Pregnancy and Childbirth
It goes without saying that the abdomen will be the most affected area of your body after pregnancy and childbirth. Your skin stretches and then retracts very quickly, and the elasticity in your skin cannot always adapt to these changes. Your abdominal muscles may experience laxity after childbirth that won’t repair on their own. And you will find that pockets of fat develop in places you didn’t even know existed, pockets that are resistant to diet and exercise. Tummy tuck surgery after pregnancy can provide both physical and emotional benefits in allowing your body to return to its pre-baby form. It is this reason that tummy tuck surgery is at the core of all Mommy Makeover procedures, a procedure that also involves lifting and enhancing the breasts.
After Weight Loss
When you lose a significant amount of weight, your skin does not bounce back the way you would like, and unfortunately, this excess skin can hide the physical transformation you’ve worked so hard to achieve. This excess skin is not only unsightly, but it can cause skin irritations and hinder your ability to perform exercises to maintain your weight loss. Tummy tuck surgery allows your hard work to show in the way of a new, svelte figure. While a tummy tuck should never be used as a weight loss program, it might be able to help you eliminate those last few trouble spots.
Aged Physique
Just as your body changes with pregnancy and weight loss, aging alone can be the catalyst in desiring a tummy tuck. As you age, your skin loses its collagen and elasticity, making it more difficult to maintain a trim midsection. Candidates for tummy tuck surgery should have age-related skin and muscle laxity.
When You’re Not a Candidate. . .
While tummy tuck surgery is beneficial to many aging men and women, this procedure may not be ideal for everyone. One of the concerns that often lead patients to consider tummy tuck surgery is stubborn pockets of fat in the abdomen. Pockets of fat shouldn’t be the deciding factor for tummy tuck surgery; it should be the deciding factor for liposuction. During traditional tummy tuck surgery, liposuction is used to help contour and sculpt the abdomen in addition to removing excess skin and tightening lax abdominal muscles. If your primary concern is excess fat, but you don’t have excess skin or underlying loose muscles, liposuction may be a better option for you. It is less invasive and can be tailored to fit your needs. If your skin doesn’t require a tummy tuck, why put your body through the recovery process?
For either tummy tuck or liposuction, there are additional requirements. All candidates should have realistic expectations about their results, be in good general health, and stop smoking. If you fall into this category, there is little doubt that you will be happy with your decision and cosmetic surgery results for years to come.
