Is Abdominal Etching permanent? If one were to gain weight, would it disappear?

Dear craftspace2345,

Abdominal etching, also known as ab etching or six-pack liposculpture, is a surgical procedure that involves selectively removing fat deposits from around the abdominal muscles to create the appearance of well-defined "six-pack" abs. Here are some insights to address your questions:

Permanence of Results: The results of abdominal etching can be long-lasting, but they are not entirely permanent. The procedure contours the underlying muscle anatomy, enhancing the visibility of the natural muscle definition. However, if a person gains a significant amount of weight following the procedure, it can lead to an accumulation of fat in the treated area, which may obscure the definition of the abdominal muscles. Therefore, maintaining a stable weight through healthy lifestyle habits is crucial for preserving the results of abdominal etching over time.

Impact of Weight Gain and Loss: If an individual gains weight after undergoing abdominal etching, the additional fat deposition can diminish the appearance of the defined abdominal muscles. Conversely, losing weight can help reveal the underlying muscle definition once again. However, it's essential to note that weight fluctuations can affect the overall appearance of the abdomen, and extreme weight fluctuations may necessitate additional procedures or touch-ups to maintain the desired aesthetic outcome.

Role of Exercise: While abdominal etching creates the initial appearance of well-defined abs, maintaining muscle tone and overall fitness through regular exercise is essential for optimizing and sustaining the results. Incorporating targeted abdominal exercises into your fitness routine can help enhance muscle definition and support the long-term success of abdominal etching.

In summary, abdominal etching can provide impressive aesthetic results by sculpting the abdominal muscles, but its longevity depends on factors such as weight management, lifestyle choices, and continued fitness efforts. Consulting with a board-certified plastic surgeon can provide personalized guidance and recommendations based on your specific goals and medical history.

Best regards,
Dr. Katzen
Plastic Surgeon

Abdominal etching is a cosmetic procedure that sculpts the abdomen to create the appearance of defined, six-pack abs or enhanced muscle definition. It involves targeted liposuction to remove fat deposits and enhance the visibility of the underlying musculature.

The results of abdominal etching can be long-lasting and are considered relatively permanent. However, the permanence of the results can be influenced by factors like weight fluctuations and lifestyle changes.

If a person gains a significant amount of weight after abdominal etching, the fat cells in the treated area can expand, potentially diminishing the appearance of the defined muscles. Weight gain can affect the visibility of the etched contours by increasing the overall thickness of the fat layer covering the muscles.

Maintaining a stable weight and a healthy lifestyle are essential to preserving the results of abdominal etching. While weight gain might affect the appearance of the defined musculature, the underlying contours created through the procedure can remain to some extent, especially if the weight gain is moderate.

It's crucial to understand that abdominal etching, like any cosmetic procedure, isn't a substitute for a healthy diet and regular exercise. To optimize and maintain the results, it's advisable to maintain a stable weight and engage in muscle-strengthening exercises to help the defined contours remain visible.

Thanks for your question. The 6 pack is permanent when it is created by ab etching. If you gain weight, you will gain weight inside the visceral fat compartment, deep under your abdominal wall. It will look like a beer belly, but you will have the newfound ab etching 6 pack over it. It will not look natural. So I would suggest that after ab etching you maintain your weight with a healthy lifestyle. If you continue to work out and/or lose weight, the results will look better because you will see your natural six pack even better with the etching. Make sure you go to someone who is an expert in this because it is very easy to try to do it but requires a lot of experience to do it well. It requires a level of perfectionism and artistry to create beautiful results. Good luck!

ab etching can look terrible f you do not keep in excellent shape. talk to your physician, go to an expert, and start peptides/hcg/growth hormones before and after.

my whole practice is doing lipoabdominoplasty, or at least liposuction with internal heating (which is not the gold standard for skin tightening with body contouring).

the smaller you are before liposuction the more contouring you can get from the procedure. most of my liposuction patients get pre and post surgical optimization with hormonal therapy (see link to help boost their weight loss before surgery and help them heal after).

You need a formal evaluation by an expert in body shaping and contouring to determine what is best.  Traditional liposuction awake and smart liposuction are old methods and do very poorly for tightening skin or significant skin tightening or contouring.  Small problem areas can be improved slightly by these methods.  The best in body contouring not only removes fat with energy devices like VASER ultrasound but also internally heat the skin with radio-frequency devices such as J PLASMA/RENUVION, InMode BodyTite, ThermiRF to heat the under surface of the skin and tighten it at the same time as fat removal. These combinations are called 4D HIDEF VASER contouring and can only be done by a well . trained body contouring specialist. At the same time fat should be harvested, PRP and stem cells added and injected into muscles or indentations/cellulite to get body shaping and contouring.  This is known as a Brazilian butt lift when you inject the fat to the buttock for contouring and lifting, but fat can also be used in areas such as the chest/breast, arms/shoulders, calves and face.  Cellulite should also be treated with cellfina, sculptra, subcision and/or fillers such as bellafill, renuva synthetic fat, or sculptra.  If skin is very loose before surgery then it will need to be removed such as lower abdominal skin (tummy tuck/abdominoplasty), breast skin (breast lift), arm skin (brachioplasty).  Overall you need a full assessment, but simple liposuction alone will not tighten skin and needs a combination of various methods -- fat removal, skin tightening, defining, fat grafting, skin removal -- to get the best in body contouring and body sculpting.  Dr. Emer.

Nothing is permanent, it is important to eat healthy and workout consistently to keep your results. If you were to gain a lot of weight this may hurt your outcome. The Gold Standard for superior liposuction results requires use of the advanced technology of ultrasound assisted VASER liposuction. As an official trainer of VASER liposuction, I perform full body liposuction cases every week. VASER liposuction has been the only modality that has consistently resulted in outstanding liposuction outcomes. VASER liposuction ensures a smooth contour regardless of degree of excess fat by virtue of being able to remove any and all remaining fat comprehensively and uniformly. If skin redundancy is observed, Renuvion technology can be simultaneously applied to tighten your skin to optimize your overall contour outcome. A Skype or FaceTime consultation with a VASER specialist will help you get an accurate recommendation and pricing.

Respectfully,
Arian Mowlavi MD, FACS
Realself 100 Hall of Fame Inductee