Plastic Surgery for Stretch Marks

What are stretch marks?

Stretch marks are pale colored scars occurring on the fatty part of the body. When you gain a lot of weight (or lose it) over a short period of time, your skin has to stretch to accommodate the extra fat. But the layer just below the top layer of the skin, called dermis, is not that elastic. It cannot stretch as fast and therefore is torn. The scars of these torn tissues show up against the skin as stretch marks. They are almost unavoidable during pregnancy.

How to remove stretch marks?

Stretch marks are very difficult to avoid or remove. Several skin care regimes are suggested over considerable period of time to deal with the problem. A number of creams and lotions are present in the market to get rid of stretch marks. If you have not got desired results from using such remedies, you can consider opting for plastic surgery to get rid of stretch marks.

A word of caution! You must know that even plastic surgery is not one hundred percent effective all the time. Moreover, it is a surgical procedure and thus involves some pain and medication. If you are thinking of laser removal, you will have to visit the doctor for several sessions. If, on the other hand, you are considering a tummy tuck you will need complete rest for seven to ten days and light physical activity for a month afterward. Finally, these are elective procedures. They are not very cheap and will not be covered by your medical insurance.

However, plastic surgery has a better chance of removing stretch marks. As they fade noticeably, it will do wonders for your self confidence. You will be able to wear swim suits and clinging dresses again without self consciousness and it will definitely boost your social life. so why not at least try to get rid of this unsightly blemish on your beauty?

Laser removal

One option is to remove stretch marks by using the laser treatment. Here concentrated rays of yellow and green light lasers are send on the targeted area. These types of lasers work the best, probably because they are most easily absorbed by the collagen and elastin molecules of the skin. It is claimed that the laser promotes the growth of new collagen and elastin molecules. As a result, after repeating the session for four to six times, usually over a period of a year, the stretch marks appear flatter. They may also appear to fade in hue.

Some experts point out that lasers are good for destroying cells and so cannot remove stretch marks. You should know that there is no guarantee that stretch marks will be eliminated by laser. They may come back after some time, or may never fade completely. But many people report that they do fade perceptively. So you should not completely ignore this option.

Tummy tuck

Many plastic surgeons claim that tummy tuck or abdominoplasty is the only way to get rid of stretch marks. This works for your lower abdomen. The fascia or the inner girdle which gives shape to your abdomen, stretches during pregnancy, but cannot resume its shape easily. The surgeon tightens up the fascia. Your lower abdomen becomes firm. So, the unsightly stretch marks often fade almost to invisibility. However, it is quite a painful and expensive procedure. It also leaves surgical scars on your belly. They generally fade over time, but not always.

If your stretch marks are seriously affecting your self confidence, you can opt for any of the above methods. Get a firm smooth skin and regain your joy in your body and your life.

About the Author

Get more information about laser stretch mark removal and how it can help reduce and eliminate stretch marks at http://www.stretchmarkshelp.com/laser-stretch-mark-removal

Show Off Some Abs With A Tummy Tuck

Tummy tuck, also called abdominoplasty refers to the cosmetic surgery procedure done to acquire an improved abdominal profile.



This involves taking out extra skin and fat and the tightening of abdominal muscles, resulting in a flatter abdomen. It is usually women whose skin have sagged after several pregnancies or people who had undergone drastic weight loss loosening their abdominal skin who opt to have this procedure.



Best Candidates for Tummy Tuck



Women whove given birth have loosened skin and muscles far beyond the normal recovery. Those men and women whove had drastic weight loss through rigid exercise or diet and bariatric surgery. Advancing age causes diminishing elasticity of the skin, another cause for loosened abdominal skin. Tummy tuck surgeries are beneficial for these patients.



Possible Consequences



There are always reservations, potential threats and snags involved in all surgical procedures, along with thousands of successful tummy tucks done yearly. A qualified plastic surgeon, trained in body contouring operations, can be expected to deliver positive outcomes, in general.



At the same time, there are accepted complications and risks in tummy tuck surgeries. Some would be infection and blood clots, which happen rarely but the possibility of their occurence should not be discounted. To treat infections, patients are dispensed antibiotics and drainage, which can extend your the hospital confinement. To reduce the possible occurence of blood clotting, it is advisable to move around as soon as you are advised it is safe to do so.



