You want some help getting a smoother, slimmer shape, that much you know. What you don’t know is whether a tummy tuck, liposuction or both might be the right pick for you. To help you plan your body contouring procedure, ask yourself these three lipo vs. tummy tuck questions.
Are You Treating Excess Fat, Loose Abdominal Muscles or Excess Skin?
Liposuction is a great way to remove excess fat from those problem areas, but it won’t help with drooping skin, stretch marks or abdominal muscles stretched by weight gain/loss or pregnancy, A tummy tuck treats all of the above, but if the only problem is excess fat, liposuction is the best option.*
Let your plastic surgeon know what your goals are so that he or she can steer you in the right direction.
If part of your body contouring goals includes losing weight, try to come as close as you can to your target weight before your tummy tuck or lipo.
How Much Recovery Time Do You Have?
Liposuction and a tummy tuck are both surgical procedures, so you are going to have to plan for some downtime either way. But liposuction usually comes along with a shorter and simpler recovery period than a tummy tuck, so plan for the amount of time you’ll need to recover from the procedure that’s best for you.*
What’s Your Budget?
Lipo and tummy tuck costs can vary based on location and your plastic surgeon, but in most cases, liposuction is going to be a bit cheaper. You can also help to cut down on costs by combining the two procedures into one surgery. For example, many tummy tuck patients also have some liposuction on their flanks, hips or thighs at the same time. You can also combine liposuction or a tummy tuck with a breast augmentation or other cosmetic procedure.
Whatever you decide, make sure you’re working with an experienced board-certified plastic surgeon for the best outcome.
*This information is for education only, and is not meant as a guarantee of results. Your results may vary.
