How a Tummy Tuck Can Help You See the Finish Line
Fitness woman on stadium running
Sometimes life can feel like a race. It’s you and Time, running neck and neck, trying to stay ahead of each other, the same race that every human being on Earth is running. And sometimes that race can feel harder than it should, because your body goes through changes that can slow you down and make you feel self-conscious. The good news is that you can keep running that marathon with your head held high: There are some changes you can turn back the clock on with a tummy tuck!
At the office of board certified plastic surgeon Richard J. Brown, tummy tucks are one of our most popular treatments. Tucks can turn back that clock and correct changes to your body that you may have no control over. If you’re wondering how getting a tummy tuck can help you, read on as we breakdown what they are and what they can do for you.
What is a Tummy Tuck?
Also known as abdominoplasty, tummy tuck surgery removes excess fat and skin. It can usually restore weakened or separated ab muscles, creating a stomach that is smoother and firmer. This is accomplished through the use of sutures to lace up and tighten your ab muscles.
When Should I Consider Getting A Tummy Tuck?
A tummy tuck should ideally be performed on somebody who is already in good shape. The procedure is geared towards removing excess skin and fat that can’t be lost through exercise and proper weight loss. It isn’t meant to be an easy weight loss fix.
There are many reasons why people can find themselves helpless to lose excess weight. These reasons include:
- Heredity
- Aging
- Pregnancy
- Prior surgery
- Significant changes in weight
Tummy tucks are often done as part of a “Mommy Makeover”. It’s also a popular procedure among patients who have lost a lot of weight, either as a result of illness or as an attempt to overcome obesity. Childbirth and serious weight loss can leave behind a considerable amount of loose skin that can’t be removed by natural means.
Related: How a Mommy Makeover Can Help You Have It All
How A Tummy Tuck Can Help You
1. It Can Boost Your Self-Esteem
It can be hard to feel good about yourself when you’re trying to better yourself and you aren’t seeing any results. No matter how good your diet is or how diligent you are at maintaining your workout schedule, there can be some pockets of fat and skin that you just can’t get rid of. Don’t beat yourself up about it: There are some things you just can’t fix on your own. This is where a tummy tuck can be a game-changer for you.
Feeling better about how you look can impact your life in a myriad of ways. Studies show there is a correlation between a positive mental attitude and a long, healthier life. The happier you are, the less stressed you are. Less stress is a good thing: Too much of it can spike your blood pressure, exacerbate mental disorders and lead to heart disease.
It may seem like a small thing, to get a little bit of fat and skin removed when you tighten up your tummy, but it could lead to a change in mindset that could yield you huge benefits for the rest of your life.
Related: Am I a Good Candidate for a Tummy Tuck?
2. It Can Improve Your Posture
When you get a tummy tuck, it tightens up your rectus abdominus muscles. Tightening up your ad muscles can have a positive impact on your posture. Strengthening the abs can bolster your spinal muscles and create a more harmonious balance between your muscle groups. Weak ab muscles are often associated with lordosis or “sway back”. Tummy tucks corrects this type of curvature. One of the other benefits of an improved posture: It can relieve certain types of back pain!
3. It Can Give You Muscle Tone
After going through a pregnancy or extreme weight loss your stomach muscles can become distended. When that happens diet and exercise won’t be able to restore your stomach to its former glory. A tummy tuck will surgically tighten those distended muscles back to their original state, leaving you with a flatter and firmer abdomen.
Related: Taking Care of Yourself After Abdominoplasty
4. It Can Heal Your Body
In addition to helping you lose weight and tone your body, tummy tucks can offer additional health benefits. It can help reduce Stress Urinary Incontinence, a bladder control problem associated with uncontrollable leakage brought on by coughing, sneezing, exercising or even laughing. This can be done during the tummy tuck by creating a slight bladder obstruction made out of soft tissue near the pelvic area.
Tummy tucks can also help relieve ventral hernias. These hernias occur when the intestine or abdominal tissue breaks through the abdominal wall and forms a sack or pocket. Tummy tucks help correct this condition by strengthening your abdominal wall, which will prevent future ventral hernias from forming.
Related: 5 Ways a Tummy Tuck Can Boost Your Health
5. It Can Help You Stay Fit
Once you shed the weight, it’s easier to keep it off after getting a tummy tuck. Part of the reason why it becomes easier to maintain your body weight is the elevation in mood that usually comes post-surgery. Because patients can see positive, tangible results, they’re more likely to work to maintain those positive physical changes.
Tummy tucks can also leave patients with a feeling of increased satiety, due to the removal of fat cells in the abdomen that may lead to reduced levels of appetite-affecting hormones. A tummy tuck doesn’t just tighten up your stomach: It tightens up your appetite and keeps it from biting off way more than it can chew.
Want to know more tummy tucks? Give board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Richard J. Brown a call at 480-568-3804.
