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You’re closer to your ideal weight after practicing healthy eating and exercise habits, but you’re still unhappy with the appearance of your abdomen. You might be frustrated that your belly is still flabbier than you’d like it to be, that it retains a bulge you can’t flatten, or that loose, sagging skin makes you embarrassed to show your midriff. You’re considering treatment to take you that last step to a firm, flat, trim midsection, but you’re not sure which to choose.

In this article, we’ll explain your treatment options and help guide you to the best choice, based on your goals.

It’s Your Body, Your Priorities, and Your Choice

Every body is different and responds in different ways to aging, weight changes, and pregnancy. And every individual has different priorities in life — not just about how they look, but how much time they can take for treatment and how quickly they’d like to see results. Here are the key factors to consider as you weigh your treatment options:

• Your body. Different cosmetic treatments correct different sets of body problems. If your main problem is with pockets of diet- and exercise-resistant fat and your skin is resilient and your abdominal muscles tight, then less-invasive treatment may be your answer. If your skin and muscles have stretched beyond the point where they are able to spring back, surgery may be a better choice.
• Your schedule. Different treatments have different timelines. Noninvasive treatments take longer to produce results but don’t involve downtime. Surgical procedures produce final results as soon as you heal from the procedure but require downtime for recovery.
• Your goals. Will you be happy with a modest, incremental improvement? Or do you want a more dramatic transformation?

Tummy tuck

A tummy tuck is surgery to tighten loose skin, repair weakened and separated abdominal muscles, and remove excess fat. It’s major surgery, but it’s the most transformative of the procedures to repair a flabby, bulging belly. With a tummy tuck, you’ll get a firm, flat, smooth abdomen and a slimmer waistline. If you have loose, sagging skin on your stomach and your belly bulge is from muscles that no longer hold your midsection flat, a tummy tuck is the only procedure that can restore a youthful appearance.

While a tummy tuck can work wonders to improve your appearance, it does require downtime for recovery. Most patients take at least two weeks off from work, and it can take several more weeks before they feel completely back to normal. For a sense of the results you can expect from a tummy tuck, view our before-and-after photo gallery.

Liposuction

Liposuction is a minimally invasive procedure to remove pockets of excess fat. It’s a body-contouring procedure, not an overall weight-loss treatment, as it targets specific areas of diet- and exercise-resistant fat. In liposuction, a thin tube, or cannula, is inserted through small incisions and used to break up and remove fat deposits. The fat cells removed in liposuction are gone forever and they won’t grow back. If you gain weight after treatment, the remaining fat cells will increase in size, but there are fewer of them in the treated area, so your stomach will remain proportionally slimmer. Liposuction does not work to tighten loose skin or repair weakened abdominal muscles.

Most patients need a few days to a week of downtime after liposuction and may have some short-term swelling and bruising. The slimming effects are visible immediately, and final results appear after about three weeks. You can see examples of these results in our before-and-after photo gallery.

CoolScultping

CoolSculpting is a remarkable new treatment that uses precisely controlled cold temperatures to destroy fat cells where excess fat lingers in pinchable bulges. The technology uses a cooling device that surrounds the area to be treated, chilling the fat to the point where it is damaged, without hurting skin, muscle, and other surrounding tissue. In the weeks following treatment, these damaged fat cells are naturally processed out of the body as waste.

You’ll have no downtime after a CoolSculpting session. You can walk out of treatment and go straight back to work or resume your normal activities. Final results appear about three months after treatment, and it can take more than one session to achieve optimal results.

Learn More About Abdominal Treatments in Beverly Hills

Dr. David Kim and Dr. Eugene Kim at Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery have developed an impeccable reputation for stunning, natural-looking cosmetic treatment and plastic surgery results, attracting patients from all over the world. Contact our practice today at (310) 746-5475 or send an online request to schedule a consultation and a recommendation on the abdominal treatment — or treatments — best suited to your needs. For many patients, a combination of procedures is the ideal solution.

If you’ve committed to losing weight this year, that’s great!

We recommend a slow and steady approach of shifting to healthier foods that you enjoy, in smaller portions, paired with a regular and sustainable routine of increased physical activity. The combination of fewer calories in and more calories burned, accomplished by adopting a set of habits that become second nature to you, can be the key to losing weight and keeping it off. Beyond that, it’s all about what works for you.

But have you thought about what you’ll do after you lose the weight?

