Suggestions on less invasive procedures then a tummy tuck? Want to lose wrinkled skin around belly button. (photos)

Question

Don't want to waste my money but was suggested to try renuvion, not looking for perfection just improvement so I can feel comfortable in a bikini.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

when you have loose skin you need a tummy tuck. you can try morpheus, plasma pen, thermage, threads ... all will give some improvement but not that much. you have loose skin that needs removal or AT LEAST internal heating with bodytite or renuvion. start peptide therapy as well.

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).

at home dermarolling will help build collagen.

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.

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Morpheus 8 is a non-invasive skin and soft tissue tightening treatment that is consistently amazing in our patients. We use the Morpheus to exact fractional induced RF into the skin or tissue in order to tighten collagen and stimulate contraction of the tissue. For acne scars, it is quite useful to build collagen in patients who have atrophic scars but is not very productive for ice-pick scars which require TCA Cross. For tissue tightening, Morpheus is ideal for the face and neck and we often combine it with CO2 laser or Ultherapy to further enhance results. Chemical peels and skin resurfacing should be done at least 5 to 7 days after, but can be performed earlier, depending on treatment severity. Avoid exfoliating skin treatments before Morpheus and expect a period of 2-4 weeks for skin contraction to set in.

Best, 
Dr. Karamanoukian 
Realself100 Surgeon

Sam Speron, MD, FACS · Answer

An aesthetically pleasing abdomen is something many of us desire and while proper nutrition, exercise and weight control are very important, sometimes we cannot achieve our goals. Simply getting older and pregnancy also play a role in the appearance of our abdomen. If you desire the most dramatic improvement, then a full tummy tuck can help you achieve your goals. A tummy tuck removes excess fat and skin, and tightens  muscles.  However, a mini tummy tuck or just liposuction are very good procedures and many patients are happy with only these surgeries. CoolSculpting is a non surgical option that freezes the fat, the frozen fat dissolves into your other body tissues over time.

I would recommend that you see a board-certified plastic surgeon in your area that is a member of both ASPS & ASAPS and performs a lot of tummy tucks and body contouring. Good luck with your future surgery!

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Suggestions on less invasive procedures then a tummy tuck? Want to lose wrinkled skin around belly button. (photos)

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Suggestions on less invasive procedures then a tummy tuck? Want to lose wrinkled skin around belly button. (photos)

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Everything you need to know about Skin Tightening

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