Tummy tuck: surgery, exercises, threads, masks

For a girl, a beautiful figure is no less important than a pretty face. Each person has his own criterion of beauty, but its generally accepted concepts include long legs, a thin waist, and a flat stomach. It is this part of the body that often becomes the subject of disappointment and the cause of complexes, since it is one of the first to react to extra pounds, loses its tone after bearing a child. There are many ways to tighten the abdomen that can strengthen the press and return it to its former appearance. [1]

Indications for a tummy tuck

The need for a tummy tuck most often occurs when it has lost its shape due to the prolonged presence of the muscles in an expanded state during pregnancy, after a sharp weight loss. Age, hormonal changes also lead to loss of elasticity, sagging skin. Not everyone knows that the transverse abdominal muscle of the abdomen is important for the lumbar vertebrae, strengthening it, we prevent injuries and back pain. [2]

• Tummy tuck after childbirth

After giving birth, every woman dreams of regaining her slender, toned figure. And if at first the main attention is paid only to the baby, then as it grows, the mother frees up time for herself. Exercises can be started 1.5-2 months after childbirth, after a cesarean section a month later. Do loads gradually. Of course, the main task is to strengthen the press, which will lead to a tummy tuck, and think carefully about your diet.

Non-surgical tummy tuck

Not only surgery helps to shed unnecessary subcutaneous ballast, but also various cosmetic and physical procedures, since many methods and special tools have been developed for this.

Such a method for young people is much more preferable than plastic surgery, because it allows you not to break away from life, work for a long time, not to subject yourself to anesthesia, not to undergo a rehabilitation course, not to have complications.

All non-surgical procedures performed in salons, depending on what effect you want to achieve (get rid of skin that has lost its elasticity or layers of fat), are divided into several types:

• cosmetic massage;
• wrapping with the use of lifting products;
• thread lifting;
• injections;
• hardware methods: galvanotherapy, laser liposuction, ultrasonic cavitation, RF-lifting.

Tummy tuck at home

It is quite possible to strengthen the muscles at home by performing special exercises for the abdomen. Regular gymnastics (preferably daily) in combination with proper nutrition will certainly give results.

Gymnastics for a tummy tuck is based on concentration on specific abdominal muscle groups and impact on them with your body. Each exercise requires 15-20 repetitions. Here are the possible ones, done in the prone position:

• legs bent at the knees, arms crossed, palms on shoulders - the upper body comes off the floor and reaches the knees (for the central muscle group);
• arms along the body, legs are straightened, at first they slowly rise up (it is advisable not to bend at the knees), then the upper body is connected, emphasis on the shoulder blades (lower abdominal muscles are involved);
• hands behind the head, legs bent, feet on the floor, alternately connect the knee and elbow of opposite sides (for oblique muscles);
• legs bent at the knees, arms along the body, tighten the abdominal muscles and raise the pelvis, hold for 10 seconds, lower;
• fix the feet, for example, placing them under the sofa, raise the upper body, slowly lower;
• roll over on your stomach, leaning on the forearms of arms bent at the elbows and toes, tear off the torso from the floor and hold for as long as possible.

Tummy tuck products

In addition to physical exercises, special cosmetics with a lifting effect will help bring the stomach back to normal. Their task is to make the skin more elastic and supple, to return it to its former appearance.

The tummy tuck cream is tasked with activating blood microcirculation with the aim of deeper cell nutrition, their fastest regeneration, moisturizing and toning the epidermis, and eliminating edema. In order for it to "work", the composition must contain:

• hyaluronic acid for collagen production;
• retinol, which activates cell division;
• glycerin, softening the upper layer of the epidermis;
• oils to moisturize the skin;
• plant extracts that nourish it;
• essential oils that accelerate regeneration;
• caffeine, which enhances energy metabolism;
• organic acids that exfoliate dead cells;
• vitamins C and E - antioxidants;
• minerals to restore cell membranes.

Oils for tummy tuck

They will help solve the problem, and besides save, vegetable oils. A good effect of tightening the abdomen has proven to be a combination of basic and essential. They are used simply instead of a cream or for massage, body wraps.

Avocado, grape seed, jojoba, olive and others oils are used as the basis in cosmetology. They are useful for the skin with their polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, microelements, due to which the epidermis is healed, its regeneration is accelerated, flabbiness is eliminated, elasticity is increased.

Castor oil is considered more effective in tightening the skin of the abdomen, because it has the highest penetrating power. It is extracted from castor bean seeds by cold or hot pressing.

Its main effect on the skin is to moisturize, nourish, improve the water-lipid balance, soften, and accelerate cell renewal. The lifting result will be more noticeable if you add a few drops of lemon juice to it. This mixture should be lubricated every night before going to bed.

Tummy tuck with massage

Regular massage of the abdomen significantly improves its condition, especially if you trust specialists who know exactly which techniques are more effective for tightening. One of the most popular is pinch massage. It is preceded by a mandatory preparatory procedure: a shower, dry rubbing.

