Non Surgical Skin Tightening for the Tummy? Doctor Answers, Tips
Skin Tightening: Q&A
Ask a Question

Non Surgical Skin Tightening for the Tummy?

I am a mother of 4 children. I had my first child at the age of 16. I was told that because of my young age my skin stretched a lot, hence all the stretch marks. Ever since I have had a lot of loose skin in that area is there anything that I can do to tighten it without surgery???

Tags:
belly skin loose stretch marks female post-pregnancy
Comment on this
22 Doctor Answers | Asked by funnygirl509 in spokane
+4

Non Surgical Tummy Skin Tightening Usually Disappointing For Loose Skin and Stretch Marks

Thank you for your question. There are many non surgical skin tightening methods available including Thermage, LuxIR Deep, Titan, Ulthera and others. The best results of non surgical skin tightening of the Tummy are about 20% improvement. This can be helpful in younger patients who have a small amount of loose skin. However, from your description I would guess that there is significant loose skin on your abdomen and the stretch marks indicate significant skin damage. Most likely a... more
+4

Quick fixes are usually temporary

We offer radiofrequency treatments and various fractional and resurfacing lasers in our practice. These offer small benefits in tightening only on the abdomen. Many patients are quite pleased with these treatments in other areas such as the face, as long as they only expect small benefits. They are not pleased if they were expecting tummy tuck results. Problems around the belly button often require excision of skin, a belly button plasty, or a hernia repair with a belly button plasty,... more
+2

Skin Tightining Without Surgery: It Can Work if Applied Carefully and with Appropriate Expectations

+1 Noninvasive Skin Tightening Work! ..or Does It? Claims, Fact and Fiction The problem with noninvasive skin tightening is that everyone wants it and everyone wants to believe it works. The result is practitioners of all sorts capitalizing on this demand. The truth about skin tightening interventions is that almost all of them work AND NONE OF THEM WORK. What I mean by this is that there are many ways to convert energy into heat inside or below the skin causing... more
+2

No great solutions for non-surgical tummy tightening

Thanks for the question - Unfortunately there are no great solutions for the problems that you raise. These are extremely common problems after childbirth. There are several issues: Post-pregnancy abdomens commonly suffer from "rectus diastasis". This means that during your pregnancy the muscles that make up your six pack have actually separated and moved towards the sides of your abdomen. This causes your core to look significantly less tight. Unfortunately working out will... more
+2

Surgery is your best answer

While there are treatments that can give you mild skin tightening (ultrasound, laser, lipo etc), the degree of loose skin that you have sounds like you require a full abdominoplasty. Patients who have had several children and are now left with loose skin, benefit the most from having their muscles repaired and all of the skin between their belly button and their pubis resected and put in the trash can. The remaining skin is then elevated and sewn down at the level of your panty line. I... more
+2

Tummy tuck is likely the best option

Most women who have been pregnant not only have stretched loose skin and stretch marks but also laxity of the abdominal wall muscles-- simply put, nothing can correct this without an operation, and this muscle laxity is often the major issue. In addition, I would be very careful trusting any nonsurgical modality that promises to tighten your skin with stretch marks. I would ask to see LOTS of before and after photos and personally talk to patients who have had the procedure. Be careful... more
+2

Options limited so get several opinions

First, let me say that in general the question of how to tighten skin without surgery, especially when there are stretch marks, has not been truly solved. Many propose laser-assisted liposuction procedures with claims of skin tightening, but this is surgery and the concept of skin tightening with laser-lipo (for example, cool lipo) has not been objectively proven. What has been reported in the medical literature does not support claims that it is any better than liposuction using traditional... more
+1

Stretch mark treatment with lasers

Lasers can work to reduce stretch marks. In my LA office, we employ two different lasers for stretch mark treatment.
+1

"Skin tightening" quick-fix remedies do not solve the real problems of the post-pregnancy tummy!

"Skin tightening" procedures, namely laser-type therapies or injection treatments, do NOT address the underlying issue of a Mom's tummy after she has had multiple pregnancies: Excess skin and fat Stretch marks "Rectus diastasis" = separation of the muscles of the abdominal wall away from one another, creating loss of muscle tone and a bulge Only a surgical procedure, abdominoplasty (and/or liposuction in some cases), can address each of these... more
+1

Tummy tuck: the only real solution to loose abdominal skin

I agree with the other plastic surgeons who have responded. You are best off either doing nothing or doing a tummy tuck. Anything in between will probably lead to disappointment. The basic question is whether you are willing to accept a long lower abdominal scar as a trade for a tighter abdomen. If so, do a tummy tuck. If not, leave things alone.
+1

Skin tightening without surgery not a reality

If only unicorns were real. Skin cannot be tightened by: exercise improving the underlying muscles "toning" creams lasers massage Skin is like a bathing suit. Skin tone is like the elastic in the suit. When the elastic is gone, it is gone. The only way we have of tightening skin is to cut it out. Volume makes skin look better (ie fat under the skin), as it puffs out the skin. Hydration keeps skin better, though drinking lots of water doesn't go to the skin. I do see lasers... more
+1

Non-surgical skin tightening: still a fantasy

I have been extremely disappointed with the claims made by laser manufacturers, etc. when it comes to non-surgical skin tightening. While these may provide some benefit, the improvements typically result in only minimal or subtle changes.
+1

Non-surgical skin tightening does not work.

