Advice needed – Tummy Tuck after weight loss
Tummy Tuck question:
Hi there, I am thinking of having a tummy tuck and would like some advice please.
I lost 3 stone as a teen and was left with excess skin and fat around my abdomen. I exercise and have a healthy diet. I do not require muscle repair or lipo to the area. It mostly displeases me when I bend or am sat down.
I have been to many surgeons, and would like an opinion on this operation as a day case local anaesthetic with sedation as well as what I could really expect with regards to the scar and recovery, as I am often told the scar will end up being a very faint stretch mark-style scar.
As well as being able to resume full exercise activities after six weeks, I’ve also been told I would be able to move/walk freely after one week. Any advice would be appreciated. Many thanks.
Tummy Tuck answer:
Thank you very much for your enquiry. Unfortunately when you do lose weight, particularly as a teenager, sometimes the skin does not contract normally. The excess skin will remain even with exercise and weight loss. Exercise tones up the muscles underneath the skin and weight loss can in fact make the skin slightly looser because it is less full.
There are lots of options to reduce this skin, including mini tummy tucks, and this would be an option for you. The downside of a tummy tuck is that it does involve a scar around the lower part of the tummy which stretches from hip to hip, which would not be ideal.
There are other types of treatment which I think are suitable for lesser skin excesses such as yours, which are essentially skin tightening exercises. These use radio frequency energy to tighten up the skin and minimise scars. I think this would certainly be an option for you, and if you let us know where you live we should be able to recommend a practitioner who specialises in this type of treatment in the area near you.
Alternatively, if you look at the AesthetiCare website, you may be able to find a practitioner who specialises in this treatment. Many thanks for your enquiry. We wish you the best of luck if you decide to go ahead with treatment.