You have only to watch other women walking at the mall or down the street to realize that not all tummies are the same. Fat, thin, paunchy, saggy – as the years go by, particularly if you’ve been blessed with a child or two, the once taught skin that defined your smooth, youthful stomach morphs into something from a grade B horror film. Plastic surgeons are the special effects artists of the real world and tummy tucks are the tool they use to airbrush away the vagaries of time.
Just as there are different types of tummies and tummy problems, there are different types of cosmetic surgery techniques used to contour them.
- Tummy Tuck. Child bearing and weight changes can cause stomach muscles to lose their elasticity causing the abdomen to develop a protruding roundness that won’t flatten even with careful diet and exercise. Age can also cause unattractive protruding or sagging tummies. A full tummy tuck tightens abdominal muscles and removes excess skin from both the upper and lower abdomen including unsightly stretch marks.
- Mini Tummy Tuck. Mini tucks can be performed when outpouching is limited to the lower abdomen (below your belly button). A mini tummy tuck lightens muscles in the lower abdomen and removed excess skin.
- Liposuction Tummy Tuck. Particularly effective after pregnancy, a liposuction tummy tuck reshapes disproportionate curves, reducing unwanted fat deposits and lax skin in the belly area and along hips and waistline. A liposuction tummy tuck combines reshaping liposuction with a mini tummy tuck to remove sagging skin.
An experienced board-certified plastic surgeon can discuss your cosmetic surgery goals and recommend the type of tummy tuck that’s right for you.