I had a child 10 years ago and lost some weight. Would a mini tummy tuck help? (Photos)

At this point, a mini tummy tuck would provide improvement beyond what can be done with exercise and weight loss. A standard tummy tuck would provide substantially more.

Unfortunately, after pregnancy, hard work, diet and exercise does not always tighten skin and muscle which were stretched by the baby and remove all stubborn fat.

The flattest tummy with the tightest skin and best results would be with a full tummy tuck. A mini will still leave lose skin around the belly button and not tighten muscles all the wad from chest to pubis as a full would. Trade off is low bikini line (if possible) scar.

If you don’t want that, an option is Vaser ultrasound liposuction which will remove stubborn fat and tighten skin to a degree. It will improve but not to the level of a tummy tuck. Not will muscles be tightened.

An exam and consultation with a plastic surgeon is recommended to further discuss your options and expectations.

Hello, thank you for being open about this, it sounds like you've worked incredibly hard on your health and fitness, and it's frustrating when one area still feels out of sync with the rest of your progress. This is a common concern for many people, especially postpartum, and your feelings are absolutely valid. Loose skin tends to feel thin, soft, and may hang or fold over slightly. It often wrinkles or ripples when you pinch it. Fat under the skin (subcutaneous fat) gives more thickness and resistance when you pinch. It feels denser and is harder to "flatten" by just pulling on the skin. Many postpartum people have a combination of both loose skin and residual fat, which is very normal. Since you say you can pinch some fat and you’ve remained active, it’s likely you're dealing with a mix, and possibly muscle separation (diastasis recti), which is very common after pregnancy and can cause the abdomen to protrude despite being lean and fit.
If you feel your main concern is lower abdominal looseness or a stubborn bulge that doesn’t respond to exercise, a mini tummy tuck could be a good match. However, if you have skin laxity above the belly button, diastasis recti (muscle separation), or more generalized loose skin/fat...then a full tummy tuck may be more appropriate — though it’s a more involved surgery. Best of Luck!

There is skin and fat issues. A mini tuck would remove some, but not all, of the extra skin below the belly button. It would result in partial improvement. A liposuction only approach would result in a smaller version of the current you. Liposuction and mini tuck would be better. A full abdominoplasty including liposuction would be the best but requires the most surgery, anesthesia, and recovery. This would remove all of the skin from the belly button to pubic and from hip to hip. It would allow for full muscle tightening as well.

Hello, dear. Based on what you describe, a mini abdominoplasty is likely a good option for you, especially if the problem is loose skin or localized sagging. However, an in-person evaluation is essential to determine if this is the most appropriate procedure for you. In many cases, we can combine the mini abdominoplasty with liposuction of the abdomen, waist, and back to achieve a more harmonious and defined result. We would be happy to help you feel better about yourself. You can contact us at 829-554-6062 for a quote and to schedule a consultation.