The massage begins with light stroking of the abdomen in a clockwise direction, then tapping with the edge of the palm, turning into pinching movements made by the thumb and forefinger. They capture and intensively pull the skin for 10 minutes. The procedure ends with a slow stroking, after which a cream is applied to the skin.

No less useful for achieving the goal and honey massage. Before it is carried out, natural honey is applied to the stomach, then it sticks to its surface with the palm of your hand and comes off. The movements are directed from the bottom up, clockwise, and so on for 10-15 minutes. At the end, the sticky surface is washed off in the shower, a tightening cream is applied.

The torsion of the hoop also has the effect of massage. For this, a hula hoop is used - a ring-shaped sports simulator. Its daily torsion will bring an obvious result without significant cash injections.

Masks for tummy tuck

Along with the above methods of tightening the abdomen, you can apply masks and combine various components with a lifting effect in them. These can be vegetable oils and extracts, essential compounds, honey, algae, cosmetic clay, raw egg protein, gelatin, yogurt, kefir, brewer's yeast, hot pepper.

The prepared mixture is applied to the cleansed skin of the abdomen and left for 30-60 minutes. In this case, you can use a film (wrap) or leave it like that. The frequency of such procedures should be 2-3 times a week.

Shilajit "works" very well with excessive stretching of the skin. This resinous viscous substance can be bought at a pharmacy, diluted in warm water and added to masks. Due to the many minerals, it quickly restores the skin, restores its lost tone.

Tummy tuck with mesothreads

The introduction of special threads under the skin of the abdomen to "reinforce" it is called threadlifting. This procedure is performed on an outpatient basis, it takes several hours. With the help of the thinnest flexible needles made of medical steel, the threads are inserted under the skin. The threads themselves are made from polydioxanone material, which came to cosmetology from surgery, where they were used to fasten tissues of external and internal organs, tendons.

An anesthetic cream is enough to eliminate pain. The procedure is not traumatic and does not require a rehabilitation period, except that for several days you need to refrain from physical exertion, do not visit the bathhouse and sauna. The effect becomes noticeable after the first procedure, its duration is up to two years.

Tummy tuck surgery

Not every deformation of the abdomen responds to training, massages, cosmetics. Sometimes the only way to correct the situation and improve its contour is a tummy tuck operation - abdominoplasty. It involves the removal of fatty deposits and excision of sagging skin. It is carried out in a hospital under general anesthesia, the duration of the operation is from one and a half to 3 hours. A scar remains on the stomach in the bikini area, which becomes less noticeable over time, and there is also a small scar near the navel. [3]

Drainage is installed for several days, a compression bandage is applied, the sutures are removed after a week. In the first 7-10 days of the recovery period, one has to turn to anesthesia due to pain, after 2 weeks, agents can be used to accelerate the healing of sutures. With satisfactory health, they start playing sports no earlier than after 4-6 months. [4]

Laser tummy tuck

Laser lifting, unlike abdominoplasty, is not an invasive procedure, and therefore does not carry the threat of any complications. The laser stimulates fibroblasts - skin structures, as a result of which they more actively synthesize collagen and elastin, which are responsible for its elasticity and density. 

Visible effect is achieved after 3-4 procedures. They are able to cope with sagging skin, stretch marks after childbirth, but they do not remove fat. Cryosculpting can cope with it - freezing fat cells with a special apparatus. They are frozen and then naturally excreted from the body. [5]

Non-surgical methods of tummy tuck for the most part have no contraindications, except that an allergy to certain cosmetics or damage to the surface layers of the epidermis is possible, but the surgical operation largely depends on the general state of health, the tolerance of anesthesia.

Abdominoplasty is not done in case of exacerbation of any inflammation, breastfeeding a child, heart failure, diabetes mellitus, oncological diseases.

As with any invasive procedure, surgical tummy tuck can lead to complications. Negative consequences are often caused by non-compliance with the postoperative regimen. Violation of sterility can lead to suppuration of the sutures, accumulation of exudate in the wound. With a low qualification of the surgeon, rough scars and hematomas may appear. [6], [7]

Depending on the extent of the area of intervention, rehabilitation lasts from several weeks to several months. The first 2 days after the operation, bed rest is prescribed, the drainage tubes are cleaned before they are removed, and the sutures are processed daily. Within 1.5-2 months, special tightening underwear is worn. [8], [9]

Reviews

Judging by the reviews, most women (men are much less concerned about the problem of the abdomen) prefer a non-surgical facelift. Young girls, especially newly-made mothers, visit gyms, beauty parlors, try various creams and masks with pleasure.

Tummy tuck is also popular, but it requires considerable material costs and is associated with certain risks, like any other operation. Reviews indicate that not everyone was lucky enough to get to an experienced surgeon, which indicates the need for a careful choice of clinic and specialist.