As a Board-Certified Obesity Medicine Specialist, Dr. Svetlana Hanson, MD, brings specialized medical expertise to a field that goes far beyond traditional weight-loss care. Obesity medicine is a distinct medical specialty focused on the comprehensive evaluation and treatment of obesity, including the long-term management of weight and overall health.
Through her work at VivanaMD Medical Spa & Wellness, Dr. Hanson takes a personalized approach that recognizes an important reality for many patients: losing weight is only part of the journey. Maintaining those results can be just as challenging—and just as important.
GLP-1 medications such as semaglutide and tirzepatide have transformed the weight-loss landscape, helping many patients improve metabolic health, reduce inflammation, and feel more confident in their bodies. But as weight decreases, some patients experience unexpected changes in their appearance, including reduced facial volume, looser-looking skin, hair shedding, and loss of lean muscle.
These changes are not necessarily caused directly by GLP-1 medications. Instead, they may occur as the body adapts to significant or rapid weight loss. Age, genetics, nutrition, hydration, collagen production, and the pace of weight loss can all influence how a person responds.
That is why Dr. Hanson believes a successful weight-loss journey should consider the whole person—and continue beyond the initial loss.
At VivanaMD, physician-guided obesity medicine and personalized wellness strategies can help patients work toward sustainable weight management while supporting their health, appearance, and confidence along the way.
The goal is not simply to become smaller. It is to help patients achieve meaningful results they can maintain while feeling healthier, stronger, and more confident throughout the journey.
Preserve the Shape Beneath the Scale
One of the most important considerations during significant weight loss is maintaining lean muscle. Muscle supports strength, mobility, metabolism, and the sculpted appearance many patients hope to achieve. When weight is lost quickly, some of the weight may come from lean tissue as well as fat, making resistance training and adequate protein especially important.
At VivanaMD, Emsculpt NEO may complement a patient's weight-loss plan by using advanced technology designed to build muscle while addressing stubborn areas of fat. For patients seeking greater definition, the treatment can be incorporated into a personalized body-contouring strategy.
Give Skin a Head Start
As the body loses fat, the skin may have less underlying volume to support it. The result can be laxity in areas such as the face, neck, abdomen, arms, and thighs. While the degree of skin laxity varies from person to person, supporting collagen and overall skin health can be an important part of a comprehensive aesthetic plan.
VivanaMD offers individualized options including Morpheus8 radiofrequency microneedling, PRX Derm Perfexion, and Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP). These treatments are designed to support the skin's natural renewal processes, stimulate collagen, and improve the appearance of texture and firmness. Starting a personalized skin-care strategy during a weight-loss journey may help patients proactively address changing skin needs.
Restore Facial Balance
Weight loss can reveal facial contours and create a more defined appearance. However, significant volume loss may sometimes leave the face looking tired or less youthful. Sculptra takes a gradual approach, working with the body's own collagen-producing processes to improve facial support and skin quality over time.
The goal is a refreshed, natural appearance—not a look that feels overdone.
Don't Forget Your Hair
Hair shedding can also occur during periods of significant weight loss. Often temporary, this type of shedding may be associated with the body's response to rapid change, nutritional shifts, or stress. Addressing nutritional needs and discussing concerns with a qualified medical professional can be important first steps.
For appropriate candidates, PRP Hair Restoration uses concentrated components of the patient's own blood to support the hair follicles and encourage healthier-looking growth.
Make Results Last
For many patients, the biggest concern is not losing the weight—it is keeping it off. Weight maintenance requires an ongoing, individualized strategy that may include medical support, nutrition, physical activity, behavioral changes, and regular follow-up. As a Board-Certified Obesity Medicine Specialist, Dr. Hanson understands that sustainable weight management is a long-term process, not a finish line.
At VivanaMD, the focus is on a comprehensive approach that supports patients beyond their initial weight-loss goals, helping them navigate maintenance while also addressing muscle, skin, facial volume, and hair health.
"Because true transformation is not just about reaching a goal weight. It is about building a healthier lifestyle, maintaining meaningful results, and feeling confident in the person you see in the mirror." — Dr. Svetlana Hanson, MD
“When we help patients lose weight, we also want to help them preserve what makes them feel like themselves—strength, vitality, healthy skin, and confidence.”
— Dr. Svetlana Hanson, MD