Tummy Tuck Alternatives?

My wife has had 3 C-sections. Her muscle tone is excellent but she does have loose skin and stretch marks over her rock hard abs. Is there anything besides a $5000+ Tummy Tuck she can do to tighten that skin up?

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11 Doctor Answers | Asked by Jessicab1629 in Spencer, IN

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A tummy tuck is the only way to go

A tummy tuck coustomized to her needs is what she requires. No non-surgical treatments like Thermage or Titan will make any significant difference unfortunately. Good luck!

She may only need a mini-tummy tuck but surgery is the only option if there is loose skin.

Pregnancy has caused thinning of the dermis and loss of elasticity and unfortunately it is not possible to turn back time. The only solution is to remove the loose skin.

Tummy tuck alternative

Unfortunately there are no alternatives to a tummy tuck that offer anything close to the results of a tummy tuck in terms of tightening skin. However there are many types of tummy tuck now available, not just the mini tuck or the full tummy tuck. This makes the option of surgery much more tailored to the patient, especially for fit patients who do not need a hip to hip incision. This includes low incision full tummy tucks, the Hybrid tummy tuck(TM) for fit patients with minimal skin... more

Maybe Doubtful

There are a lot of products that are touted to tighten skin and remove stretch marks without the need of surgery. To this I give you and old saying "when there are a lot of different answers to a problem, none of them are probably great solutions." You can find dozens of different lasers, Thermage and other solutions but in the end I think you'll spend a lot more money and get less results. With rock-hard abs. a tummy tuck without muscle plication is a fast recovery surgery that... more

Laser and non-surgical skin tightening can help stretch marks

Non-surgical skin tightening is an alternative for fit people who have minimal loose skin. Generally about a 20-30 per cent skin tightening is possible. I use the LuxIR an infrared skin tighteniung machine and have been happy with the results. Recently, in Europe the LuxIR has been combined with a Lux 1540 non-ablative fractiopnal laser to remove stretch marks-the first non-surgical technique I have ever seen that really helps stretch marks. By combining these two procedures you may achieve... more

Severity and location of the skin laxity will determine the best options for the abodmen

There are many individuals that claim that non-invasive techniques will provide adequate results for skin tightening but this is only true for minor forms of skin laxity and does not produce equivalent results in each patient. Generally these methds are able to deliver a 1-3 effect (on a scale of 1 to 10) when compare to surgery which can produce a 7-9 effect (on a scale of 1 to 10). It also depends on where the skin laxity is occuring. If it effects the abdomen above the umbilicus, it is... more

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

33 reviews

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

This is a frequent question in my practice

This is a frequent question in my practice. Although the answer is often that only an abdominoplasty will tighten the skin and remove stretch marks reliably, I have been surprised at the amount of improvement some women have gotten from Thermage, a non-invasive treatment to tighten skin. You should take your wife to a plastic surgeon who is well-versed in all of the options for the mostr sound advice. One in your area is Dr. Kim Short in Indianapolis. Hope this helps.

If she has loose skin, don't fall for the lesser priced non-surgical alternatives.

It sounds like your wife is at an excellent weight and in great shape. Loose skin will not go away with any of the non-surgical alternatives that are out there. Likewise, stretch marks will not disappear with non-surgical alternatives (even with a tummy tuck not all stretch marks will go away). Visit a board-certified plastic surgeon and explore the options. Finally, don't be surprised if your wife needs a full abdominoplasty. "Mini-tummy tucks" are rare in my Santa Rosa... more

Surgery will give her the best, consistent result

There are many nonsurgical treatments that claim to tighten the skin, but in a situation like this I think it would be a waste of your money. A tummy tuck performed properly by a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon is safe, effective and durable (it will last for years). Look at the surgeon's website to see his before and after photos and find one who can produce the results you're looking for. Good luck! Dr. Salemy

Mini tummy tuck vs. full tummy tuck

A mini tummy tuck could help if the skin excess is located below the belly button only. This is a much more affordable procedure. Some skin thightenning treatments could be helpfull but surgical excision will give her the best result. Best of luck!