Any Laser Treatment to Tighten Loose Skin Around Navel or Tummy Tuck?

I agree with the others. I have lasers that do (some degree of ) tissue tightening and I would not recommend them to a woman who really needs a tummy tuck. If there is enough laxity around the umbilicus to warrant a tummy tuk then I am hesitant to believe that a non-invasive solution will give satisfactory results.

Laser causes skin tightening by inducing scar tissue to form which can result in minor skin tightening in optimal situation, but also carries a real risk of permanent visible scarring or poor outcomes.  For loose skin around the belly button, tummy tuck or some modification of a tummy tuck is the only way to get skin tightening ( by removing excess skin).  Consult an experienced board certified surgeon to further discuss your options.

  Laser is almost always a very poor substitute for a tummy tuck if significant skin tightening is needed.  Anything is possible, and pictures would allow a better analysis of your individual anatomy.   There is also a procedure called an umbilicoplasty, which really does not describe any one specific maneuver, but a small amount  of skin can be manipulated around the belly button.  Just find a plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who does HUNDREDS of tummy tucks a year and you will be fine.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Lasers per se are not the treatment of choice for skin tightening here (like they would be for the face, for example). The skin is different in many ways between these areas, such as dermal thickness, amount of adnexal structures, etc.  It is impossible to tell you what your options may be without pictures, but there are some non-invasive options at this area that we have have had some nice luck with, most notably Thermage. Liposonix is another possibility, that will reduce some extra fatty tissue in the area as well. the bottom line is going to depend on the amount of loose skin that you have, and really your plastic surgeon is going to the be the best one to guide you here. While all of these treatments can certainly be applied, the most important is that you have a result that you are happy with.

Good Luck!

Matt Concannon MD