A nicely-contoured torso can boost your appearance and self-confidence whether you’re fully dressed or not so much. That’s why it’s so frustrating when you have areas of abdominal fat or loose, sagging skin that linger despite your efforts to exercise and watch your diet. Tummy tuck surgery can dramatically improve your figure or physique, but is it the right solution for you?

You Have Been Pregnant

Pregnancy and childbirth can change a woman’s body, as skin and muscles stretch to accommodate the growing baby and birthing process. Healthy skin is elastic, but like a balloon that has been inflated and then deflated, it may not contract fully after being stretched. Especially after multiple pregnancies. Muscles can also over-stretch or, in some cases, actually tear, and fail to regain their pre-pregnancy tautness.

So you may be left with a protruding belly, sagging loose skin and areas of fat and stretch marks – problems you cannot seem to correct on your own.

You’ve Got that Muffin Top

You still exercise, and you try to watch your weight, but let’s face it – your shape isn’t what it once was. Pockets of fat around your middle refuse to go away, and they’re causing your skin to sag. You can call them love handles, but you’d rather call them gone.

You Have the Stubborn Lower Abdomen Fat

You don’t have to be a parent to develop excess abdominal fat or loose skin. The aging process alone, or fluctuating weight, can cause sagging rolls of fat to develop below the navel. The slang acronym FUPA stands for Fatty Upper Pubic Area and it can be very difficult to get rid of.

Likewise, significant weight loss from a long-term diet program or bariatric surgery results in substantial loose skin and, typically, misplaced pockets of residual fat. This can be a serious hygiene problem or even medical issue as well as a cosmetic frustration. For this reason, tummy tuck is a key component of post-massive weight loss surgery.

So, What is a Tummy Tuck?

A tummy tuck restores more youthful, appealing contours by eliminating excess and skin and, if needed, repairing abdominal muscles. Our own Dr. Brady Harris typically uses liposuction during tummy tuck surgery to more effectively remove fat and more precisely contour the fat that remains. It is important to note that liposuction cannot remove visceral fat – the layer that lies underneath your muscles and wraps around your organs. Proper nutrition and exercise is really the only way to address this type of fat.

Nearly anytime Dr. Harris performs liposuction, he uses a 360° approach that incorporates nearby areas (flanks, back, etc.) to produce an all-around smoother, trimmer appearance.

Maybe You Don’t Need a Tummy Tuck

For some people, the problem of poochiness is all below the waist. In this case, Dr. Harris can perform a mini-tummy tuck. It’s still surgery, but in a more confined area and without the need to repair abdominal muscles, so it is faster and the scar is somewhat shorter.

We also offer minimally-invasive body contouring alternatives for patients whose concerns are not severe enough to warrant full tummy tuck surgery. For example, Renuvion Skin Tightening treatments can produce impressive results for patients who require skin tightening as well as fat reshaping. Even for patients who do undergo tummy tuck surgery, Dr. Harris may also perform this skin tightening treatment to ensure maximum results.

Seeing Signs? Let’s Have a Look

Whether you need a tummy tuck or a less-extensive solution, a personal consultation with Dr. Harris will give you a chance to explain your concerns and for him to examine your abdomen. Then you can explore your options to decide which approach to a more youthful figure or physique is best for you.