94%
1,916 reviews
Worth It Rating
Our index shows the percentage of community members saying this was "Worth it". See cosmetic treatment rankings
Thermage or Tummy Tuck After Weight Loss?
I am 30 years old, 5'2" tall and lost approx 65 lbs 5 years ago. I work out five times a week and eat healthy. I don't have children so I don't believe my abdominal walls need to be tightened.
I've been thinking about getting a Tummy Tuck for several years now but I'm concerned about the scar and pain. Thermage seems like a better option but I don't want to waste the $$ if it doesn't work. Please help!!
Asked 25 months ago by
Sallie77 in Houston, TX
+4
Leave your abdomen alone
You don't need a tummy tuck for what you have and Thermage is a waste of money too. You have a tiny laxity around the belly button but no surgery is great for that without a full TT and that would be a crime to do on your abdomen. The weight loss might have hurt the elasticity but it is best to leave your abdomen alone IMO.
+3
Thermage versus Abdominoplasty
If you want to waste your time and money and achieve little to no effect, then go ahead and have the Thermage. From the picture that you show, you are not a great candidate for tummy tuck either. It looks like you may benefit from liposuction and possibly Smartlipo or laser liposuction. This procedure will remove the excess fat for fullness that is seen in your supper abdomen and tighten the skin slightly. It is hard to give you a complete answer from just seeing one picture. If...
more
+2
Be happy with your figure!
It is not uncommon to want to restore all of your firmness and shape to your tummy. However, for your case it appears that the options available are worse than doing nothing at all. You do not have enough skin laxity or muscle damage to justify a tummy tuck. Why would you want to place a horizontal scar across your abdomen for only a small change in vertical tightness. As for Thermage, the only risk is that you will not achieve much improvement with this treatment. There are a...
more
+2
Based on your photo, only Tummy Tuck will help
From the photo presented, ONLY some form of tummy tuck surgery will address the issues. Thermage is a very poor choice. Just read the blogs on RealSelf. Over 70% failure rate with Thermage. You be the judge. Regards.
+2
Skin Shrinkage with MINIMAL Tummy Skin Looseness - Sciton SkinTyte
If you do not have a significant muscle separation - diastasis (identifiable when you lean over and relax your tummy and on examining your abdomen), and do no have loose skin then a tummy tuck would not benefit you and you would not gain much in exchange for its scar.
On the other hand, I would encourage you to stay away from Thermage. I have yet to see a positive result from it.
On the other hand, you would get some skin shrinkage nonsurgicaly from Sciton's SKINTYTE BBL treatment. In this...
more
+2
Options for treating tummy
I am pleased that my fellow colleagues share the same opinion of Thermage. I have not been impressed with the results of Thermage that I have had an opportunity to observe.
I am hesitant to recommend liposcution without an examination to assess your skin elasticity. Performing liposuction on lax skin following significant weight loss could result in aggravation of the laxity with an increased tendency for irregularities.
+2
Setting expectations for Thermage results
First the usual disclaimer, which is that no one can give definitive advice without examining you. Having said that, it looks like your arms are raised in the picture, which would tend to make the abdomen look flatter than it might be with arms down or while seated. I agree with Dr. Rand though that a tummy tuck does not seem to be a sensible option based on what I see. I do use Thermage, and have presented the results of a clinical study we did showing that it tightens skin 45% more after...
more
+1
Evaluation of abdominal shape
Your abdomen is relatively flat, and the only looseness is around the central umbilical area. This type of laxity doesn't improve with either SAL., thermage or abdominoplasty surgery. Your shape may improve with just passage of time, diet restriction and exercise.
Good luck to you.
Frank Rieger M.D. Tampa Plastic Surgeon
+1
Thermage or Tummy tuck?
Thank you for the question and picture.
You should be congratulated on the appearance of your abdomen after significant weight loss.
To answer your question, based on your concerns and picture, I would suggest that you have NEITHER thermage treatment or tummy tuck surgery. The former will likely be ineffective and a waste of resources; the latter is probably overkill.
Sometimes doing nothing is the right answer.
I hope this helps.
+1
Thermage or a tummy tuck
From what I can see, a tummy tuck would give you some degree of tighter skin, but you would have scars as a trade off, both the lower abdominal scar and also a vertical scar where the old belly button hole is moved downward. The Thermage will succeed at disappointing you both in terms of result and costs. For those reasons, I think you should leave it alone and save your money. Neither is a wise choice
+1
Tummy tuck
I am not a fan of thermage. I don't believe that it works, but that is my opinion only. It doesn't make scientific sense to me! (theoretical, perhaps)
+1
Physical examination can help
From the pictures that you submitted, it is hard to tell the elasticity of your tissue. Please send a picture from the side while you bending down. If you have extra skin and the skin has lost the elasticity, then you can benift from the mini-tuck with sliding your belly button down.
Thermage is not indicated in your case.
+1
Don't waste your money with Thermage
From the photo, it appears as if your arms are up in the air. If so, you may be stretching out your abdominal skin, you may or may not be a candidate for an abdominoplasty or mini abdominoplasty -- you need to be seen and examined - photo consults are never 100% reliable.
+1
Thermage and skin laxity
Thermage will not be able to give you the skin tightening you need. I would not advise you to spend money on that. If you are able to tolerate your tummy the way it is you are probably better off waiting for now. If you have a pregnancy in the future you may want to consider tummy tuck after that.
The other possibility is you may be a candidate for a mini-tummy tuck but it is hard for me to tell from your picture. The best suggestion might be to have a consultation with a local board...
more
Anxious about a tummy tuck and whether you're getting the full story? Learn 12 secrets from a RealSelf community member who went through it all.