Have you recently lost a large amount of weight? Even if you have reached your goal weight, you may now feel less confident because of the excess skin you have around your stomach. It is quite common for people who lose a significant amount of weight to end up with some stretched skin in the form of a pooch. However, you may not feel confident because of it and would prefer to do something about it right away. If you have tried endless exercise to achieve a flat and toned stomach to no avail, it may be a good idea to consult with a tummy tuck surgeon.

What Is a Tummy Tuck?

The tummy tuck is a procedure performed by expert cosmetic surgeons. The whole purpose of the procedure is to remove the bit of sagging skin and any extra fat from the abdominal area, ultimately leaving it looking flatter and thinner. A tummy tuck is on the list of the 10 most common cosmetic procedures adults who are living in the United States choose to undergo. Although it is a procedure that could help you gain your confidence back, there are some risks involved, so it is important to learn more about what you can do to try preventing those risks from happening and remain as comfortable as possible after the surgery.

Choosing the Right Surgeon: Do Your Research

One of the most important things you should do before you are ready to go into the operating room is research on some of the surgeons who perform this procedure. You should never choose a cosmetic surgeon simply because their services are more affordable than another surgeon. Instead, you should find out more about their business and how many years they have been performing these kinds of surgeries on patients. You should have a long list of questions ready to ask any surgeon you are thinking about hiring to complete the tummy tuck. These are just a few questions to consider adding to your list:

• How long does the procedure take?
• How long is the recovery time?
• Is medication provided to help manage the pain and discomfort after the procedure?
• Is it safer to take a bath or a shower while healing?

Asking these kinds of questions will help you prepare for the surgery. It is important for you to know how long the procedure will take, along with how much time you will have to spend resting and recovering. If you are a smoker, the cosmetic surgeon may request that you stop several weeks before the surgery is scheduled to take place. It is important to follow the advice of your cosmetic surgeon at all times to ensure that everything goes as smoothly as possible.

Taking Care of Yourself After the Procedure

A tummy tuck is a major surgery. You can expect to feel some pain when the surgery is over. Although the cosmetic surgeon may prescribe pain medication for you to take when you can no longer tolerate the discomfort, there are some other ways to naturally get relief from the pain. You should take it easy and avoid walking around or even moving around too much for several days. Get plenty of rest in a comfortable bed and use a body support pillow. You can add lavender oil to a diffuser and set it by your bed. The aroma may help you feel more relaxed and calm instead of irritable due to the discomfort you are experiencing.

You may think it is a good idea to use a heating pad on the incision area, but this could actually be dangerous. Your skin needs to heal after the surgery, so it is important to avoid applying a heating pad on that section of the body unless the surgeon tells you otherwise.

If you want to get rid of loose skin around your abdominal area, a tummy tuck procedure is certainly an option. It is important to choose a skilled surgeon and understand the risks, as well as what you need to do to keep yourself comfortable after the surgery. Even though you may have to deal with some discomfort and downtime, you may feel far more confident after having this procedure performed.

For more information, talk to a tummy tuck surgeon at a location such as the Renaissance Center For Facial & Body Sculpting.