Whether you are trying to fit in a dress for a wedding or wanting to shine in a bikini, many women are interested in shrinking their stomach in time for summer. The abdomen is one of the most challenging areas to keep toned and sculpted. Poor diets, stress, pregnancy, and aging affect your stomach in ways that they do not affect the other regions of your body. And unfortunately, diet and exercise are not always enough to attain the slim and sculpted abdominal contour that you wish for. Fortunately, women have multiple cosmetic options for tightening and enhancing the appearance of their midsection.
Non-Surgical Versus Surgical Body Contouring
Body contouring is available through surgical and non-surgical means. While they both address excess, unwanted fat on the abdomen, they are not interchangeable, and each procedure may not be ideal for everyone.
Non-Surgical
CoolSculpting® is a non-surgical fat removal treatment that involves placing a device on the abdomen through which controlled cooling is delivered. Fat cells are notoriously sensitive to extreme temperatures, and this intense cold causes irreversible damage to the fat cells without disturbing the surrounding tissue. The targeted cells are then metabolized by the body naturally. Since CoolSculpting® freezes unwanted fat without necessitating incisions, there is no need for lengthy downtime. While this revolutionary treatment creates noticeable results, it is best for patients who are close to their ideal weight and have a minimal amount of excess fatty tissue. CoolSculpting® is not approved for larger areas and cannot tighten loose skin.
Surgical
While non-surgical options are ideal for individuals with small pockets of fat, patients with more significant fat deposits or those that also suffer from loose skin or separated abdominal muscles are better off undergoing surgery. While surgery does come with higher risks than a non-surgical procedure, it also offers a far greater reward. Liposuction, tummy tuck surgery, or a combination of both is performed on patients looking to overhaul the appearance of their abdomen.
- Liposuction involves creating small incisions near the target area and removing unwanted fat using thin, hollow cannulas and suction. Liposuction can treat far more significant fat pockets than CoolSculpting®; however, it is still unable to treat abdominal skin or muscle laxity.
- Tummy tuck surgery is the only option for post-pregnancy or weight loss patients that have loose skin and stretched or separated abdominal muscles. A tummy tuck involves placing a horizontal incision below the bikini line through which the muscles are tightened and repaired, and the excess skin is trimmed away. Tummy tuck surgery can be performed alone or in combination with liposuction to attain the most exceptional level of results.
If you are interested in sculpting your stomach contact PREMIERE Center for Cosmetic Surgery today by calling (813)400-1465 or by filling out our online contact form.