Skin laxity after pregnancy or weight loss can be corrected with a Tummy Tuck. The Plastic Surgery term for tightening the tummy is Abdominoplasty, and abdominoplasty literally means abdomen changing. In cases where there is a lot of extra skin, the difference can be life changing, too.
When Diet and Exercise are not Enough!
After Weight Loss, the belly often does not spring back into its original shape. The fat will go away, but skin and the abdominal muscles remain loose and redundant. They are stretched by the excess fat and over time this over-stretching becomes permanent.
Loose Skin can remain unsightly, and lax muscle allows the abdominal contents to push the belly out. Both these problems rarely respond well to diet and exercise. Loose skin and Over-stretched Muscles cause unsightly bulges. Well after the excess pounds are lost, these continue to effect how we look and feel about our body, even in clothing.
Abdominoplasty Videos
In the Tummy Tuck Video below, I discuss the procedure, indications and recovery. The process is further illustrated with Tummy Tuck Before and After Pictures. More information about Tummy Tucks is available here on the San Francisco Plastic Surgery Blog by clicking on the Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) link under Categories in the column.
Tummy Tuck Video (Abdominoplasty)
Tummy Tucks Tighten Skin
The Tummy Tuck removes excess skin from the lower belly. Often, in the center of the abdomen, the skin from below the belt line to above the belly button is removed. Any stretch marks in this skin are also removed. The remaining skin from the upper abdomen is redraped over the entire abdomen. The result is vertical skin tightening and a flatter tummy.
Tummy Tucks Tighten Muscle
While the skin is elevated, the abdominal muscles are addressed. If they are lax, or if a separation (diastasis recti) is found between the muscles, it is repaired. The repair is like a corset running from the ribs to the pubic region, underneath the skin. You won’t see these reinforcing sutures, but you will see what they do to help flatten the abdominal wall – just another way that Abdominoplasty is a belly changer.
Tummy Tucks Remove Fat
The fat on the abdomen is usually not distributed evenly. There tends to be more fat on the lower abdomen. The good news is, when the skin of the lower belly is removed so is this fat. So if your loose skin has some hitchhiking disproportionate fat, they will both be removed with the Tummy Tuck.
Fat that extends to the sides, or is continuous with the love handles, can also be removed during your Abdominoplasty with Liposuction. Tummy Tucks can also be combined with Breast Augmentation as part of a Mommy Makeover.
Tummy Tuck Consultations
If you are considering a Tummy Tuck, give our San Francisco Bay Area Plastic Surgery office a call at (925) 943-6353 today, to schedule a private consultation.