A tummy tuck can be a great way of boosting your confidence if you’re left with excess skin following pregnancy or weight loss. It can be so frustrating if, no matter how hard you try you can’t shift this skin despite eating healthily and exercising.
The reason for this is that exercising only impacts on the amount of fat around your tummy not the amount of skin. A tummy tuck – or abdominoplasty – removes loose skin and fatty tissue and also tightens up the abdominal muscles that can separate during pregnancy. Afterwards, you’re likely to feel more confident, less self-conscious and to be able to wear a wider range of clothes.
There are two types of tummy tuck – an ordinary tummy tuck and a mini tummy tuck. So, how do you tell which one would be most suitable for you? There are a couple of simple ways of testing…
Full or mini?
A full tummy tuck is generally aimed at people who have lost a great deal of weight or who are post-pregnancy and have a lot of excess skin that has lost its elasticity. By contrast, people who opt for a mini tummy tuck are normally a more healthy weight with just a small amount of excess skin that exercise cannot shift.
If you’re still undecided which procedure is right for you, try these simple tests:
(1) The Pinch Test
Stand up straight and pinch the skin just above your belly button. Pull it down towards your pubic bone, just above the pubic hairline.
If your skin stretches down as far as this, a full tummy tuck could be right for you. If it doesn’t, a mini tummy tuck might be sufficient.
(2) The DRAM test
DRAM stands for divarication of rectus abdominis muscles. If you have ever seen someone with a so-called six-pack, you’ll be familiar with how the rectus-abdominis muscles look when they are correctly aligned. During pregnancy, these muscles split apart to make way for the growing baby. They can also split if you do core abdominal exercises incorrectly. Once split these muscles may not return to their original position, leaving you with a ripple of loose skin that no amount of exercising will shift.
To test if your rectus-abdominis muscles have split apart, lie on your back with your legs in the air so your stomach muscles tauten. Now put your hands on your tummy to feel if there is a gap either side of your belly button. If you are able to feel a gap, it means these muscles have split and will not return to their original position without surgery.
Either a full tummy tuck or a mini tummy tuck can be used to rectify the problem, depending on the outcome of the pinch test, described above.
Tummy Tuck Surgery – Surrey & Berkshire
Whichever type of tummy tuck you choose, it is important to ensure you have achieved your ideal weight before surgery.
This is because further weight loss after a tummy tuck can lead to the possibility of further excess skin and may necessitate additional surgery in the future.
If you are considering a tummy tuck and would like further information about the procedure or advice on whether to choose a full or a mini tummy tuck, contact us.