Body Contouring

If you’re lucky, your weight will come off in all the right places and you’ll be delighted with your slimmer body contours. But weight loss doesn’t always work that way. Many people are left with stubborn pockets of fat that are resistant to diet and exercise. Those might be around your waist, on your arms or thighs, or under your chin. Wherever the last bulges of fat persist, there are ways to get rid of them without going to extremes in dieting or at the gym.

Once you’re close to your weight goal — within about 10 or 15 pounds of your ideal weight — you might think about a body-contouring procedure to put the finishing touches on your self-improvement efforts. These procedures reduce unwanted pockets of fat on specific areas of your body in ways that eliminate those fat cells forever. They aren’t weight-loss treatments, but they make great complements to weight loss through healthy eating and exercise.

• CoolSculpting eliminates pinchable areas of excess fat by chilling it to low temperatures. The cooling damages the fat cells while the skin, muscle, and connective tissue are unaffected. In the weeks following treatment, the damaged fat cells are naturally processed out of your body for a long-lasting slimming effect.
• Liposuction uses small incisions to extract unwanted bulges of fat through a suction tube, or cannula. Once the excess fat is removed, that part of your body will have fewer fat cells permanently. Liposuction can remove fat from many parts of the body, including the abdomen, hips, thighs, upper arms, and chin.
• A tummy tuck goes even further in flattening and toning your midsection. The surgery removes excess skin that may sag and droop after weight loss. The procedure can also tighten and reconnect abdominal muscles to restore a firm, flat belly.

Breast Surgery

Weight loss can sometimes affect a woman’s breasts in ways that are less than desirable. Stretched breast skin can sag when the fat is gone, or your breasts can lose more volume than you would prefer.

• A breast lift corrects sagging breasts by removing excess skin and reshaping the breast to a rounder, more uplifted, and younger-looking form.
• Breast augmentation uses implants or fat transfer to increase breast volume, shape, and projection.

Mommy Makeover

A mommy makeover combines procedures—typically a tummy tuck, breast surgery, and liposuction—to restore a more attractive, younger-looking figure. A mommy makeover can provide the finishing transformation after successful weight loss to give you the body you want.

Facial Rejuvenation

As you get your body in beautiful shape, you might consider treatments to make your face look younger, too. You have many options for facial rejuvenation, including:

• Facial fillers to soften lines and wrinkles, add volume to hollowed areas, or plump your lips
• Botox to smooth lines and creases caused by repeated facial expressions
• A facelift to correct loose, saggy skin, eliminate facial wrinkles, get rid of jowls, and restore a well-defined jawline

Learn More About Body Contouring and Other Rejuvenating Treatments in Beverly Hills

Find out more about the possibilities of cosmetic treatment in a personal consultation. Dr. David Kim and Dr. Eugene Kim at Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery have developed an impeccable reputation for stunning, natural-looking cosmetic treatment and plastic surgery results, attracting patients from all over the world. Contact our practice today at (310) 746-5475 or send an online request to schedule an appointment.

A tummy tuck flattens and firms your abdomen, removing excess skin that has stretched and sagged, and tightening and reconnecting loose and separated abdominal muscles. It’s common to add liposuction to a tummy tuck for an even greater slimming effect. Here’s an explanation of how the two procedures work together and why you might consider combining them.

What’s the Difference Between a Tummy Tuck and Liposuction?

A tummy tuck and liposuction are both body contouring procedures, designed to trim and flatten areas of your body when you are close to your ideal weight. But the two procedures are quite different from each other.

A tummy tuck is a surgical procedure to remove excess skin from the abdomen. It often includes steps to tighten and reconnect the abdominal muscles if they have stretched or separated as a result of pregnancy or significant weight changes. The result is a firmer, flatter belly and a tightening of the waist. A surgeon can also trim excess fat as part of a tummy tuck, but only in the immediate surgical area, which is the center of the abdomen.

Liposuction uses a suction tube, called a cannula, inserted through small incisions, to remove pockets of fat that resist slimming with diet and exercise. It’s possible to use liposuction almost anywhere on the body where unwanted fat accumulates, including the belly, waist, back, thighs, arms, and under the chin. Liposuction does not tighten loose skin or restore firmness to stretched and weakened muscles.

Why You Might Consider Adding Liposuction to a Tummy Tuck

If your problem is with loose skin and weakened abdominal muscles, and you don’t have excess fat on your belly or around your waist, a tummy tuck alone is probably what you need. And if your problem is with stubborn abdominal fat, and your belly skin and muscles are tight and resilient, liposuction alone might be a good solution.

However, if your concerns include loose abdominal skin, a bulging belly from weakened muscles, and excess fat on your belly and around your waist, a combination of the two procedures – called a lipoabdominoplasty – may be your best choice.

