Over the course of 2 years I have slowly lost 100 pounds. I am 25 years old and don’t have any children yet, which I plan on doing within the next 5-7 years. Is a tummy tuck in the nearish cards for me or I should wait? My “frowning” belly button is my biggest concern, and when I turn to the side you can see where you could “carve” out the section of loose skin. Any advice helps!
Congratulations on your weight loss Yeah, I call the belly button issue “the handle bar moustache”. This sounds like you need a tummy tuck to improve this. I do these all the time best of luck. You can call my office for a virtual consult if you’d like or wait until we can re-open.
Hi Julianna,
Great work with the weight loss! Since I cannot see your whole abdomen, it's hard to tell whether you should go for a tummy tuck. It may be possible to do a smaller office-based procedure under local anesthesia to address just the area above your belly button. Most surgeons are offering virtual consultations now, so it may be a good time to get a complimentary consult! I wish you the best.
Mark Albert, M.D.
The frowning belly button is from excess upper abdominal skin hanging over the belly button. A tummy tuck can improve this; however, pregnancy will stretch out your skin which often adversely effects tummy tuck results. It is best to wait until you are finished having children. If you don't want to wait, be aware of the tradeoffs. Direct excision of this overhanging skin will leave you with a scar that most patients want to avoid. Enjoy your healthier body and wait.
Hi Juliana. Congratulations on the weight loss! It can be frustrating having loose skin after all of the work you did to lose the weight. After you weight is stable you may notice that the skin has tightened somewhat. If you are already at a stable weight for more than 6 months, the skin will likely not contract any more so removing the extra loose skin above and below the belly button may be the best option. That being said, the problem with doing the tummy tuck before having children is that some of the work might be “undone” by the future pregnancies. You could consider a skin only tummy tuck and not tighten the muscle because you are planning to have children soon. Feel free to reach out to my office if you want to chat more. My office is near you in Babylon.
Thank you for sharing your excellent question and photograph. Congratulations on your impressive weight loss and although you are a candidate for a tummy tuck procedure to address your concerns, it would be best to complete your family prior to any surgical intervention, as pregnancy would most likely negatively impact your results.
It is great that you were able to lose the weight on your own. A tummy tuck would surely improve your belly at this time and would not negatively impact any pregnancies in the future. However, after your pregnancies, you may wish to revise your result since there may be loose muscle and stretched out skin that may need to be corrected. If you are planning to have children very soon then I would wait, but if not, it is really up to you if you would like the procedure now or wait until after your childbearing years. We have many patients from New York who come down here to Miami to enjoy the weather while they are recuperating from their surgery. Good luck with what ever decision you choose.
Thank you for sharing your photos! Although it is difficult to say without an in person examination, you may benefit from a tummy tuck.
People who have especially slack skin in their midsection need more than what liposuction alone can offer. Typical candidates for a full tummy tuck are women with drooping abdomens after pregnancy, women and men who've lost a great deal of weight, menopausal women, or older people with loose skin due to age. In the tummy tuck, the skin from the rib cage down to the pelvic area is tightened, and the belly button is moved up and secured in a new position.
I suggest making an appointment with a board-certified plastic surgeon for consultation to discuss your options.