Worried about sagging skin on your abdomen or invisible ab muscles? A tummy tuck could be the right procedure to help you feel better about your appearance.
Here’s what you need to know…
What a tummy tuck is for
Tummy tuck is a plastic surgery that is medically known as abdominoplasty. The procedure involves removing excess skin and fat from the abdomen, allowing individuals to regain a flatter, smoother tummy. The goal of the surgery is to reverse the appearance of skin that is sagging because of age, previous pregnancy, or weight loss.
Additionally, the procedure can help to repair abdominal muscles that have been weakened and separated by pregnancy or weight gain.
This procedure works for both men and women.
The important thing to understand is that abdominoplasty is not a weight loss surgery. It is a cosmetic procedure to help improve the shape of your body after weight loss. Given that information, it is suggested that you lose any weight you want to lose first, before the procedure.
When to get a tummy tuck
A tummy tuck is a beneficial option for women whose abdominal muscles have been stretched by childbirth. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to gain the appearance of tight, flat abdominals once those muscles have been stretched and separated.
The abdominal muscles can also become separated in either men or women who have gained a large amount of weight.
Abdominal exercises are certainly a great way to help improve your muscle and skin tone. But for those whose bodies have experienced significant changes in weight, exercise alone cannot repair the abs. Also, loose skin from weight loss rarely contracts back to its previous, tighter state.
When you feel the need to remove excess skin from your tummy and tighten the abs, a tummy tuck surgery is often the most effective option.
Who should NOT get a tummy tuck
There are several reasons why a tummy tuck would not be the right procedure for you. If your motivation for getting the surgery performed is to lose weight or look thinner, then this is not the right procedure for you. There are other medical options for assisting weight loss and providing more significant body contouring, such as bariatric surgery or liposuction.
If you are currently attempting to lose weight, or expect to gain weight, then it is not the right time for you to get abdominoplasty. Weight changes will affect the results of the procedure. In fact, many surgeons who perform tummy tuck procedures suggest that you address weight issues before attempting to correct cosmetics, like excess skin.
And of course, if you are currently pregnant or planning to get pregnant, then you should not seek a tummy tuck at this time. Ideally, you should be done with all planned pregnancies before scheduling an abdominoplasty consultation.
If you have health issues that would make involuntary medical procedures especially risky for you, then you should check with your physician before planning a tummy tuck.
After making sure that you fit the criteria for being a candidate for abdominoplasty, you can start by scheduling a consultation with a plastic surgeon who specializes in tummy tucks.