If a significant amount of skin is part of an aesthetic problem, the only way to solve that problem is to remove it surgically. Modest shrinkage of skin may occur with some non-operative techniques (laser for instance), but the amount is very limited-maybe 5% or so (nothing scientific has been published). Don't be ripped off by techniques that don't work I see about one patient a week who has wasted money on Thermage or something else that can never be expected to supplant surgery... more
+1

Sadly, nothing works for non-surgical tummy skin tightening

Hello, If your main problem is loose skin, you are looking at a tummy tuck if you want something that works. Non invasive options are really inadequate on the abdomen.
+1

Tummy Tuck = Only EFFECTIVE smoothing for Loose, Stretch Mark covered Tummy Skin after Pregnancy

While there are a LOT of proposed easy, magical treatments to smooth tummy skin such as yours, they are all bogus. None really work DESPITE their cost. Unfortunately, there is NO EFFECTIVE non-surgical treatment that would smooth the loose, stretch-mark abdominal skin created by pregnancy. If you are done having children, your BEST BET is to have an abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck) from a real Plastic surgeon (see www.PlasticSurgery.org). A Tummy tuck will smooth your tummy skin, remove all... more
+1

Non surgical skin tightening provide little benefit

To answer your question, NO. These non surgical skin tightening modalities offer little if any benefit for the $ spent and time required. The risk/benefir ratio is VERY bad. I recommend against these procedures. Best of Luck.
+1

Best way to fix loose skin with stretch marks

The best and most reliable way to smooth loose skin with stretch marks is to tighten it by resetting the skin tone. If skin is undermined and stretched out, it will smooth out and the excess can be removed. The downside of this process is that it requires a scar in some location to allow for the removal. On the abdomen, this is a tummy tuck. Everyone has the same goals - to reverse the signs of aging without showing that anything was done (ie: no scar.) On the face, we can do some... more
+1

Lasting and significant improvement will require surgery

Hi there- I agree wholeheartedly with my colleagues- to achieve any significant benefit you will need to consider some form of a tummy tuck at some point. Skin that is in excess and and has also lost quality will not be possible to improve through any means and will need to be contoured in order to achieve your desired results. There are many devices (and unfortunately, many doctors) claiming to make loose, excess skin go away through laser-assisted liposuction, but these claims simply... more
+1

Get a real procedure for real results on your tummy

For any mother with stretched skin of the abdomen after pregnancy, or someone who has lost significant amounts of weight, and especially a mother of four, an abdominoplasty or tummy tuck is the only procedure (surgical or non-surgical) that will achieve your goal of obtaining a flat tummy and slimmer waistline. Stretched skin is only one component of the abdominal problems after most women who have had multiple or even one pregnancy. The abdominal wall muscles always stretch during... more
+1

Really, no there isn't

I have an extremely busy practice and see many post-pregnency patients who don't like their abdomens - many just like what you describe! With extensive stretch marks, your skin has lost all ability to shrink any more than it already has regardless of any non-surgical treatments you do. In my experience, virtually all patients like yourself want the flattest, tightest abdomen they can have and this only comes from a tummy tuck. Just budget for it, don't waste your money on non-surgical... more
+1

Yes, but not great alternatives

There are several lasers that offer skin tightening which do not require surgery,a nd I have one. However, these lasers are not a replacement for surgery.  I tell my patients that they can offer aboiut 20-30% at most skin tightening, but if a patient nees a tummy tuck, then she needs a tummy tuck..period.
+1

Surgery is in your future.

Dear Funny Girl, Your skin stretches and forms stretch marks not because of your young age, but because of your genetics. I often thought that the younger you are, the more elasticity you have and the less chance that you will get stretch marks. My patients often complain that they did not get stretch marks until their third or fourth pregnancies. But in short, the only way to tighten the skin and eliminate stretch marks is surgery! Sorry. Robert Freund, MD, FACS New York, NY more
Doctors will not see your comments on their answers. If you'd like to follow up, please go here to ask another question.

Comments (0)

Ask a Question

Welcome Back

Sign in with Facebook

Your information remains private and will not be posted without your permission.

Forgot your password?

Don't have an account? Create one now.

Join RealSelf

Join with Facebook

Your information remains private and will not be posted without your permission.

Please enter a valid email address
 Did you mean ?

By creating an account, you are indicating that you have read and accept the RealSelf Terms of Use.

Already a member? Sign In.

Retrieve your password

Enter your username or email address and we will send you a link to login.

Check your email

Check your email. We've sent you a link to reset your password.

Ok