Is the unnatural look of the belly button after healing from liposuction, avoidable? (Photo)

Question

Is there a way to get a "natural looking stomach" after liposuction and not look like I'm sucking in my stomach after I have healed? I thought it only resulted from "tummy tucks" but I have seen results from other fat removal procedures that end up with the "sucked in tummy" look, which is something I absolutely do not want. I plan on getting lipo in a few weeks and this is the only thing keeping me from wasting money on several consultations in fear of getting the same answer. Please help!

Gary M. Horndeski, MD · Answer

Hi,Thank you for your question.I believe the 'sucked in' look you are describing commonly results from a full abdominoplasty procedure and not from liposuction. Liposuction might leave you with a slightly 'sad' belly button. Use your compression garment as long as you can tolerate for best results. Best wishes and kind regards,

Keith Hodge, MD · Answer

Yes, I think you can achieve a normal appearing belly button after liposuction. However, I hope it will not be as deep following the procedure, so it may not have quite the shadow that it has now. Good luck!

Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD · Answer

The shape of the umbilicus after liposuction is really not an issue. The picture demonstrates a patient is had an abdominoplasty. Here the appearance of the umbilicus may be a bit more questionable. However a well orchestrated abdominoplasty should yield a very normal looking umbilicus.

Robert L. Steely, MD, FACS · Answer

Good morning!The photo of the person you are trying to avoid appears to have had a tummy tuck in addition to liposuction.  If you are a candidate for liposuction only, it is unlikely that you would have that kind of tightness after surgery.I hope this helps

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

It is very easy to do good liposuction and not change the belly button.  With tummy tucks, the belly button is very indepdent to the surgeon performing the procedure. I suggest you speak to your surgeon about your goals prior to surgery.  Best, Dr. Emer.

Nagi T. Ayoub, MD, FACS · Answer

it is very possible to have a normal looking  Belly button after liposuction.  The belly button will look different from what it looked before liposuction but that does not mean it won't look normal.My advise for you is to see real pictures of real patients during your interview with your surgeon so that you may have a better idea of what outcomes are possible on different patients body types.  Maybe you could identify with a certain body type.Make sure you are seeing a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon.Best regardsNagi T Ayoub MD, FACS

Benjamin Schlechter, MD, FACS · Answer

The photos that you are showing are of a tummy tuck procedure.  With this procedure, the belly button is translocated in the skin of the abdomen.  Depending on the anatomy of the belly button and also how one heals, this will determine the final result.  Liposuction does not affect the appearance of the belly button.  The fat around the belly button is treated, however, the belly button itself is left alone.  The picture that you are displaying is a bit misleading as these are not  liposuction before and after photos.

Frederick G. Weniger, MD, FACS, MBA · Answer

Thank you for your question.  The unnatural belly button and the sucking in photos you have posted are from tummy tucks not liposuction only.  It would be best for you to look at photos of just liposuction.  To make sure the  person only had liposuction you can make a consult with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon to discuss your concerns and to reviewed their liposuction photos.

Robert H. Hunsaker, MD · Answer

Unfortunately, some surgeons are not consistent in duplicating the same parameters when taking pre & post photos. Distance, zoom, lighting, arm position, abdominal tension (sucking) all influence the "illusion" of the change. Unfortunately, sometime this is even done on purpose to make the results appear more dramatic than they are. While this may bring in more patients, it can also lead to more dissatisfaction with final results when they "don't look like the pictures". Even in these example photos the arm position is different and clearly there is some degree of sucking in of the stomach happening.Without having pictures of YOU, I cannot say for sure what your situation is, but I doubt you need to worry about the "sucked in look" --- unless you "suck it in". ;-)

Stacey Folk, MD · Answer

Dear bodycon21,You are pointing out a not so subtle finding that is often seen in photos of the abdomen. If you take the before photo with stomach relaxed, and the after sucking in, the results are much more dramatic. This drives me crazy because it can be very misleading, especially with minimally effective procedures like Zerona.Your first photo is from an abdominoplasty, not liposuction. It is hard for me to tell on the second because I can't make the image large enough to see the details. These patient photos may have had lipo in addition to the abdominoplasty, which is why you may have found them in a search.From liposuction alone there is more of a chance that you can have a little skin laxity rather than the tight look of an abdominoplasty. I guess you can just suck your tummy in or keep it relaxed for your photos :)

Is the unnatural look of the belly button after healing from liposuction, avoidable? (Photo)

Answers (11)

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