Myths and Facts About Tummy Tucks

Tummy tuck — you like how that sounds, especially as you look down at your own belly and realize there can be some improvements in this region.

Tummy tucks, which are medically known as abdominoplasty, ranked number 3 in cosmetic surgeries in the United States in 2022, with more than 160,000 procedures. In fact, the tummy tuck is often in the top 5, which means it’s certainly helping many people to achieve their ideal body-shape goals.

If you want to learn more about what a tummy tuck can and cannot do, the team here at McHugh Plastic Surgery, led by Dr. Thomas McHugh, pulled together a few common myths and facts about the tummy tuck.

Myth: A tummy tuck is a weight-loss technique

If you’re looking to tackle a large amount of stubborn abdominal fat and lose weight, a tummy tuck isn’t the right procedure. Where a tummy tuck can play an invaluable role is after your weight loss.

The goal of an abdominoplasty is to remove excess skin around your abdomen, which is a common side effect after significant weight loss or after pregnancy. We can perform some liposuction during your tummy tuck procedure, which can help eliminate some of the fat deposits in your abdomen, but this is more for body contouring than it is for weight loss.

Myth: Loose skin always bounces back

If you’re coming off of a pregnancy or substantial weight loss, you may be left with loose folds of skin. Sometimes this skin can regain its elasticity and tone, but not always. If your skin was stretched beyond its ability to bounce back, those loose folds aren’t likely to go away on their own, which is where the tummy tuck comes in.

During this procedure, we remove the excess and then draw the remaining tissue tightly together, creating a much more taut surface.

Fact: We tighten more than just loose skin

Often, when you gain weight in your abdomen, you can stretch and separate the abdominal muscles. To address this, we routinely repair abdominal muscles during tummy tuck procedures to ensure that your belly is smooth and taut from the inside out.

Fact: Tummy tucks are for both men and women

We talk a lot about tummy tucks as being an ideal solution for post-pregnancy changes, but this procedure is ideal for both men and women. No matter your gender, if you’re dealing with loose, sagging skin in your abdomen, a tummy tuck is the perfect solution.

We hope we’ve answered some of your questions about our tummy tuck procedures, and we’re happy to talk with you to see whether it’s a good solution for your goals. To get started, please contact our office in The Woodlands, Texas, to set up your tummy tuck consultation today.