If you have loose skin that adds excess bulk to your midsection, you may be interested in abdominoplasty. Better known as tummy tuck, this surgery is a popular and effective way to create a firmer, flatter stomach. Dr. Jonathan McCue, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Minnesota, performs this surgery frequently. In this blog, he discusses the times patients are most likely to request tummy tuck.
Following a Pregnancy
Pregnancy causes your belly to expand significantly, which means that the skin surrounding your midsection must stretch to accommodate this fluctuation. After having your baby and losing the baby weight, your stomach will shrink, but the surrounding skin may remain stretched out. Abdominoplasty is a surgery that can make your skin fit snuggly around your trimmer, post-pregnancy contours.
However, if you plan to have more children, Dr. McCue suggests waiting until your family is complete to have tummy tuck. That is because your skin will stretch again with another pregnancy, so you might as well wait to have tummy tuck so that you can enjoy your results long term.
After Losing a Significant Amount of Weight
Although getting healthy is a great way to lose weight, there is no guarantee that your body will look as toned as you would like. That is because while dieting and exercise reduce fat, they do not change your skin. Thus, if your skin is not as elastic as it used to be, the skin that stretched over your previously larger contours may sag after weight loss. Plastic surgery is the most practical way to eliminate excess skin so you can better show off the contours you worked so hard to achieve.
Around Middle Age
By the time you reach your late 30s, you are liable to notice some skin laxity developing in areas around your body. This occurs because your natural production of collagen and elastin — two proteins responsible for keeping your skin firm and tight — gradually slows with age. Even if you have maintained a steady weight throughout your life, you may start to notice your skin start to droop. Fortunately, tummy tuck can reverse these effects of aging by pulling the skin taut for long-lasting firmness.
Meet with a Leading Surgeon
While many decide to undergo tummy tuck around the time of the abovementioned milestones, what matters more than the timing is whether cosmetic surgery feels right for you. To learn more about this procedure and confirm whether you are a good candidate for tummy tuck, request a consultation at McCue Plastic Surgery by calling (952) 830-0089.
