Mini Tummy Tuck
Conveniently located to serve the areas of London and Manchester
A mini tummy tuck is a surgical procedure to eliminate loose skin below the belly button. Much like a full tummy tuck, a mini tummy tuck addresses excess abdominal tissue, but focuses on the lower abdomen. After weight gain or pregnancy, this small area oftentimes has lost its flat, youthful appearance. A mini tummy tuck simply resolves this cosmetic concern by removing redundant tissue and tightening the area’s aesthetic appearance, leaving behind a smoother, sexier contour.
A mini tummy tuck is perfect for those who only have a minimal amount of loose skin. During your personal consultation, Dr Ricardo Frati will help you determine if a full or mini tummy tuck is the best solution for you. You can schedule a consultation by filling out this online contact form or calling our Harley Street offices at +44 20 3633 2619.
Contents
Loose Skin On Your Lower Abdomen
Your skin is perhaps your hardest-working organ. Each skin cell has a lifecycle of only around 27 days. Our skin continually generates healthier, newer cells to sustain elasticity. However, when we’re young, our body produces an abundant amount of collagen to support these cells, and to keep the skin tensile and smooth. But, around the end of adolescence, collagen production slows, and skin no longer has what it needs to remain smooth, firm, and blemish free.
When your abdomen expands from weight gain or pregnancy, your skin stretches along with it. Without a healthy supply of collagen, your skin stretches past its physiological limit.[1]This becomes apparent after a weight loss journey or giving birth, and skin remains stretched even after the abdomen shrinks back to its original size.
Unfortunately, diet and exercise only affect adipose and muscle tissue, leaving skin unaltered. Many creams and serums advertise themselves as having “skin-tightening technology”, but these products almost always underdeliver. The only way to get genuine, lasting results is through a simple tummy tuck procedure.
Full vs. Mini
What sets a mini and a full tummy tuck apart is not only how much skin is addressed but also which conditions are resolved. A full tummy tuck, also known as a full abdominoplasty, addresses the entire abdomen while also repairing separated muscles. During a woman’s third trimester, the internal pressure from the growing fetus becomes too much for the overlying abdominal wall to handle.[2] This pressure pushes the muscles out, separating them along the thin line of connective tissue in the middle called the linea alba. Once the abdominal muscles are separated, they occasionally recover a few weeks after birth. But, if they don’t, a full tummy tuck sutures them back into place, correcting the undesired appearance and weak pelvic floor disorders like urinary incontinence.[3] This condition is called diastasis recti and is only treated during a full tummy tuck procedure.
Why Choose A Mini Tummy Tuck
A mini tummy tuck is for those who want a procedure that is:
Less Comprehensive
During a full tummy tuck, the incision is made just above the navel and under the bikini line. From here, Dr Frati repairs separated muscles, sculpts away adipose tissue if necessary, and pulls the excess skin taut. A new opening is created in the lifted skin so that the belly button remains in a natural position. During a mini tummy tuck, however, the incision is below the navel, so the belly button is kept in place throughout the entire procedure. When you choose a mini tummy tuck, you don’t have to worry about a comprehensive procedure that affects your entire abdomen.
Less Invasive
Also, a mini tummy tuck requires a less extensive surgical approach, so you can enjoy your results sooner after a less involved recovery process. A full tummy tuck requires a hip-to-hip incision. But, an incision for a mini tummy tuck is usually smaller and more discreet. Dr Frati strategically hides this incision under your bikini line, so any faint scarring is easily covered.
Candidates
Those interested in seeing remarkable results through a less involved, less invasive procedure should schedule a consultation at our offices on Harley Street. Here, we will determine your eligibility for a mini tummy tuck. While it is less invasive, a mini tummy tuck is still considered general surgery and still requires general anaesthesia. So, you will need to be at a healthy, stable weight before your surgery. For those who smoke, we ask that you stop doing so a couple of weeks beforehand. You must be at a stable weight because future weight can affect the quality of your results. Because of this, future pregnancies can diminish your results. Lastly, we recommend that you be ready to take a couple of days off from work and heavy or strenuous activities.
