"Skin tightening" quick-fix remedies do not solve the real problems of the post-pregnancy tummy!

 

Karen M. Horton, MD answers: Non surgical skin tightening for the tummy?

I am a mother of 4 children. I had my first child at the age of 16. I was told that because of my young age my skin stretched a lot, hence all the stretch marks. Ever since I have had a lot of loose skin in that area is there anything that I can do to tighten it without surgery???

By Karen M. Horton, MD - San Francisco Plastic Surgeon

"Skin tightening" procedures, namely laser-type therapies or injection treatments, do NOT address the underlying issue of a Mom's tummy after she has had multiple pregnancies:

• Excess skin and fat
• Stretch marks
• "Rectus diastasis" = separation of the muscles of the abdominal wall away from one another, creating loss of muscle tone and a bulge

Only a surgical procedure, abdominoplasty (and/or liposuction in some cases), can address each of these factors.

Beware of smooth-talking salespeople who do their best to get you to sign up for a "package deal" of procedures.

Often, minimally invasive therapies such as these prey on those Moms who are frightened of surgery and are looking for a quick fix with supposedly less downtime and fewer scars.

However, the checkbook can often be the area to suffer the most with non-surgical therapies, together with a general disappointment with results!

Visit a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon with experience in Mommy Makeover surgery to help determine which procedure(s) will best achieve your goals!