Stretch mark + excess skin above belly button - Is this fixable with tummy tuck or is their a less invasive procedure? (photo)

Question

I have a stretch mark and excess skin above my belly button and somewhat large love handles. Would tummy tuck be the best way to fix this entirely or is their another option for the scar/stretch mark removal?

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello, and thank you for your question regarding whether a tummy tuck or a less invasive procedure would be the best solution for stretch marks and excess skin above your belly button. I appreciate your history and the pictures you provided.

Based on your description and photo, you have excess fat in the love handles and central abdomen, along with skin laxity and stretch marks above your belly button. If your primary concern is fat removal and body contouring, you may benefit from liposuction, specifically VASER high-definition liposuction, which sculpts the muscles while removing fat. However, liposuction alone does not address excess skin or stretch marks, and it may actually make loose skin appear worse after fat removal.

If you are most concerned about a single stretch mark above your belly button at the 12 o’clock position, a vertical excision of that specific area may be an option. However, if you have stretch marks and loose skin throughout the abdomen, a full tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) would be the only comprehensive solution. A tummy tuck removes excess abdominal skin, tightens the muscles, and repositions the belly button, effectively eliminating most stretch marks located below the new belly button placement.

If your stretch marks and excess skin are mild, you could consider less invasive treatments like radiofrequency skin tightening, laser treatments, or microneedling, but these will only provide minor improvements and will not remove the stretch marks completely. If you are looking for a permanent and dramatic improvement, a tummy tuck would provide the best results.

I recommend consulting with a board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in body contouring to discuss your goals and determine the best approach for you.

Good luck, and I hope this helps answer your question regarding stretch marks and excess skin above the belly button.

Sincerely,
Dr. Katzen

Jeffrey M. Darrow, MD · Answer

A traditional tummy tuck, if the patients anatomy and skin laxity allows, removes skin from just above the pubic hair to just above the belly button. The feasibility of this is determined by a simple pinch test.  The incision ends up just above the pubic hair and spans from hip point to hip point so the incision lies flat.  For patients with scars or stretch marks well above their belly button who wish those removed, the lower incision can be moved upward so the upper and lower incisions can be approximated without too much tension.  If your love handles are secondary to fat deposits, they can be treated with liposuction.  While there are a number of skin treatments, such as microneedling and microneedling with radio frequency or other energy based systems which claim to tighten the skin and remove stretch marks, I am not aware that any of them have very great efficacy.  You should have a detailed consultation with your plastic surgeon about your best options.

Luis Suarez, MD · Answer

If this is due to previous pregnancy, then definitely a tummy tuck would be the best solution for it as it would be the only procedure that would successfully remove all the skin and repair the muscles.

Leila Kasrai, MD, FRCSC · Answer

Stretchmarks located below your belly button may be removed depending on where they are during a tummy tuck, however those above may only be improved in appearance (but only to a certain extent). Liposuction may also be performed at the same time if necessary to fully target the love handles.

Morad Askari, MD, MBA · Answer

Thank you for your question. Since you may not have enough loose skin for a full tummy tuck, the best approach would be to consider a combination of skin tightening treatments and stretch mark reduction therapies. Options include Renuvion (J-Plasma), Morpheus8, Thermage, fractional CO2 laser, and microneedling with PRP. For the stubborn fat in the love handle area, liposuction can help contour your waist. However, keep in mind that liposuction does not remove stretch marks, but combining liposuction with these treatments can enhance skin tightening. Consulting with your surgeon can help determine which non-invasive or minimally invasive options will provide you with the best results.

Arif Eroglu, MD · Answer

Hello
If you had enough loose skin in your upper abdomen to allow for a tummy tuck, the stretch marks above your belly button could only be addressed by pulling them down toward the lower abdomen. However, there isn’t enough excess skin in the upper abdomen to perform a full tummy tuck. To improve skin laxity, options like Renuvion J Plasma, Bodytite, Thermage Body, or PLA (Sculptra, Lanluma) injections could be used. For the stretch marks, Fraxel treatment might be a good option.

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear marie.be1115,

it is hard to tell for sure without an examination. Based on your photo, it looks like you don't have much loose skin. 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

Joel Patrick Maier, MD · Answer

The fact that you only have one stretch mark above your belly button while the rest of your tummy is perfect complicates decision making. A tummy tuck is a long run for a short slide for the stretch mark as an isolated concern. However, you have a small belly button hernia (your "outie"), and you may have significant diastasis which adds another reason to do an abdominoplasty. An exam by an experienced cosmetic body surgeon will help with decision making. Thank you for sharing.

John Michael Thomassen, MD · Answer

The difficulty with the tummy tuck is that the scar above the umbilicus may be too high to remove and will be displaced to the lower portion of your abdomen.  It would be best to do some power assisted lipo to contour your but a tummy tuck may be over-aggressive for your situation. Unfortunately this does not treat the stretch marks.

Matthew S. Kilgo, MD · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question.
The best way to correct excess skin of the upper and lower abdomen is with a tummy tuck. I would also recommend liposuction to address the fullness of your love handles. It is difficult to determine without a physical examination whether the stretch marks above the belly button will be completely removed. At worst, the stretch marks will be relocated to the lower abdomen along the mid portion of the abdominal scar. Good luck. I hope this helps.

Stretch mark + excess skin above belly button - Is this fixable with tummy tuck or is their a less invasive procedure? (photo)

Answers (19)

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