A Consultation With Dr Frati
If this is your first time meeting with Dr Frati and our team of aestheticians, we’ll begin with a brief new patient interview and a physical examination. We’ll go over your recent medical history and learn more about your desired physical results. We’ll examine your skin laxity and note if liposuction is needed. If so, we’ll add it to your personalised treatment plan.
Most patients come to our offices with more than one cosmetic concern. Luckily, a mini tummy tuck is easily compatible with many different body contouring procedures. We will customise a treatment plan to achieve your ideal results. One common list of procedures is a mummy makeover.
A Mummy Makeover
A mini tummy tuck can be one of the multiple procedures performed during a mummy makeover. This makeover is a collection of treatments designed to resolve the common aesthetic changes that affect women during motherhood. From uneven breasts, unwanted fat, and excess skin, a mummy makeover resolves a number of mums’ problems during one surgical procedure. This means only one surgery and recovery stage, so you can get back to your life quicker – looking and feeling your absolute best. Be sure to ask about mummy makeovers during your consultation!
Preparation
Before your mini tummy tuck, we suggest you follow these steps:
- Discontinue smoking
- Avoid blood-thinning medications or supplements. These will cause excessive bleeding during your procedure. If you are prescribed a blood thinner, consult with your doctor before doing so.
- Schedule a ride home. You will not be fit to drive yourself home.
- Prepare to take the next couple of days off to focus solely on rest and recovery.
Procedure
We begin a mini tummy tuck by administering the appropriate anaesthesia. Then, Dr Frati makes a minor incision along your pubis before removing unwanted fatty tissue and pulling down loose, excess skin. Then, he gently excises the overlapping tissue and sutures the incision closed. Finally, he wraps the treated area with a compression bandage.
Recovery
For the next few days, it is essential to focus on rest and recovery. If you experience any discomfort, be sure to take the prescribed medication for pain management. Blood thinners like Advil and aspirin can derail your body’s natural healing process. Avoid strenuous activities and heavy lifting also. During your follow-up consultations, we will note where you are in the recovery process and what steps are needed – if any.
Other Solutions For A Flatter Tummy
When patients come to see us, loose abdominal skin is just one of the cosmetic concerns on their list. Most of the time unwanted fat is close to the top as well. With age, fat loss becomes more difficult. Your metabolism slows and your body starts storing more fat in hard-to-target areas. This is why even with a perfect diet and exercise regimen many don’t see their desired results.
To target this stubborn, hard-to-lose fat, Dr Frati uses VASER liposuction.
VASER liposuction uses ultrasound waves to dislodge fat cells from their connective tissues. Think of it like an earthquake shaking rocks loose. Once these fat cells are dislodged, they are easier to extract and require a less invasive approach during a liposuction procedure.[4] So, patients see enhanced results followed by a less strenuous recovery period.
In recent years, VASER technology has been deemed as “Overnight Abs” because of its unique ability to etch away fat in between abdominal muscles. If you are interested in adding VASER to your mini tummy tuck procedure, be sure to ask during your initial consultation.
How Much Does A Mini Tummy Tuck Cost in London?
Your personalised mini tummy tuck procedure will come with its own unique cost. We will need to factor in complementary procedures, surgical requirements, and any special accommodations. We’ll discuss and determine this during your private consultation.
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References
- Tepole, A. B., Gosain, A. K., & Kuhl, E. (2012). Stretching skin: The physiological limit and beyond. International journal of non-linear mechanics, 47(8), 938–949. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnonlinmec.2011.07.006
- Nahabedian M. Y. (2018). Management Strategies for Diastasis Recti. Seminars in plastic surgery, 32(3), 147–154. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0038-1661380
- Benjamin, D. R., van de Water, A. T., & Peiris, C. L. (2014). Effects of exercise on diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscle in the antenatal and postnatal periods: a systematic review. Physiotherapy, 100(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physio.2013.08.005
- Hoyos, A., & Millard, J. (2007). VASER-assisted high-definition liposculpture. Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 27(6), 594–604. DOI: 10.1016/j.asj.2007.08.007