Ballerific Beauty – The Difference Between a Tummy Tuck And Liposuction – blogged by @therealdrmiami

Breakin’ it down. Real Simple.

After having babies (or simply gaining and losing weight) many women’s bodies change dramatically. For most, even working out hard in the gym and watching your diet can’t get you back your pre-baby body. Plastic surgery can help…but there is often confusion about which procedure is best, a tummy tuck or liposuction. The answer is….it depends.

A tummy tuck actually cuts out the extra skin, fat and stretch marks of the lower abdomen. Basically, everything in the center of the tummy from the belly-button down. So if you have loose skin, extra fat and stretch marks in this area…a tummy tuck works best. In addition, if your muscle wall is weak (if your “6-pack” muscles are a “zero-pack”) and bows out, then the muscles can be sewn together tight during a tummy tuck. It is this muscle weakness or separation (called a “diasthesis”) that makes some women look pregnant even when they are not.

The downside of the tummy-tuck is that is requires a long incision, which leaves a scar from hip bone to hip bone. The scar is placed low in the bikini-line and does fade with time.

Liposuction, on the other hand, uses small incisions (the size of a tic-tac) to suck out the fat under the skin. If your skin is tight, this works great. The skin snaps back and your fat is gone. If the skin is loose, however, it will hang and look gross.  You may be skinnier in clothes, but not so great naked. Therefore, it is important to consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon to see which operation is best for you.

If you are interested in seeing how these operations are actually performed, and have a strong stomach, check out @therealdrmiami Snapchat everyday. Sign up and add him as a friend. Username: Therealdrmiami.