Deficient healing would result in ugly scars and call for a follow-up procedure. Smoking is advised to be refrained from because it adds to the possibility of complications and delay recovery. You must follow all pre and post operative instructions your surgeon gives out because these are intended to reduce the probable occurrence of complications for you.



Costs



Tummy tucks cost from $5,000 to $9,000. There are operations that can be done simultaneous with the tummy tuck but would lead to additional payments. For instance, a tummy tuck with liposuction and breast augmentation would come up to somewhere between $15,000 to $20,000.



Contraindications to Tummy Tuck



Tummy tucks are not advisable for those in poor state of health, like those with heart disease, extreme obesity or a record of thromboembolitic disease. Heavy smoking and expectations which are not viable count among contradications to abdominoplasty.



Preparatory steps



In you first conference with your cosmetic surgeon, your overall state of health will be assessed the extent of fatty deposits in your abdominal region and the quality of your skin tone. Dont neglect to mention important information like maintenance drugs or vitamins and health supplements, as well as habits like smoking and allergies you may have.



Verbalize all your concerns about the procedure, too. Your surgeon will lay down possible results, complications and risks, costs, etc. Realistic expectations and an open attitude towards recovery time and possible permanent scars would make you the right candidate for a tummy tuck.



When you finally decide on the tummy tuck, your surgeon will schedule the operation and lay down the pre-operative instructions for you. Diagnostic examinations like routine blood work and cardiac work ups are requested for abdominoplasty patients.



You would be instructed to suspend or cease some medications as early as two weeks before the actual procedure. These are drugs that raise the possibility of bleeding, like aspirin, blood thinners, vitamin E and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.



A tummy tuck is commonly done with the patient under general anesthesia; there are some who perform this operation with just a local anesthetic with a sedative. The operation lasts from two to five hours.



Full Tummy Tuck



A full tummy tuck is done with an incision across the abdomen, crossing from one hipbone to the other, just above the pubic region. Another cut is done around the belly button to free it from the surrounding abdominal tissue.



Skin from the abdominal wall is removed to bare the rectus muscles or vertical abdominal muscles and fascia (the muscles usually stretched by past pregnancies) meant to be tightened, The vertical muscles then are sewn into a new place to constrict the muscles and diminish the abdominal girth.



When the muscles have been relocated, extra skin and fat are taken out. The remaining skin is positioned over the abdominal area and sewn in place. The belly button is also taken out and sewn in the new position. Usually, liposuction is done to smoothen the areas that had been treated.



Partial or Mini Tummy Tuck



Partial or mini abdominoplasty is given as an alternative for those within 10% of their desired body mass. This method is not as invasive, with smaller incisions and none around the navel. In some occasions,liposuction is done and the fatty tissues lower than the navel is taken out to constrict the muscles from the belly button to the pubic area.



If your weight is more than 20% of your ideal, your plastic surgeon would most definitely propose a full tummy tuck for you.



Post-abdominoplasty



A tummy tuck is a major operation. Thus there is a longer recovery period in contrast to minor cosmetic procedures. Most of the time, you have to wait one to three weeks before resuming your normal lifestyle.



There are patients who stay overnight in the hospital while some are ordered to stay for up to two days. Your confinement time varies with the extent of the surgery. In the first few days after the surgery, you can expect some puffiness and tenderness in the treated areas for which you will be provided pain relievers. Narcotics are usually prescribed for pain management. Later, non-narcotic pain relievers can easily relieve the patients pain.



You will be given specific orders when to get back to your regular lifestyle. Light to moderate activity can be done four weeks after the procedure and full normal activity after six to eight weeks.



Although the scarring improves over time, this condition will not entirely disappear. The surgeon can suggest topical medications for the scars.



You must go on a suitable diet and exercise program after a tummy tuck. Women who give birth again could get another tuck afterwards.



For those of you thinking of going through a tummy tuck to look much better, you must look at the procedure from a realistic perspective. Indeed this cosmetic surgical procedure will enhance your appearance and raise your self confidence, actual results may not correspond to what you envisioned. Thus, it is a must that you first thresh out with your chosen cosmetic surgeon whatever results you are anticipating from the tummy tuck.

About the Author

Kalona Karrington is a writer and researcher for Cosmetic Surgery Today. Article courtesy of www.CosmeticSurgeryToday.com, the consumer's guide to plastic cosmetic surgery information and resources. Please visit http://www.cosmeticsurgerytoday.com/tummy_tuck/ for more information.