Can scars of a mini tummy tuck be hidden within the navel? (Photo)

The saggy skin you have is very obvious and no conservative treatment will eliminate or tighten your degree of saggy skin.
I consider the best option for you will be a Reverse Tummy tuck which means to pull the skin towards the inframammary fold abd the incision wil be hidden under your natural breast. No belly button incisions and either over your abdomen-pelvic area. No muscle repair needed.
Be encouraged.
Dr. Cardenas

Thank you for your inquiry! By your photos, it looks like you would be a great candidate for an abdominoplasty to get rid of any excess skin. The only difference in a mini vs a full abdominoplasty is how long the incision is. A mini tummy tuck is going to have a smaller incision than a full tummy tuck. Unfortunately, the incisions are made on the lower abdomen. Muscle repair, removal of excess skin, and liposuction are all included with both a mini and a full tummy tuck. I recommend scheduling a consult appointment with a board certified plastic surgeon like myself so we can create a surgical plan that is best for you and your goals!

Unfortunately, there is no effective non-invasive skin tightening modality (laser-lipo, radiofrequency etc. . . .) Also, there is no "gathering" type of procedure that will tighten the skin that you are concerned with. There is a reverse type of skin excision, but this leaves a long scar under your breasts which can be difficult to hide. The best option, in my opinion, is a skin only tummy tuck with umbilical transposition . . . otherwise, you will be disappointed. I wish we had non-invasive options, but at this stage of the game, we do not have the technology. Thank you and I hope this helps.

Hi-Thanks for submitting your question. If you are looking to avoid scars and tighten loose skin there are a few options which may be effective. BodyTite is an extremely effective non-surgical treatment to tighten the surface of the skin by using radio frequency. Another non-surgical option is Morpheus8. It combines microneedling with radio frequency technology that stimulates collagen and tightens the skin. To decided which non-surgical treatment would work best for you, consult with a board certified plastic surgeon or licensed, specialty trained aesthetician. Best of luck. Dr. Rodriguez

Lower abdominoplasty scars are placed in the pubic area, very low. You will, very likely, need a type of abdominoplasty that does not need new BB., with a short scar. In person consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon is recommended. Good luck.

Dear dustwhirl,
it is hard to tell for sure without an examination. If you are considering surgery, I would suggest you consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination, you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

No, the scars cannot be hidden in just the navel for you with any tuck. You might consider minimally invasive with small incision, radiofrequency treatment like Renuvion or ThermiTight for improvement in your skin. Otherwise, a full tummy tuck can give you the flat tight abdomen.

Loose skin can only be fixed by stretching the skin downwards and cutting it, which would effectively have the scar, I could not hide it behind the navel but with underwear.

Tummy tuck scars cannot be hidden within the navel. The procedure involves a low scar between the hip bones that is typically easily hidden with undergarments or bathing suit bottoms. I encourage you to visit with a board certified plastic surgeon near you to learn more.

A mini tummy tuck is not an appropriate procedure in your case.
A mini tummy tuck will only tighten skin below the belly button.
There’s no way to reduce any type of tummy tuck scar to the size of the umbilicus.
Any attempt at doing that would look deformed and disfiguring.
The correct procedure for you it’s a full tummy tuck.
Any other alternative is not going to deliver quality results.
There is one alternative you could consider and that’s a reverse tummy tuck.
It is seldom done because it’s not a particularly good operation.
Patients who are the candidates for a reverse tummy tuck typically already have or are going to have scars in their inframammary fold‘s from breast surgery like a breast reduction or a breast lift and have skin laxity issues of the upper abdomen only.
In your case I recommend staying with procedures that work and have a long standing history of giving quality results.
To judge plastic surgeons in regards to competency for doing a full tummy tuck Judge plastic surgeons results by who gets the most natural looking belly button with a very low sets car that follows an atomic contours naturally and evenly on both sides. those are the hallmarks of a quality tummy tuck.
To get a quality assessment and help find the best provider I suggest having multiple in person consultations with local board-certified plastic surgeons in your community.
You can get each plastic surgeons opinion about cheap and options but my best guess is you’ll get a consistent response recommending a full tummy tuck.
To properly vet providers I suggest patients ask providers to open up their portfolios and show you their entire collection of before and after pictures of any procedure you’re interested in having.
As mentioned previously for a full tummy tuck judge the results by who gets the best looking belly buttons, a very low sets car that follows contours naturally with a Torso looking ballast attractive and proportion it from all angles including from behind.
Being shown a handful of sample pictures which most likely represents the best results of a providers career is insufficient to get a clear understanding of what average results look like or how many of these procedures a provider has performed.
For that reason patients should ask providers to open up their portfolios and show as many pictures as they’re willing to.
For reference in my opinion and experience provider should have no difficulty showing you at least 50 sets of before and after pictures of commonly performed procedures like a tummy tuck.
Ask provider to show you examples of previous patients who have similar body characteristics to your own.
Asked to see examples of excellent outcomes, average outcomes and outcomes that didn’t turn out as well as the surgeon had hoped for.
We all have different outcomes and it’s fair game for patients to ask to see a variety of results.
Ask providers what the revision rate is and what the revision policy is.
Make notes during the consultation of how thorough each surgeon is as well as the number and quality of before and after pictures.
When in doubt slow down and schedule more consultations.
Body changing the procedures that are permanent any reversible should be taken seriously and the importance of choosing the right provider cannot be over emphasize.
Lots of people look for a kinder gentler approach than a full tummy tuck.
Unfortunately there is no good alternative to this procedure which when done correctly can give us stunning transformations.Considering you’ve had previous surgery it would be a good idea to have proper before and after pictures and post those or bring them with you anytime you’re asking to get an assessment.
Knowing what you look like before your liposuction would be very helpful to plastic surgeons when making an assessment regarding any future operation.
If you don’t have copies of your before and after pictures and ask your surgeon to forward the ones they took.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom MD