Here are some benefits of combining the two procedures.

• One surgery, one recovery: Both procedures involve surgery, and both require downtime for recovery. By combining them, you’ll need to schedule a single surgery, and you’ll only have one recovery period. Recovery from a tummy tuck with liposuction is usually similar to recovery from a tummy tuck alone.
• Cost-effective: It’s less expensive to have a tummy tuck and liposuction as a combined procedure than it is to have them separately. For example, you’ll have a single charge for anesthesia, and there can be other efficiencies in doing both procedures at the same time. Of course, cost shouldn’t be the driving factor in your decision. You should pay more attention to choosing a skilled surgeon with a track record of excellent outcomes. But plastic surgery can be a big investment, and you want to spend your money wisely.
• Better results: Combining a tummy tuck with liposuction can give you better body-contouring results than either procedure on its own. You’ll get the skin-tightening and muscle-toning effects of the tummy tuck, with a flatter, firmer abdomen. And liposuction can trim excess fat from your waist and areas beyond the reach of tummy tuck surgery.
• Contour more than one area: Your surgeon may be able to combine a tummy tuck with liposuction on another part of your body — your thighs or hips, for example — for more comprehensive body contouring.

Learn More About Body Contouring in Beverly Hills

Dr. David Kim and Dr. Eugene Kim at Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery have developed an impeccable reputation for stunning, natural-looking cosmetic treatment and plastic surgery results, attracting patients from all over the world. Contact our practice today at (310) 746-5475 or send an online request to schedule a consultation.

A tummy tuck can work wonders in transforming your midsection. The procedure removes excess skin and fat and tightens your abdominal muscles for a smooth, flat, youthful look. But it’s a major surgical intervention and requires time for recovery. That includes plenty of rest and some special steps for healthy sleep.

Why Elevated Sleep is Important After a Tummy Tuck

As with any plastic surgery procedure, you will experience some swelling in the treated area in the days after surgery. Sleeping in a gently propped-up position helps drain the area and reduce swelling while your body heals.

With a tummy tuck, there’s an added need to keep the abdomen from stretching during the early stages of healing, which can pull at the incisions. We’ll instruct you to sleep with a slight bend at your hips and your knees as if you are reclining in a beach chair. This position lets the tissue recover and helps minimize discomfort.

How to Sleep Comfortably in a Raised Position

There are two main ways to prop yourself up for elevated sleep after a tummy tuck: using pillows on your bed or sleeping in a recliner.

A basic arrangement on your bed might include two or more pillows under your head and upper torso, one to lift your knees, and one under each arm. The goal is to have the pillows support a flex at your waist, not just raise your head and shoulders. It’s a good idea to experiment with the pillow arrangement before your surgery and practice sleeping in this elevated position. That way, you’ll have the needed pillows on hand when you come home from the surgery, and it will be a familiar and comfortable sleeping position to you.

You may want to buy a wedge pillow. This specially shaped cushion raises your upper body and is less likely to move while you sleep. If you find your normal pillows too thin to lift your knees, you might try a bolster, such as those used for yoga.

If you have a recliner, that can be an even better option for sleep after your tummy tuck. Most recliners are adjustable to support your back and your legs at different angles. And, a recliner provides support on both sides, so you are less likely to move out of position during sleep. Some recliners also tilt forward to help you get up after sleep.

How Long to Sleep Elevated After Your Tummy Tuck

How long you’ll need to sleep in this reclined position will depend on the type of tummy tuck surgery you have. Your surgeon will advise you as part of your recovery care plan. After a mini tummy tuck, you’ll need to sleep in an elevated position for a least a week and possibly for two or three weeks. After a full tummy tuck, you should expect to sleep with your upper body raised for at least two weeks and up to four to six weeks.

In addition to following the advice of your surgeon as to the timing, listen to your body. Until it’s comfortable to straighten your torso, it will likely be painful to lie flat on your back or your stomach. If you are naturally a side sleeper and have trouble adjusting to propped-up sleep, your surgeon may advise you to try sleeping on your side, without extra pillows, once the swelling from the procedure has gone down.

Rest and sleep are crucial to your healing after surgery. Follow a regular bedtime routine, just as you normally would, to get your body into a healthy sleep cycle. Wearing compression garments at all times, even while you sleep, can ease discomfort, as can appropriate use of pain medication.

