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A: Unfortunately no. Exercise is good for the body in general, and toning the muscles can help fill out loose skin in the vicinity. By suppressing the appetite, and by slightly increasing the metabolism, exercise can assist weight loss. But there is no such thing as a "spot" exercise, to make the body lose weight in a certain area, nor to make the skin tighter. Excercise can increase muscle bulk, and that in turn can make skin look tighter in some areas, but exercise cannot tighten the loose abdominal skin. To date, only surgery can accomplish that.
A: No, abdominoplasty is not a good way to lose weight. Not only is it less effective for people who are obese, but also the results are less than ideal, and there are increased risks for the significantly overweight person. The best candidates are those who have attained their ideal body weight, and yet still have the abdominal problems which do not respond to further weight loss or exercise. After a consultation , Dr. Benchetrit often prescribes a diet program for overweight patients as preparation for abdominoplasty.
A: There is nothing mystical or special about "cellulite", it is just fat, but it is fat located just under the skin, making a rippled look that is quite apparent. Abdominoplasty removes some of this cellulite fat also, but it is difficult to eliminate entirely. Weight loss by dieting is the best way.
A: Stretch marks are scars. They are produced by stretching of the skin, but only in situations in which there are various hormones circulating, as in pregnancy and puberty. Those stretch marks located on the lower abdomen will be removed with the extra skin. Those located on the upper abdomen will be shifted downward as the skin is brought downward. The stretch marks that remain are tightened and somewhat smoothed out .
A: Yes, that is one of the main purposes of abdominoplasty.
A: There is always a scar around the navel. There is almost always a low horizontal scar across the lower abdomen just above the hairline. Sometimes there is also a short vertical scar above the pubic area.
A: Fat cannot come back unless one gains weight again, in which case all body areas will share in the weight gain. However, after abdominoplasty the treated area has a permanently decreased capacity for additional fat, because so many of the fat cells have simply been removed. But there are still fat cells present, so some gain in that area is to be expected with weight gain. Skin stretches with the passage of time, and so as the years go by there will be more skin, and for the same reason the muscles will gradually stretch out again. Nevertheless, a better contour after surgery is in a sense permanent, in that no matter what the person's age, the benefits remain.