and body, grew in 2025, and linked the rise to weight loss with GLP-1 medicines. In the same report, 82% of ASPS member surgeons said they had received consultation requests related to GLP-1 weight-loss drugs.
Here the tummy tuck can take larger forms. Cleveland Clinic lists extended and fleur-de-lis tummy tucks alongside the full and mini versions; your surgeon explains which incision pattern fits the amount and position of loose skin, and where the scar would sit.
Why your weight should settle first
Contouring suits a body that will stay roughly the size it is. ASPS tells anyone expecting to lose a lot more weight to hold off on a tummy tuck, and Cleveland Clinic says liposuction suits people near their average weight and is not a weight-loss solution. If you are still losing weight on a medicine or a diet, ask a surgeon when the right time to plan would be, rather than booking a date now.
Arm, thigh and body lifts
These operations remove loose skin from the arms, thighs or around the body. This site has not found published recovery times or national fee figures for them from the sources it uses, so it does not quote any. Ask the surgeon directly:
- Where will the scars sit, and how long will they be?
- How long will I wear compression garments?
- When can I go back to work, and to lifting my children?
- Would you combine a lift with my other procedures, or stage it?
- What does your quote include?
One operation or several
Six hours under anesthesia is the ceiling most surgeons accept, according to ASPS. Combining procedures cuts total anesthesia time, cost and recovery, but more healing sites and a longer operation add risk, including blood clots. Some plans are therefore staged: for example, the abdomen in one operation and the arms or thighs in a later one. Ask why your surgeon suggests one approach over the other.
Non-surgical options
Some offices also offer treatments that do not involve surgery. This site has not reviewed the evidence for them, so it makes no claim about what they achieve. Ask the provider what the device is, what the FDA has cleared or approved it to do, and how many sessions they would expect.
One firm warning
The FDA advises against using dermal fillers for body contouring, including the buttocks, and warns against liquid silicone injections for buttock enlargement. Injectable silicone is not approved for any aesthetic use.
What it costs
ASPS publishes fee ranges for parts of a plan, not for body contouring as a whole. Each figure below is the surgeon’s fee alone, as a 2024 national range; anesthesia, the facility and other costs are extra. The figures are not meant to be added together, because a combined operation is quoted as one plan.
| Procedure | Surgeon’s fee only, ASPS 2024 national range |
|---|---|
| Tummy tuck | $8,000 to $13,500 |
| Liposuction | $4,300 to $7,500 |
Las Vegas offices set their own prices. The mommy makeover cost guide explains what else goes into a quote.
Choosing a surgeon
Check the Nevada license with the State Board of Medical Examiners, and confirm American Board of Plastic Surgery certification on the ABPS search. ASPS members must operate in accredited, state-licensed or Medicare-certified facilities. If fat grafting to the buttocks is part of the plan, read the guide to BBL in Las Vegas first.
Not sure which procedures fit? Send one short request.
This site gives general information, not medical advice. A licensed provider decides with you whether a treatment suits you.
Before a consultation, you can look up a Nevada physician’s license on the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners licensee lookup.
Questions people ask
What is body contouring?
Procedures that reshape the body rather than reduce weight, such as liposuction, a tummy tuck and skin lifts, alone or combined.
Can liposuction tighten loose skin after weight loss?
No. Liposuction takes fat out and leaves skin behind. Loose skin needs a procedure that removes it, such as a tummy tuck or a lift.
Should I wait until I finish losing weight?
Usually, yes. If more weight is coming off, ASPS says to put a tummy tuck off. A surgeon can tell you when to start planning.
Can several areas be done at once?
Often, within limits. ASPS says most surgeons keep time under anesthesia to six hours or less, and some stage a plan instead.
Are fillers an option for body shaping?
No. The FDA advises against dermal fillers for body contouring and warns against liquid silicone injections.
Who answers if I send a request?
An independent plastic surgery office in the Las Vegas Valley. This site is a free referral service, not a clinic.