Question: I have been considering liposuction for several years now. I am 34 years old and have two children. I try to stay in relatively good shape, but my lower abdomen and hips will not slim down to where I feel good about myself. My tummy skin is a little loose from my pregnancies, and exercising doesn’t seem to help tighten it. Will liposuction benefit me?
Answer: Liposuction is an excellent procedure to remove fat from areas that are resistant to diet and exercise, and the newer techniques make the procedure safer, and healing is much more rapid. Liposuction does not
tighten the skin or muscles, it merely removes the fat. Your lateral thighs will probably have an excellent result, however is is difficult to tell if your tummy will benefit without an examination.
The skin and muscles of the tummy stretch during pregnancy and lose some elasticity. A tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) may be required to give you that tight abs and skin you may be looking for. The scar from the surgery is well concealed beneath the bikini line, and fades out with time. An experienced plastic surgeon should tell you whether a tummy tuck or liposuction alone will benefit you.
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Questions are answered by Dr. Mark A. Foglietti, a nationally recognized plastic surgeon and author.
