How to get a tummy tuck for free
Called my belly"Donut" since I could wad up all my post-baby stomach skin into something which resembled one (sans sprinkles). Despite my healthy eating habits and health club visits, I couldn't get that tummy bulge to budge, even as my youngest hit his fifth birthday. In fact, I found the more I worked out, the worse my belly appeared: Losing weight everywhere in my body only made my pooch more pronounced. Add to this some separated stomach muscles from three pregnancies, and I was quite disheartened at the way my waist looked.
So I decided to start looking at how to get a tummy tuck for free. In reality, tummy tucks are the third most common cosmetic procedure performed in 2015, with over 180,000 done nationwide.
Whether the pooch was caused by pregnancy, significant weight reduction, or genetics, then removing excess skin and strengthening lax muscles may provide both physical and psychological benefits. If you have been thinking about how to get a tummy tuck for free, here are a few things I learned along the way--along with a few I wish I had known ahead.
1. A tummy tuck will not make you shed weight.
When some patients may lose a few pounds from the process, Elliot Hirsch, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon at Hirsch Plastic Surgery in Los Angeles, warns that tummy tucks should be used when a patient is already at his or her ideal weight. "Tummy tucks shouldn't be considered as a weight loss procedure, but rather as a contouring procedure," he clarifies. Also, while tummy tucks can not directly manage stretch marks because the stomach skin is pulled downward, any stretch marks might be transferred, lowered, or potentially removed if they are a part of the lower surplus skin. (What can help you lose weight? This revolutionary new plan from Rodale, The Fat Cell Option, that really retrains your own fat cells into releasing excess calories. Try it for free now!)
2. There are a couple of different types of scars.
Your scar size and location will depend on the sort of abdominoplasty you want. For a conventional free tummy tuck like I had, the scar will likely be from hip to hip and most doctors will do their best to ensure that the scar is hidden beneath the bikini line. You will also have a scar around your belly button, as it is really relocated (! ) ) Through the procedure.
For patients who need only a small amount of skin removed and muscles tighten, a mini free tummy tuck may be an option. "A mini tummy tuck is one where there's a very small quantity of skin surplus, usually below the belly button, along with the incision leaves a scar a bit longer than a C-section scar," explains Luis Macias, MD, a dual board-certified plastic surgeon in Marina Plastic Surgery at Marina Del Rey, CA.
Patients who want to know more about how to get a free tummy tuck surgery after significant weight loss or weight loss surgery can anticipate a large, upside-down T-shaped scar across the abdomen. That is because in these types of patients, "there's horizontal skin surplus in addition to vertical--it extends the midline of the abdomen," says Macias.
3. It isn't cheap, and insurance probably won't cover it.
According to the ASAPS Cosmetic Surgery National Data Bank statistics, the 2015 national average was 5,891. If you're having a hernia repaired or when the operation solves another medical problem (such excess skin from enormous weight reduction ), some insurances may (keyword: might ) cover a small section of the procedure. And beyond the price of the surgery itself, you'll also have to be ready to shell out money on prescriptions and other pre-op and post-op medical equipment.
4. It is important to do your research before choosing a surgeon.
Finding a skilled plastic surgeon can be more demanding than you would think. First, while the conditions are often used properly, a plastic surgeon and a cosmetic surgeon are not the exact same thing. Similarly, a doctor may assert to be"board-certified" by a board that is not accepted by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), a recognized agency approving medical specialty boards since 1934. The ABMS admits only one plastic surgery board--the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). This is why this all matters: Legally, any licensed physician can offer"cosmetic" procedures. The physician might be a dermatologist or gynecologist or a general practitioner, but since there's no nationally recognized cosmetic surgery medical board, some other doctor may claim to be a cosmetic surgeon. Many probably have gone through some training, and some could be quite competent surgeons, but if they're not certified by the ABPS, they are not plastic surgeons. In addition, some surgeons will also be certified by the American Board of Surgery, making them dual board-certified. Physicians may also be members of other plastic surgery--associated institutions, academies, or societies, but these memberships should be secondary to making sure they are ABPS-certified.
5. Don't freak out if your physician recommends liposuction, too.
Mine did, and it had been more than just an upsell. "I perform liposuction on most of my tummy transplant patients since it helps in sculpting the midsection and love handle area," explains Macias. When skin from the upper abdomen becomes pulled, it may lead to an abnormal bulge on the hips or too little definition. In order to get the best results, many surgeons use waxing or fat-to-fat grafts to help them reshape and contour the region. However, liposuction is a separate process from the stomach transplant, so it will have its own added cost, risks, and recovery variables.
6. You'll need help at home for the first week.
Most stomach tucks are inpatient surgeries, which means you'll go home right after the procedure and will need to have someone there to help you with your first couple of days or even a complete week. "I would not have felt comfortable home alone," says Crystal M., a 51-year-old mother of two and free tummy tuck individuals who helped prepare for her comeback by stocking her kitchen with pre-cut fruit and other comfort foods. "I wanted someone to help me do everything for the first couple of days," remembers Erin S., a 37-year-old mom of three that had the procedure. "I could not roll over, sit up, or grab anything further than a few moments away. I needed help standing, getting repositioned in bed, essentially everything." In addition, doctors recommend that you don't lift anything over 10 pounds for the first 4 to 6 weeks, which can be significant for mothers with young kids to think about.
