The Tummy Tuck: What You Should Know

Getting a tummy tuck requires a great deal of thought and contemplation. It is, after all, a fairly major form of surgery—particularly in the cosmetic realm. There are risks and dangers involved and the recovery period is too much for some people to handle. Having said all that, it is one of the only things you can do to remove loose skin following weight loss and get rid of ugly hanging fat deposits in the lower belly region. For women who have been pregnant, it is sometimes the only way back to the body they once had. If you’re unsure of whether or not you should go forward, here are some things you should know.

Recovery time will be substantial. You won’t have a tummy tuck on a Saturday and be back to work on a Monday, let’s put it that way. Many people will take at least two weeks off from work to have the surgery, something that is plainly impossible for many women working a full time job. Nevertheless, there is no way around it and some women require more downtime than that. Unless you can arrange for the time off work and unless you can arrange to have someone helping you do things around the house during that time period, you should rethink your decision.

It is a major form of surgery. The general public often confuses various forms of plastic surgery. To them, a breast augmentation is a breast lift, liposuction is the same as gastric bypass, and so on. Obviously, if you don’t know what a tummy tuck is, you need to go do your research before you make any further plans. The most common form of the procedure does have some liposuction qualities as part of the operation, but it is much more than that. It also involves repairing and contouring the abdominal wall and removing loose skin. These are not minor procedures and they will cause you to at least feel some soreness in the weeks ahead. 

Finally, the tummy tuck is not something to have if you aren’t absolutely certain that you will not be gaining weight again. For instance, if you want to have another child, it makes no sense to have a surgery of this type. Some surgeons will demand that your weight have been steady for at least half a year before the procedure just to make sure you aren’t in a state of fluctuation. The operation can give you tremendous results, but they can be undone by poor eating and exercise choices in your future.