If you’ve worked hard losing weight, or if you’re struggling to get rid of your “mommy tummy,” you may be hoping a tummy tuck will help you shed the pounds that have been bothering you.
Indeed, tummy tucks (abdominoplasty) are among the most commonly performed plastic surgery procedures and can help patients look and feel better. They’re also a must-have for Mommy Makeovers.
But what about weight loss? Can abdominoplasty be used to make those stubborn pounds finally disappear?
Today we discuss what your tummy tuck surgery options are, and whether abdominoplasty could be a tool in your weight loss arsenal.
What Does a Tummy Tuck Do?
To better understand whether a tummy tuck will result in weight loss, you’ll need to know exactly what the procedure can do for you.
Abdominoplasty is a surgical procedure that removes excess skin from the lower abdomen. This is done by excision (cutting away) of the tissue. In addition to this, excess subcutaneous fat will be taken.
But does that mean you’ll lose weight?
Weight Loss and Fat Loss Are Not Always the Same
One important thing to remember is that losing fat does not always equate to a significant drop on the scale.
Think about this: fat doesn’t weigh as much as other tissues (like muscle). In fact, one liter (a little under a quart) of fat weighs just about two pounds.
So after your abdominoplasty, you may not see as large a jump on the scale as you’d like. But that shouldn’t deter you. Fat removal is not the main reason plastic surgeons perform tummy tucks. A tummy tuck is actually meant to remove excess bulk and to flatten the tummy area.
You May Look Slimmer
Abdominoplasty may not mean much of a difference on the scale, but it can make you look slimmer.
That’s because of the reasons above: excess skin, which takes up bulk in your clothes and shows as hanging or extra skin when you’re in a bikini or underwear, is removed. This results in a more streamlined silhouette.
Other Benefits of Abdominoplasty
Instead of concentrating on weight loss (more on that below), you should look at your abdominoplasty as a way to look and feel better than you did before.
Benefits of abdominoplasty include:
- It may be easier to fit into your clothes
- You may look better in your clothes, including your swimsuit and underwear
- Your body may feel and look more like it did when you were younger, before an extreme weight loss, or after having children
- You may experience fewer physical issues, such as rashes that can occur under hanging skin
These are all great reasons for having your tummy tuck that have little to do with losing weight. Weight loss is its own issue that should be addressed separately.
Losing Weight Before Your Tummy Tuck Is Best
Most plastic surgeons agree that your best bet is to lose weight before your tummy tuck.
When you’re close to or at your ideal weight before your tummy tuck, the results may look more natural. If you plan to lose significant weight afterward, your body may look “unbalanced.”
Another problem with having a tummy tuck while you’re still overweight is that the risks of surgery increase with obesity. For this reason, many plastic surgeons will advise that you get close to a healthy weight before the procedure.
Are There Other Surgical Ways to Reduce Fat?
When you have skin removed from an area of your body, some bulk will be removed, too. But no plastic surgery procedure is an alternative to weight loss.
So what are your surgical options?
Liposuction is used to remove fat across the body. For this procedure, a sterile instrument called a cannula will be inserted through a small incision. The cannula is moved back and forth and fat is suctioned out of the body through a vacuum-like device attached to the tool.
Liposuction isn’t an alternative to weight loss either. However, it will remove stubborn fat that stays around even after diet and exercise. This results in a smoother, less bulky appearance.
Liposuction recovery can also be easier than more extensive forms of plastic surgery. That’s another reason so many people chose it. However, liposuction does not remove excess skin. Only a tummy tuck can do that.
The Bottom Line
Losing weight isn’t always easy. It can be all the more disappointing when weight loss results in sagging skin that won’t budge.
Abdominoplasty is an excellent surgical way to permanently remove hanging, sagging skin. So if you seek a tummy tuck, be sure you’re aware of the benefits you can get from having one, and don’t think of it as a weight loss tool.
Instead, remember that a tummy tuck will make you look smoother and can make you feel better than ever before. These reasons alone can make abdominoplasty worth it.