Stretch marks appear for all sorts of reasons but are most commonly associated with changes in weight and pregnancy. Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do to prevent stretch marks occurring though looking after your skin and moisturising regularly can help.
If you’re lucky, your stretch marks will be easy to live with – they will be few and far between, and the ones you do have will be white/pink and therefore barely noticeable. However, if you have more pronounced stretch marks and/or they cause you to dislike your appearance or lose self-confidence, you may need to consider abdominal surgery – also known as a tummy tuck - for long-lasting results.
A tummy tuck involves the removal of excess skin and fat from the abdominal area and a tightening of the abdomen wall. This treatment is often used to achieve a flatter stomach, narrower waistline, and a more contoured body though, with the right technique, is also effective in treating stretch marks. It will come as no surprise that this is a particularly popular surgery for people who have completed their families and want to ‘get their body back’.
If you have stretch marks and want to explore whether a tummy tuck is the right solution, you will need to book an initial consultation with one of our experienced plastic surgeons.
Due to COVID-19, these consultations are taking place via Zoom. It will be important for us to meet you face-to-face, of course, but an initial ‘virtual’ consultation will enable us to assess your stretch marks, gather information about your general health, and give you a good idea of the results that could be achieved. It’s also a good opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have about tummy tuck surgery, preparation, and recovery. This open and honest discussion means you’ll have the information you need to consider whether tummy tuck surgery is right for you. If it is, we will be able to get in touch with you to arrange a face-to-face consultation once the Coronavirus measures are eased.
As a general overview, there are two types of tummy tuck – full and partial - and both are effective depending on the extent of your stretch marks. With a full abdominoplasty, an incision is made just above the pubic area between the hip bones and another incision frees the navel from surrounding tissue. The abdominal muscles are then tightened, stitched into position and excess skin removed. With a partial abdominoplasty, the incision between your hips is much shorter and the skin is separated only between the incision line and the navel (the navel itself may not need to be moved). Again, the muscles are tightened and excess skin removed. You can find out more about abdominoplasty and read a more detailed explanation about what’s involved in the surgery.
To find out more or to arrange a Zoom consultation, please get in touch.