After significant weight loss, pregnancy, or aging, many adults struggle with loose skin and stubborn body fat on their abdomen. These individuals turn to tummy tuck surgery to make long-term abdominal enhancements in many cases. However, many people ask questions in their consultation about the specific abdominal areas that can be sculpted during a tummy tuck procedure.
Generally, a tummy tuck could sculpt your entire upper and lower abdomen, but different people may require specific targeting. Since the procedure considers your specific cosmetic goals, the severity of skin laxity, and the amount of excess fat, a consultation with North Texas Plastic Surgery is the best way to get an accurate answer.
Where a Tummy Tuck Makes Cosmetic Enhancements
Primarily, areas of your body that a tummy tuck surgery can sculpt include the entire abdomen by removing loose skin and excess, stubborn fat from several possible places. Specifically, the areas that can be sculpted during a complete tummy tuck include the entire abdomen ranging from the upper rib cage to immediately above the pubic region. Alternatively, a mini tummy tuck focuses exclusively on the lower abdomen between the belly button and the pubic area.
In addition to the front of the abdomen, a plastic surgeon could sculpt the side of the abdomen and the waist, where adults typically develop “love handles.” Further, the surgery enhances the abdominal muscles by strengthening the connective fibers within them, especially if pregnancy has made them weak and separated.
When focusing on the lower abdomen, an abdominoplasty could reduce the appearance of stretch marks when trimming away excess skin in this area. In addition, for women with a C-section scar, the operation (which could even be included as part of a more comprehensive mommy makeover package) could place the incision right along the existing scar. Lastly, your experienced surgeon could change the belly button’s appearance by repositioning it on the abdomen and removing excess tissue to change an “outie” belly button.
How Tummy Tucks Enhance the Abdomen
A tummy tuck sculpts several areas using a combination of surgical removal and liposuction to minimize excess abdominal fat and skin. For instance, liposuction could remove fat from the front of the upper, mid, and lower abdomen in addition to the abdominal sides and waist.
Beyond just removing excess fat, it could sculpt most abdominal areas that carry loose skin that significantly sags. However, the removal of excess skin is typically localized between the mid-abdomen to the lower abdomen. Therefore, in most cases, patients need that excess skin trimmed from the lower and mid-abdominal areas, in addition to the waist.
To repair the abdominal muscles after pregnancy with a tummy tuck involves tightening the entire abdominal wall to strengthen the muscles for several medical benefits. These muscle repairs help patients strengthen and improve their abdominal muscle definition when they begin to exercise after they have fully recovered from the procedure.
Schedule a Consultation to Discuss Areas of Your Body That Can be Sculpted During a Tummy Tuck
The surgical approach for a tummy tuck depends on your cosmetic concerns, whether you need abdominal muscle repairs, and the areas with sagging skin. But for many patients, the areas that can be sculpted during a tummy tuck include any abdominal area between the top of the rib cage and the beginning of the pubic region. In some cases, it could extend the enhancements to the abdominal sides to include the waist.
Call to schedule a consultation if you want more details on what is possible during this procedure.