One of the most challenging areas to lose weight in the body is the stomach area. You desire slim and toned abs that are flat, flat, flat as a board, ideally speaking. Yet, no matter how many crunches, sit-ups, and ab workouts you do, sometimes that little tummy pooch doesn’t go away. How annoying is that? It doesn’t have to stay that flabby way if you know the right cosmetic surgeon, like Dr. Steven Cyr, of Cyr MD Cosmetic Surgery. That is why many doctors will recommend a tummy tuck to solve belly fat and loose skin. So let’s look at when is a tummy tuck recommended and the differences between a regular and a mini tummy tuck.
The Candidates for a Tummy Tuck
Many people who have lost weight, had children, or find that with age they have some excess flab in the tummy area or even just loose skin, making it seem less than flat. You may want to wear a figure-flattering dress, a skimpy bikini, tight shorts, or a body-hugging top and you know that clothes do not look right with extra belly fat. Looking in the mirror sideways, you are probably unhappy with what you see. Self-consciousness about your body is hard to let go of.
This can also be the case after a pregnancy or multiple ones where the body doesn’t bounce back to a flat stomach area. The muscles in the stomach area get separated from the abdominal wall, so they are weaker and in need of repair after everything your body has gone through.
All this trauma the stomach area has endured is impossible to correct with just exercise alone. Sad, but true. You can spend hours and hours in the gym every day and still not have a completely flat and toned abdomen. That’s when it’s time to consider either a mini tummy tuck or a full tummy tuck.
The Differences Between a Regular and Mini Tummy Tuck
The tummy tuck is medically called an abdominoplasty. A doctor recommends a regular or “full” tummy tuck if there is enough excess skin and muscle separation in the stomach area. The full tummy tuck eliminates the excess skin that is below and above the belly button. It’s a complete procedure for the person who needs extra work in that area to make it flat and firm.
A mini tummy tuck works for someone who still has good muscle tone and only a little bit of extra fat in the lower abdominal area. The upper ab muscles wouldn’t need any work at all. The mini tummy tuck is only focused on the excess skin or fat below the belly button.
Recovery Time Varies Between the two Procedures
It makes sense that the recovery time is shorter for a mini tummy tuck versus a full one. The scars are more minor too. If you combine your tummy tuck with VASER liposuction, recovery is extended but it is the ideal time to do both procedures. Either way, once Dr. Cyr considers your health history and does a full-body exam, he will recommend whether a mini or full tummy tuck is best for your body and goals for how you ideally want to look and tell you what to expect by way of downtime.
A Note on Back Problems and a Tummy Tuck
There are some cases where the extra belly fat is causing back pain. For those people, a full tummy tuck can help repair the stomach muscles, which in turn helps with posture and pain in the lower back. Since Dr. Cyr is the first and only orthopedic and cosmetic surgeon, he’s qualified to make that recommendation to you.
What’s Next?
So now that you know the details about how abdominoplasty can improve your body and when a tummy tuck is recommended, it’s time to make a consultation appointment and get that flat stomach with a tummy tuck from Dr. Cyr that you desire. Fill out our contact form here to take your next step or better yet, call today! 1 (833) CHISEL U | (833-244-7358).
