As a board-certified plastic surgeon, I wanted to clear up some confusion about liposuction and tummy tucks. You may have seen ads claiming liposuction gives the same results as a tummy tuck – this is simply not true.
The BodyTite Difference
Technologies like BodyTite, which we offer in our office, are really transformative. BodyTite uses radiofrequency energy to tighten the skin and melt the fat. By combining it with liposuction we can sculpt any area of your body and really improve the contour. It’s like supercharging a liposuction procedure. And to be honest, I rarely do a liposuction procedure anymore without the addition of BodyTite. It really is that important to my practice and the best part, we can do these procedures in our office, with you awake. So it is a win-win.
30% Does Not Equal 100%
But the real problem lies with loose skin. BodyTite is really good at tightening skin but only partially. Per our experience, the maximum skin-tightening effect of BodyTite around the belly is around 30%. Full tummy tucks offer 100% skin tightening or more – so there’s really no comparison. So, if you have BOTH loose skin and excess fat on your belly, BodyTite alone is probably not the answer.
Important Differences
- The key difference is that liposuction removes fat but cannot cut or remove excess skin. Tummy tucks surgically remove excess skin and tighten underlying muscles for dramatic reshaping of the abdomen.
- Liposuction may tighten skin slightly by bringing it closer to the muscle layer after fat removal. But it cannot remove large amounts of loose, hanging skin.
- In fact, removing a lot of fat without removing excess skin can make looseness even worse. The more fat that is taken out, the more skin may hang and look distorted.
- Some patients opt for liposuction knowing they’ll still have some loose skin afterward. If the goal is better clothes fitting without a perfectly taut abdomen, this may be reasonable. But it’s important to understand liposuction does not equal a tummy tuck in terms of skin tightening.
- Adding on BodyTite to belly liposuction can give you up to 30% more skin tightening when compared to liposuction alone but that is often not enough to tighten the preexisting loose skin.
- The bottom line is liposuction and tummy tucks are different procedures entirely. While there may be some overlap in appropriate candidates, they cannot substitute for one another. Claims that liposuction gives the same results as a tummy tuck are simply marketing hype, not medical reality.
Contact my office today to learn more about how we can define your belly with either BodyTite, Tummy Tuck, or both!