If you want to remove excess skin and fat to work towards a flatter stomach, tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) surgery may be the best choice for you. However, it can be difficult to know what to believe when it comes to cosmetic surgery.
Our highly experienced Consultant Plastic and Ophthalmic Surgeons deliver high quality results tailored to your needs and desired outcomes. Within our calm and discreet setting, we’ll discuss everything from your expectations to recovery time to ensure cosmetic surgery is the right choice for you.
Read on, as five common myths about tummy tuck surgery are debunked.
1. You can get tummy tuck results with diet and exercise
If you’ve had a child or weight loss after significant weight gain, your skin, abdominal wall or fascia (a thin casing of connective tissue that surrounds and holds everything in place), may have become too stretched.
In this instance, the only way to achieve your aesthetic goal of a tight, toned stomach is through surgery. However, eating a balanced, nutrition-filled diet is essential not only prior to your tummy tuck but also to maintaining your new, contoured tummy.
At Benenden Hospital, we offer expert advice through our Nutritional Therapy and Dietetics services if you need support with maintaining any of our cosmetic procedures.
Read more pre-tummy tuck advice in our ‘How to prepare for tummy tuck surgery’ guide.
2. Tummy tucks are a weight loss procedure
False! Tummy tucks aren’t a weight loss procedure. Instead, they define and sculpt your abdominal area by removing excess skin and fat.
This cosmetic procedure aims to tighten up your rectus muscles which tend to have a form of rectus dilation. This is where your muscles separate slightly and don’t go back together and is most often caused by pregnancy or extreme weight gain.
If you have any bulging after the muscles have been rejoined together, our cosmetic surgeons remove the skin fat and tissue from the belly button and below. This is for a standard full abdominoplasty. Depending on the length of your scar, it can help to take away any fullness from the flanks — or you can have liposuction to help with this.
3. Tummy tucks are only for women
Women have always been the main target audience for cosmetic procedures, partly due to societal pressures, but also due to the significant changes a woman’s body goes through during pregnancy, weight fluctuation and menopause. However, many men are now opting for cosmetic procedures such as a tummy tuck.
The reason for this is likely that men are more open with talking about how they feel, and lots of modern men understand that feeling their best can have many positive effects on their life.
Tummy tucks aren’t just for women, but it is important to note the difference in how the procedure is carried out for men. Men have thicker skin than women and the fat is distributed in the body differently. For example, for men, fat tends to cluster in different areas – typically around the midsection.
Men and women have different goals when it comes to the appearance of the tummy. Men may prefer to have a more athletic, masculine aesthetic that highlights the ‘V’ shape which leads down to the pelvis. Whereas women tend to seek a more toned, contoured abdomen – a result which gives them a pre-pregnancy or weight loss-like outcome.
4. Tummy tuck causes major scarring
Before having any cosmetic procedure, it’s important to be realistic about the outcome. You won’t see results straight away as you’ll experience swelling and your scar will be very visible. Read our ‘What to expect after tummy tuck surgery’ article , to learn about the symptoms you’ll experience at each stage of your recovery.
Tummy tuck surgery does not cause major scarring. Instead, it usually results in a thin scar running across your bikini line which can be hidden beneath underwear.
If you follow your Consultant Cosmetic Surgeon’s advice for scar aftercare, your scar should heal efficiently, and over time, the red, swollen appearance will disappear to a faint line.
5. Tummy tuck and liposuction are interchangeable
Tummy tuck surgery and liposuction are not the same! With a tummy tuck, you’ll be put to sleep under general anaesthetic and will only need to have this surgery once. Whereas liposuction, a fat removal procedure, does not remove excess skin — and you are not required to be put to sleep. It’s also common for liposuction patients to have the procedure multiple times.
The recovery times for both procedures differ immensely. Recovery from liposuction takes up to three months, whereas recovering from tummy tuck surgery can take up to a year. Both of these recovery times include the time for any scarring to fully heal so final results can be seen.
Some patients may choose to have a tummy tuck combined with liposuction to merge the two recovery times and prevent having to take separate time off work.
Book your initial cosmetic surgery consultation
After reading our myth-busting article, are you ready to speak to one of our leading Cosmetic and Plastic Surgeons? If you want a tight, toned tummy with abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) surgery, look no further! Our dedicated specialised cosmetic nurses, who will see you through your patient journey pre- and post-tummy tuck surgery, are available for any questions that you might have.
Book your consultation today through our online booking tool or by contacting our Private Patient Team via Livechat or on 01580 363158.
Published on 10 September 2024