While you might have an active, healthy lifestyle, it can still be hard to shift those stubborn pockets of fat.
A tummy tuck, also known as an ‘abdominoplasty,’ can be a great way to get rid of loose or excess skin and fat on your abdomen. Although all bodies are different, but you might be surprised to find out that there are different kinds of tummy tuck procedures that can be used to correct all kinds of tummies.
Here are some of the most common types of tummy, and the techniques our surgeons can use to smooth and flatten your profile.
Post-pregnancy
Also known as the ‘mummy tummy’, this kind of tummy will usually fall low, below your waistline. It’s caused by the stretching and relaxing of the rectus abdominis muscles (aka the ‘six-pack’ muscles), and the connective tissue holding them together.
A post-pregnancy tummy can be addressed with a mini tummy tuck or a full tummy tuck, tightening the loose skin and underlying muscles.
Post-weight loss
If you’ve recently lost a lot of weight, you might have been left with excess skin on your abdomen. This happens when you lose the fat that stretched the skin out and weakened its elasticity.
A full tummy tuck can be used to tighten the abdominal muscles and remove the excess skin caused by your weight loss. An extended tummy tuck, or alternatively a ‘fleur de lis’ tummy tuck, might also be options if you’ve lost a significant amount of weight.
Hormonal
A hormonal tummy is excess fat around the abdomen which is caused by the production of certain hormones. Menopause, for example, can cause weight gain around the tummy.
A full tummy tuck is a great option for reducing the hormonal belly, removing excess fat and tightening the skin and muscles.
Types of tummy tuck
Mini tummy tuck
In this procedure, your surgeon will make a small incision close to your bikini line, leaving a small scar that can be easily hidden. A mini tummy tuck can remove excess fat and skin from the lower abdomen, as well as tightening the underlying muscles.
Full tummy tuck
This is the most common type of abdominoplasty, addressing excess fat and skin on both the upper and lower parts of the stomach. In this procedure, your surgeon will remove surplus fat from both your upper and lower abdomen, pulling the remaining skin together tightly. You’ll be left with two scars, which will fade over time.
Extended tummy tuck
This procedure is similar to the full tummy tuck, but is more suited to those who have lost a significant amount of weight. The incisions extend around the back, allowing for more excess skin and fat to be removed.
Fleur de Lis tummy tuck
The Fleur de Lis tummy tuck is very similar to the full tummy tuck, as it removes skin and fat from the upper and lower abdomen. The difference is that this technique removes skin from across the abdomen, too. There will be an extra scar down the abdomen, which will fade over time.