Learn More in a Personal Consultation

Dr. David Kim and Dr. Eugene Kim at Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery have developed an impeccable reputation for stunning, natural-looking plastic surgery results, attracting patients from all over the world. Contact our practice today at 310-746-5475 or send an online request to schedule a consultation.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the fifth most popular cosmetic procedure in the United States is the tummy tuck. The tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, is a popular procedure because it can help with a wide range of fairly common insecurities people have with their abdomens: skin laxity from weight changes, excess fat, and weak or separated muscles from carrying children, to name a few. Many patients who come to Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery for their consultations are familiar with the cosmetic benefits of a tummy tuck, but many are surprised when we tell them there are also some significant health benefits of this procedure.

If you’d like to discuss your tummy tuck with our plastic surgeons and a team of cosmetic surgery experts, please use our website to send us a message or call our practice at (310) 746-5475 to schedule your consultation. In this post, we’re only sharing a handful of the health benefits of a tummy tuck, but we love helping our patients understand how a tummy tuck can help them look and feel great while also improving their quality of life.

How a Tummy Tuck Can Be Good for Moms after Giving Birth

At Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery, we specialize in a treatment plan specifically for women who are done having children called the mommy makeover. A core part of this cosmetic surgery is a tummy tuck. In addition to helping moms look great and regain their confidence after the hard work of carrying children and the excruciating demands on their bodies during labor and childbirth, the tummy tuck part of the mommy makeover is also to help their bodies heal and regain function.

When a woman gives birth vaginally, it can cause a condition called stress urinary incontinence, often called SUI, which happens when muscles that surround your bladder are damaged and stretched out. During a tummy tuck, your plastic surgeon can help with this condition by altering soft tissue to obstruct the bladder. Most women who have this done during a tummy tuck don’t experience SUI afterward.

In addition to helping with SUI, an abdominoplasty can sometimes help moms who experience back pain after having children. For moms, a tummy tuck can not only help restore some of your body’s functions pre-childbirth, but it can also benefit your health by improving your body’s form.  A study published in 2018 followed the tummy tuck procedures and results of 214 women in Australia. It found that only 10 percent of them reported having back pain six weeks after the surgery, which was a 40 percent reduction from those who reported back pain before their tummy tuck.

After carrying children, your abdominal muscles will initially be distended and weak. A damaged core and more body weight are a recipe for disaster. Through gravity, your excess belly fat beings to pull your back inward, which is a major cause of chronic lower back pain. A tummy tuck can work to correct your posture and help your body’s core better support your spine.

Use Your Tummy Tuck to Start or Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle

Many of our patients at Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery choose to have a tummy tuck because they’re frustrated that they can’t seem to lose that last little pocket of belly fat. Many people exercise and diet almost to unhealthy extremes before realizing that sometimes genetics can be more powerful than their willpower and self-discipline. Although it should never be considered surgery for weight loss, a tummy tuck can help those who are close to their ideal weight finally achieve that perfectly contoured stomach they’ve worked their butts off for.

Many people also get tummy tucks to help with loose skin after losing a significant amount of weight, and science says a tummy tuck might help them keep the weight off. According to a study published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, many tummy tuck patients who had lost a lot of weight through bariatric surgery were more likely to keep their weight off if they combined it with a tummy tuck procedure. A tummy tuck can be a mental commitment to start a new healthy lifestyle, or it can be something that helps you keep maintaining one.

Let’s Discuss the Health Benefits of Your Tummy Tuck!

If you’d like to learn more about how a tummy tuck could help boost your confidence, restore your body after a pregnancy or multiple pregnancies, or help you in your quest to look great and be healthy, please contact us.

 

Schedule a Consultation with a Beverly Hills California Plastic Surgeon

For more information on the surgical and non-surgical procedures and treatments by Cosmetic Plastic Surgeons Dr. David Kim and Dr. Eugene Kim.  Click here to contact us today.

Serving Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Orange County, Southern California and surrounding areas.

Whether pregnancy or weight fluctuations have taken a toll on the appearance of your stomach, tummy tuck surgery is an effective method to regain your sleek, toned core.  If you are looking to hit the beach this summer with confidence, this procedure can help you sculpt the beach body you deserve. Here are five things to know about the tummy tuck:

• The tummy tuck is not a weight loss surgery, and ideal candidates are already close to their ideal weight.
• The procedure is commonly combined with liposuction.
• Surgery can take anywhere between 1 to 5 hours.
• You should take at least 2 weeks off from work for recovery.
• You should avoid strenuous activity for at least 6 weeks and will need to ease back into your exercise routines.

Want to learn more about what this procedure can do for your specific needs? Schedule a consultation with Dr. Kim.