What does a tummy tuck do?

A tummy tuck will fix diastasis recti, or muscle separation in the abdominal wall, remove stretched-out, damaged skin, plus shape and tighten the core. 

Sounds pretty great, right?

Unfortunately, repairing diastasis recti and tightening loose, damaged skin aren't possible with diet and exercise alone, which is why a tummy tuck is so life-changing for so many. 

Want to hear some of those life-changing stories for yourself?

We love a happy ending and there are thousands of tummy tuck success stories in the Bustmob Community, a safe space for women to connect and learn about plastic surgery.

Like stories with pictures? Check out the free Bustmob GoalFinder home to thousands of tummy tuck after photos from real women.

You can search the pictures by patient stats like height and weight to see what a tummy tuck looks like on a frame similar to yours.

What’s included in a tummy tuck?

A lot of people don’t realize there are 3 things included in tummy tuck surgery:

1. Muscle repair
2. Excess skin removal
3. Liposuction

The muscle repair gives a stronger, tighter core, while the removal of excess skin and liposuction help contour and shape the body. 

Not everyone is going to need a full tummy tuck with all three procedures.

Your board-certified plastic surgeon will be able to create a surgical plan based on your anatomy and goals during your one-on-one consultation. 

What is muscle repair?

To get fancy with it, muscle repair is used to correct diastasis recti in the rectus abdominis muscles, also known as the “6-pack-abs.” 

Can I just do crunches instead?

Those abdominal muscles separate because of age, pregnancy, and weight gain. And unfortunately, once they are apart, post-pregnancy or after major weight loss or gain, there isn’t much we can do to bring them back together without surgery.

Patients with diastasis recti will have muscle repair to bring those muscles back together using sutures to create a sort of inner corset to keep the core tight. 

Let’s talk about that excess skin. 

Skin removal is part of a tummy tuck to remove excess, damaged skin around the abdomen. Skin laxity can be a result of aging, pregnancy, and major weight fluctuations. 

Removing excess skin around the abdomen is the only way to tighten the core back to its original state. Though a solid gym routine is great, it isn't going to address that loose skin.

So if you’ve been doing all the right things–eating a healthy diet, exercising, and still can’t get the look you’re after, take some comfort in knowing that no amount of diet and exercise will tighten that skin.

When you’ve done all you can do, a tummy tuck can help give you a little boost to show off all of your hard work. 

What’s liposuction?

Liposuction is a cosmetic procedure to permanently remove fat. Using a thin metal straw called a cannula, your plastic surgeon will remove up to 80% of the fat from an area. 

Typically for a tummy tuck, the front and sides of the body are included. At Amelia Aesthetics, your surgeon will do liposuction on the front, sides, and flanks to create more contour and shape in the body.

However, it varies by surgeon so be sure to ask during your consultation what liposuction areas are included in your tummy tuck. 

Sometimes, liposuction only on the front and sides can create a “boxy” look, so be sure to talk through your aesthetic goals at your consultation to ensure you’re getting the results you’re hoping for.

Found this helpful, but want more? 

Good news! This is just one of hundreds of fun, factual videos on the Bustmob Academy app to make your plastic surgery research easy.

From commonly told myths and FAQs, to recovery time and costs, Jenny Eden, founder of Bustmob, and Gretta Nance, lead educator at Amelia Aesthetics, break down your plastic surgery research into bite-size, binge-able pieces. 

Pair the Bustmob Academy app with Bustmob Community, a safe space to connect and learn wherever you are on your plastic surgery journey, and you are well on your way to being empowered and educated before you even set foot in your consultation.