So I decided to start looking at how to get a tummy tuck for free. In reality, tummy tucks are the third most common cosmetic procedure performed in 2015, with over 180,000 done nationwide.
Whether the pooch was caused by pregnancy, significant weight reduction, or genetics, then removing excess skin and strengthening lax muscles may provide both physical and psychological benefits. If you have been thinking about how to get a tummy tuck for free, here are a few things I learned along the way--along with a few I wish I had known ahead.
Tummy tuck surgery
1. A tummy tuck will not make you shed weight.
When some patients may lose a few pounds from the process, Elliot Hirsch, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon at Hirsch Plastic Surgery in Los Angeles, warns that tummy tucks should be used when a patient is already at his or her ideal weight. "Tummy tucks shouldn't be considered as a weight loss procedure, but rather as a contouring procedure," he clarifies. Also, while tummy tucks can not directly manage stretch marks because the stomach skin is pulled downward, any stretch marks might be transferred, lowered, or potentially removed if they are a part of the lower surplus skin. (What can help you lose weight? This revolutionary new plan from Rodale, The Fat Cell Option, that really retrains your own fat cells into releasing excess calories. Try it for free now!)
free tummy tuck |
2. There are a couple of different types of scars.
Your scar size and location will depend on the sort of abdominoplasty you want. For a conventional free tummy tuck like I had, the scar will likely be from hip to hip and most doctors will do their best to ensure that the scar is hidden beneath the bikini line. You will also have a scar around your belly button, as it is really relocated (! ) ) Through the procedure.
For patients who need only a small amount of skin removed and muscles tighten, a mini free tummy tuck may be an option. "A mini tummy tuck is one where there's a very small quantity of skin surplus, usually below the belly button, along with the incision leaves a scar a bit longer than a C-section scar," explains Luis Macias, MD, a dual board-certified plastic surgeon in Marina Plastic Surgery at Marina Del Rey, CA.
Patients who want to know more about how to get a free tummy tuck surgery after significant weight loss or weight loss surgery can anticipate a large, upside-down T-shaped scar across the abdomen. That is because in these types of patients, "there's horizontal skin surplus in addition to vertical--it extends the midline of the abdomen," says Macias.
3. It isn't cheap, and insurance probably won't cover it.
According to the ASAPS Cosmetic Surgery National Data Bank statistics, the 2015 national average was 5,891. If you're having a hernia repaired or when the operation solves another medical problem (such excess skin from enormous weight reduction ), some insurances may (keyword: might ) cover a small section of the procedure. And beyond the price of the surgery itself, you'll also have to be ready to shell out money on prescriptions and other pre-op and post-op medical equipment.
4. It is important to do your research before choosing a surgeon.
Finding a skilled plastic surgeon can be more demanding than you would think. First, while the conditions are often used properly, a plastic surgeon and a cosmetic surgeon are not the exact same thing. Similarly, a doctor may assert to be"board-certified" by a board that is not accepted by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), a recognized agency approving medical specialty boards since 1934. The ABMS admits only one plastic surgery board--the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). This is why this all matters: Legally, any licensed physician can offer"cosmetic" procedures. The physician might be a dermatologist or gynecologist or a general practitioner, but since there's no nationally recognized cosmetic surgery medical board, some other doctor may claim to be a cosmetic surgeon. Many probably have gone through some training, and some could be quite competent surgeons, but if they're not certified by the ABPS, they are not plastic surgeons. In addition, some surgeons will also be certified by the American Board of Surgery, making them dual board-certified. Physicians may also be members of other plastic surgery--associated institutions, academies, or societies, but these memberships should be secondary to making sure they are ABPS-certified.
5. Don't freak out if your physician recommends liposuction, too.
Mine did, and it had been more than just an upsell. "I perform liposuction on most of my tummy transplant patients since it helps in sculpting the midsection and love handle area," explains Macias. When skin from the upper abdomen becomes pulled, it may lead to an abnormal bulge on the hips or too little definition. In order to get the best results, many surgeons use waxing or fat-to-fat grafts to help them reshape and contour the region. However, liposuction is a separate process from the stomach transplant, so it will have its own added cost, risks, and recovery variables.
6. You'll need help at home for the first week.
Most stomach tucks are inpatient surgeries, which means you'll go home right after the procedure and will need to have someone there to help you with your first couple of days or even a complete week. "I would not have felt comfortable home alone," says Crystal M., a 51-year-old mother of two and free tummy tuck individuals who helped prepare for her comeback by stocking her kitchen with pre-cut fruit and other comfort foods. "I wanted someone to help me do everything for the first couple of days," remembers Erin S., a 37-year-old mom of three that had the procedure. "I could not roll over, sit up, or grab anything further than a few moments away. I needed help standing, getting repositioned in bed, essentially everything." In addition, doctors recommend that you don't lift anything over 10 pounds for the first 4 to 6 weeks, which can be significant for mothers with young kids to think about.