Could someone please tell me what the best solution would be to get rid of that deflated balloon look after having kids? Is surgery necessary or are laser treatments available? I don't know anything about this topic and want the least invasive option. Tia!
Solution for w Tummy Skin After Baby?
- Thread starter Prettyvogue
- Start date
Sorry it should say Wrinkly in the title but it won't let me edit. Not looking for fat loss, just improvement in the appearance of the skin. Can it be exercised away?
Sadly no. You can lose the fat by working out frequently and eating clean, but the skin will always be different. Also the more pregnancies, the worse it gets. Only surgery can fix it, as they tighten you inside and remove the excess skin outside. The stretch marks, if they are high above or near your belly button will remain as will the hips and side marks, but the loose skin, the wrinkly bits you describe, can only be removed by surgery. No laser or cream will help, IMO.
Thanks gazoo, my friend had mentioned there were lasers that tightened skin so I was hopeful I could go that route since I don't have a ton of excess skin, just a bit. Have you heard of anything like that for minor improvements?
I typically weigh 115 lbs. 5'3" & have exercised throughout my adult life. After 2 kids I always managed to stay fit. What upset me was that no matter what I did, how many ab exercises, dieting, etc., I could not make the wrinkly skin go away. The thinner I was, the worse it looked. I also did not want to lose any more weight or I would be too thin.
I ended up getting a tummy tuck & am so happy I did. Before that though, each spring for 3 years I would dread swimsuit season, see a plastic surgeon, then chicken out thinking if I exercise more I can tighten it up. Never worked for me.
I have a scar that is hidden below the bikini bottom line, but it is way better than that wrinkly gross granny belly that did not match my age or fitness level or just how good I felt. The worse was when I did a plank it hung in a big saggy blob.
If you do not have any loose skin around the belly button or above it, they can do a mini tummy tuck. But they say most people are not happy with it because it does not deal with the area around and above the BB, only under it. Also people can get their belly button pulled down too low and it looks off.
5 years after my surgery and I have the flattest tummy & still very tight abs. I do have to keep working out, but it is just so nice to wear a bikini at my age (44) & look great!
Good luck!
I ended up getting a tummy tuck & am so happy I did. Before that though, each spring for 3 years I would dread swimsuit season, see a plastic surgeon, then chicken out thinking if I exercise more I can tighten it up. Never worked for me.
I have a scar that is hidden below the bikini bottom line, but it is way better than that wrinkly gross granny belly that did not match my age or fitness level or just how good I felt. The worse was when I did a plank it hung in a big saggy blob.
If you do not have any loose skin around the belly button or above it, they can do a mini tummy tuck. But they say most people are not happy with it because it does not deal with the area around and above the BB, only under it. Also people can get their belly button pulled down too low and it looks off.
5 years after my surgery and I have the flattest tummy & still very tight abs. I do have to keep working out, but it is just so nice to wear a bikini at my age (44) & look great!
Good luck!
Thank you so much for your reply! We have a similar frame and this is exactly my problem too. All the wrinkly skin is actually just in the centre of my tummy around the belly button within a span of a couple inches. I wasn't sure if it would improve in appearance or just stay with me forever, it has also been 3 years for me. The thought of a scar and major surgery freaks me out but it seems I don't really have much of a choice if I want to get rid of it. How big is your scar and how long was the recovery if you don't mind me asking?
I am happy to help! My scar goes from hip to hip. It has been 5 years since the surgery and it has faded, but not entirely. Again it is a tradeoff, but I can bend over & my tummy now is tight & flat, no sags or bulges. 2 things to discuss with your surgeon that are so important: scar placement & belly button. I literally spent a half hour of my consultation telling him how important it was that I had a nice small belly button. I have seen some bad looking ones after surgery & that was so important to me that mine was small & an innie. Also, some surgeons will make the scar too high if you don't discuss with them. It helps to bring a bikini bottom that you wear for reference.
As for recovery, it was just so rough at first. You will need some help just getting around the house for the first week. My kids were around 9 & 12 at the time, so they were able to help. The first week I had no energy & walked hunched like a granny - it was very depressing. But by the second week my energy slowly started coming back. It is major surgery & I think the hardest part is that because it is cosmetic, we tend to think we should just heal faster & look good within a few weeks, but it is no different than healing from any other kind of serious surgery. Also the swelling is so frustrating, you will wake up flat & by the end of the day look 5 months pregnant. That goes on for up to 4 - 6 months - not kidding! But again, the body is healing from all that was done to it & it takes time. Patience is hard, but necessary when getting this surgery. I would say by week 2 I was back to work & driving, but the exhaustion lasted a month. There are really great websites like realself where women share experiences about surgery & support each other & show pictures which is awesome! I lived on that site researching my surgery.
I love sharing my experience & happy to help!
Wow this is incredibly helpfu! I appreciate you being so honest in what to expect, I had no idea where to start. I will definitely check out that website and start researching. I am so happy that you had a great experience and you are happy with your results, it is really encouraging for me to hear. Thank you, my dear!
I've heard of lasers, creams, etc and pretty much none work for the type of issue you are describing. The realself website another poster recommended is a great source of information. I helped my best friend through her tummy tuck and it was a big surgery but now 7 years later she still looks AMAZING, flat and tight. Her scar is barely visible and very low so you never see it in a bathing suit at all. She did not need scar revision because she told her surgeon to go as big as he needed to on the scar, so it spanned her hip to hip and healed beautifully. She has the body of a 20 something and she's in her late 40s with kids, it was that successful.
Wow that is amazing, thanks for sharing! What is a scar revision? I thought once you have the surgery you are done!
Very often with surgery a patient is terrified of having a large scar, so the surgeon tries to make the scar as small as possible and the ends can bunch up after they heal, looking like "puppy dog ears" or pouched out skin at the ends of a scar. You can google the term. I guess they can occur for tummy tucks and even aggressive breast reductions. If the surgeon has the ability to make the scar as large as necessary, there is less likelihood of the scar healing poorly at the ends. If the scar does not heal properly, often the only fix is a "revision" to the scar.
Ive heard many people talking about some wraps that help to tone your skin but I dont really know if they work.