When it comes to cosmetic surgeries, a lot of people are often confused as to what a surgery does and how it can help them. While many people have heard of procedures that reduce their stomach, there are a lot of misconceptions about the actual surgery.
People frequently confuse a tummy tuck with liposuction, or other surgeries that reduce an individual’s body fat. A tummy tuck doesn’t actually have a significant impact on a patient’s weight. Instead, it works to add definition to a stomach that has loose or uneven skin. A tummy tuck is the right procedure for you if you’re looking to change the shape of your abdomen and have a leaner, more sculpted look without unsightly lumps and bumps.
What a Tummy Tuck Can Do
Large amounts of weight loss, such as after dieting or recovering from a pregnancy, are among the most common reasons that people look into getting a tummy tuck done. After losing a significant amount of weight, the skin around the stomach can be saggy and affect the abdomen’s contouring. While some medicines and exercises can provide mild restoration to the stomach’s figure, a tummy tuck is the only way to reliably shape and remove excess skin.
What a Tummy Tuck Cannot Do
While a tummy tuck can be a great way to restore your confidence in your body after losing a lot of weight or recovering from a pregnancy, it is not able to fix all stomach related issues. For example, a tummy tuck is not a proper treatment for weight loss. Abdominoplasty doesn’t modify much of the body’s fat but deals instead with excess skin. The surgery also cannot remove stretch marks or other beauty marks. However, these unattractive marks on the skin can be improved if they are located in areas with excess skin.
Preparing for a Tummy Tuck
Another common misconception about a tummy tuck is the pre-operative work that is needed in order to ensure the surgery goes smoothly. Like all cosmetic surgeries, there are a lot of precautions that you need to take in order to make sure you heal properly after the procedure. Most practices will give you a list of steps that you need to take to help get the best results, yet most people ignore them. The recommendations exist for a reason: following them will help you get the results you wanted, which may not happen if you ignore the guidelines. Quitting smoking and avoiding blood thinners are the most important actions to take, but your surgeon can provide you with a more personalized list that should be followed.
Recovering from a Tummy Tuck
Unlike other cosmetic surgeries that only require a few days for recovery time, resting after a tummy tuck is a long process. Due to the large amount of invasive work that the surgery involves, it is a good idea to plan to take 2 to 6 weeks off of work in order to properly recover. During this period it is also a good idea to minimize movement and avoid heavy lifting, as these activities can cause the stitching to tear and cause pain and imperfections.
Dr. Bernard Beldholm is an experienced cosmetic surgeon in Hunter Valley area. It is the combination of Dr. Bernard Beldholm’s commitment to continual improvement of his craft and his insatiable thirst for knowledge that has him currently standing as one of the most well-educated cosmetic surgery specialists on the continent.
