INTRODUCTION
Think of yourself as one of Newton's round, ripe apples on the tree of life: Gravity rules.

As time goes on, our skin loses elasticity and sags, the forces of gravity tug and pull, and suddenly we find parts of our body that have fallen and sagged. Plastic surgeons can lift and tighten up loose skin in body lift procedures that pinpoint the thighs, hips, buttocks and arms.

These procedures are growing in popularity. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) in 1998 nearly 4,000 people decided to have a thigh lift; nearly 2,000 individuals had their upper arms lifted; and the number of buttocks lift procedures grew 61 percent from 1996 to 1998 with more than a thousand choosing to have a better-looking backside.

Arm lifts (brachioplasty) can reduce flabby "batwing" arms. Excess skin of the thighs can be removed by way of lifts to the inner and outer thigh. Drooping bottoms can be raised back up to a rounder, shapelier position with a buttocks lift.

If you are considering some kind of lift procedure, talk with your plastic surgeon about what you hope the surgery will accomplish. Your doctor might suggest that you have liposuction some months prior to a lift procedure if fat deposits are extensive. The lift does remove some fat, but it is primarily a procedure to get rid of loose and sagging skin. Fat-dimpled bottoms, for example, will appear smoother, but the texture of the skin will not be significantly altered.

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