Engage with Dr. Culver :
Engage with Dr. Culver :
Body contouring is for the areas that don’t respond to effort. Maybe you have worked hard at diet and exercise, been through pregnancy and childbirth, or lost a significant amount of weight, and some problem areas still won’t change: loose skin on the abdomen, stubborn fat on the hips and thighs. That is anatomy, not a lack of discipline, and it is what body contouring is designed to address.
At Culver Plastic Surgery, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Abby Culver performs surgical body contouring in Dallas for patients who want their figure to reflect the work they have put in. Your personalized plan might involve liposuction, a tummy tuck, a body lift or a combination of procedures, built around your anatomy. Our Dallas team supports you from consultation through recovery.
Body contouring surgery reshapes skin, fat and muscle, and natural-looking results years from now depend on training. For you, Dr. Culver’s residency and faculty years at UT Southwestern mean a surgical plan grounded in current evidence and careful technique. Her qualifications include:
As a woman, Dr. Culver understands how emotional this decision can be: the clothes you skip, the photos you avoid, the frustration of a body that changed after pregnancy or weight loss. She listens first. Then, as a female plastic surgeon, she designs a surgical plan around your individual anatomy, health history and goals, aiming for natural-looking proportions rather than a “done” look.
Body contouring procedures remove excess skin and excess fat and tighten underlying tissue on the abdomen, arms, thighs, hips and buttocks, the areas that most often resist diet and exercise.
Dr. Culver may combine liposuction, abdominoplasty, a lower body lift or an upper body lift, depending on whether loose skin, excess fat or the abdominal muscles are driving the change. Skin elasticity, body composition and healing shape your body contouring results.
When one area feels out of step with the rest of you, clothes rarely fit right. Body contouring surgery can reshape the abdomen, waist, hips and thighs into one balanced silhouette. A lower body lift, also called a belt lipectomy, reduces bulk while preserving the muscle you worked to build.
If the same pockets remain no matter what you try, you are not alone. Localized fat on the abdomen, flanks and thighs often persists despite diet and exercise. Liposuction removes those fat cells directly and refines your contours.
After pregnancy or significant weight loss, stretched collagen and elastin fibers can lose the ability to retract, leaving sagging skin no workout will tighten. Body contouring surgery excises that loose skin and tightens what remains. Collagen keeps remodeling for months as healing continues.
Excess skin and persistent fat can cause chafing, irritation under skin folds and limits on what you feel comfortable wearing. Body contouring can change that. Many patients notice a real lift in comfort and self-confidence once swelling settles and the compression garment comes off.
Liposuction removes fat cells from the treated area and surgery excises loose skin, but the fat cells and tissue that remain still change with aging, pregnancy and weight fluctuations, so a stable weight and healthy lifestyle help preserve your results. Dr. Culver plans for the long term, whether that means one procedure or a staged approach.
A Brazilian butt lift uses liposuction and fat transfer to add fullness and shape to the buttocks with your own fat. The BBL page covers candidacy and recovery in full.
Liposuction is often the right starting point when stubborn fat, not loose skin, is your main concern. It removes fat deposits from the abdomen, back, flanks and thighs to sculpt more defined contours, and it pairs well with other body contouring options such as a tummy tuck.
A tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) treats what exercise cannot reach: loose abdominal skin and separated abdominal muscles, known as diastasis recti, after pregnancy or major weight loss. Dr. Culver removes excess skin, repairs the muscle wall with internal sutures and reshapes the waist. It is often part of a lower body lift or a broader body contouring plan.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding change the breasts and abdomen in ways that rarely reverse on their own. A mommy makeover combines a tummy tuck, liposuction and breast surgery into one plan. Some mothers also choose a breast reduction or lift. Each mommy makeover is timed around your family and recovery.
Brachioplasty, or an arm lift, removes excess skin and fat from the upper arms after weight loss or aging. The arm lift page explains incisions and recovery.
A thigh lift removes excess skin and fat from the inner thighs or outer thighs, reducing skin laxity and chafing. After massive weight loss, many patients include a thigh lift in a lower body lift plan.
Labiaplasty reshapes the labia minora to reduce friction, improve comfort during physical activity, and address aesthetic concerns. Dr. Culver provides detailed post-operative instructions to support safe healing and optimal outcomes.
You may be a candidate if stubborn fat, excess skin or reduced skin elasticity bothers you despite your best efforts. Candidacy is confirmed at consultation, but ideal candidates usually share these traits:
Not sure where you fit? That is exactly what the first conversation is for.
Your first visit is a conversation, not a commitment. Dr. Culver asks what you hope to reshape, examines your skin elasticity, fat and abdominal muscles, and reviews your medical history. You leave with a recommended surgical plan and time to decide.
Body contouring surgery is performed under general anesthesia, and its length depends on your surgical plan: liposuction, skin excision, muscle repair or a combination. Total body contouring after massive weight loss is often done in stages.
The first few days are the hardest. Expect swelling, bruising and soreness, and plan for help at home. Most patients return to light activities within one to two weeks and exercise after four to six weeks. Body lifts and combined procedures take longer, and Dr. Culver clears you before strenuous exercise. Dr. Culver gives you aftercare instructions for your compression garment and activity restrictions, then sees you at follow-up appointments until you have healed.
Choosing a body contouring surgeon is a deeply personal decision, and you deserve to feel heard. Dr. Culver listens carefully, plans thoroughly and operates with precision. As a board-certified plastic surgeon, she explains your options plainly, including when liposuction alone will meet your goals. Whether you want one treatment or body sculpting in stages, she guides you from consultation through full recovery.
Her aim is simple: to help you become the best version of your already beautiful self.
It is a fair question, and the answer depends on your plan. The cost of body contouring in Dallas reflects how many procedures you combine, surgical time, anesthesia and facility fees; one liposuction area and a lower body lift are very different surgeries. At consultation, Dr. Culver’s team gives you a personalized quote, and Cherry payment plans let you spread the cost of body contouring over time.
Recovery depends on the body contouring procedures performed. Most patients resume light activities within one to two weeks and exercise after four to six weeks. A tummy tuck or body lift needs more time than liposuction alone. Swelling fades gradually, and final results take several months to settle.
Yes. Many patients combine liposuction, tummy tucks or breast surgery in one session or a staged plan. Combining can mean one recovery instead of several. It also means a longer operation, so Dr. Culver weighs your health before recommending the safest combination of procedures.
Ideal candidates are at a stable weight, in good health and have realistic expectations. For body sculpting in Dallas, a one-on-one consultation with Dr. Culver is the most reliable way to know if you are a candidate.
Liposuction removes fat; it does not remove loose skin or treat cellulite. Body contouring is the broader category and can include liposuction, skin excision, surgical skin tightening and muscle repair. Dr. Culver recommends what your anatomy actually calls for.
Every surgical body contouring procedure leaves scars, and it is natural to worry about scarring. Dr. Culver places incisions as discreetly as possible, often along natural skin folds or where underwear and swimwear sit. Scars typically fade over the first year or longer, though healing varies.