Non surgical options for belly pooch? (Photo)

Lindsay here, CANS Nurse Injector + CoolSculpting Provider for Dr. Mark Mason. I wish I could tell you that CoolSculpting would be a great option, but I honestly don't think you'd be happy. I'm glad the stretch marks don't bother you, but that is an indication of stretched out skin that is not as likely to snap back. Meaning, even if you get an excellent result of fat removal with CoolSculpting, your skin won't snap back, so it might make the loose skin appear worse. I know it's not the answer you want to hear, but I think a tummy tuck is the best solution for you. Hope this helps and best of luck-

Hi, thanks for your question. CoolSculpting may get rid of some fat around your abdomen. We usually see about a 20% fat reduction per treatment, that said, it may exacerbate the loose skin, and you may not be very pleased with your results. There are non-surgical skin-tightening treatments out there though again they may not be the best option for you. It looks like you may be a better surgical candidate, but I highly recommend that you start by booking an in person consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon in order to assess what procedure would work best for you. Because you have had 3 pregnancies you may also have a condition called rectus diastasis, which is when the muscles of your abdominal wall are damaged (usually due to childbirth) and it creates a lower abdominal fullness that unfortunately no amounts of diet or exercise, or most likely CoolSculpting, can resolve. This can really only be addressed with a tummy tuck. But again, it would be best to consult a board certified plastic surgeon to start. Good luck!

Hi sjalbrecht71,While I think CS will lessen the amount of fat you have under the skin, you will not see alot of contouring/flattening because of the remaining loose skin.  The best treatment for you involves tightening the skin with Renuvion--this requires a small incision and as such, you might as well proceed with liposuction to remove more fat than can be removed with CS to increase the shaping that you get.  Please have an inperson consultation with a Renuvion provider to understand the full benefits of skin tightening.  Best wishes, Dr. Doolabh

In truth, non-surgical options give only mild improvement compared to surgical lifting. Skin tightening can be done with a combination of Vanquish, truSculpt iD, Venus Legacy, Exilis, Cellutone/Zwave. However, for best results, a Tummy Tuck procedure can be combined with a high definition procedure at the same time. For best results, I recommend VASER HI-DEF Liposuction with ThermiRF, Renuvion, InMode BodyTite and fat grafting to get the most fat removal, skin tightening, contour and definition. This combination will give you the most toned result. I recommend getting a formal evaluation with a hi-definition physique expert. Best, Dr. Emer

CoolSculpting can be used to reduce isolated areas of unwanted fat and the abdomen (belly) is frequently treated.  CoolSculpting will not improve loose skin or stretch marks, so if you're main goal is just to reduce the fat, CoolSculpting may be an option for you.  It is always best to examine the patient to determine if they are a good candidate for CoolSculpting or not.  I will say that surgical options, such as a tummy tuck, would give you the most amount of improvement.

Hi.  Thanks for the question and the photos.  An in-person exam is the best way to determine the best treatment for you.  But based on the pictures, you should get a nice reduction in fat with CoolSculpting.  Keep in mind that you will need to treat each area at least two times, spaced at least 1 month apart, for optimal results.  Don't do the treatment if you will only do it once, it won't do what you need and you will waste your money.  But with two treatments you will get a very nice fat reduction.  Keep in mind, your skin will probably not improve since you appear to have stretch marks in the area.best of luck.Michael Kerin MDKerin MedSpa

Thank you for your question and photos. Unfortunately, I do not think you would be a good candidate for CoolSculpting. Even though CoolSculpting would help you achieve fat loss around the abdomen, CoolSculpting does not address skin tightness. Removing the fatty tissue behind the loose skin will actually make the loose skin on your abdomen appear worse. I know that you are trying to avoid surgery, however I think a tummy tuck would be the best solution for you in order to get the best outcome you desire. I recommend you make an appointment with a board certified plastic surgeon in your area and discuss all of your surgical options. 

Hello and thank you for your question.  I do believe you may get some reduction of the fat, but I doubt you would be happy with the overall appearance.  There are non surgical skin tightening options as well to combo with the coolsculpting. You may be a better surgical candidate, depending on the results you're looking for. I would recommend a consult with a board certified plastic surgeon as much of our recommendations come from in person, hands on assessments. Have a great day!!
Holly, RN

Thanks for the photos. When I assess a patient's abdomen, I look at both the amount of fat as well as the amount of skin looseness to determine what would be the best choice of treatment to get the best possible result. Your photos show that you have a small amount of fat that would be very amenable to a non-surgical treatment such as CoolSculpting, etc. However, I feel that your skin laxity is your greater problem and unfortunately, will not be helped by non-surgical options. In face, your abdomen will likely actually look more loose if you remove the overlying fat without addressing the skin problem. Think of a pillow-if you remove some of the stuffing, the walls of the pillow look flabby and if you remove more stuffing, the pillow walls have even less support. My concern is that you could spend a lot of money and have a less than pleasing result c flabby skin still present. A compromise on a large surgical procedure such as tummy tuck would be to have a minimally invasive treatment such as BodyTite which can remove the fat but also tighten the skin without a major surgery's scarring and down-time. I would suggest that you seek consultation with a physician skilled in performing both non-invasive and minimally invasive procedures so your abdominal fat and skin can be assessed properly to determine the best options and you can discuss your expectations for results and down-time.  Best wishes, Mary Beth Mudd

I would never recommend a non surgical procedure to a patient like yourself. No matter what procedure is performed on you that is non-surgical or noninvasive, it will provide you with no visible Improvement and you will feel like you've wasted a lot of hard-earned money. I hope this helps and good luck from New York City plastic surgery