subject: Lifestyle Changes That You Need To Follow To Maintain Your Abdominoplasty Tummy [print this page] An abdominoplasty is better known as a tummy tuck. It involves the removal of excess skin in the abdominal area and tightening of the skin and muscles to give you a flatter tummy. It is not a method of weight loss, though liposuction can be used to help contour and smooth out the area during a tummy tuck.
Now, the results are permanent because the excess skin is actually cut away, gone forever. In order to maintain the final result and continue to enjoy your flat tummy, you have to evaluate your lifestyle and make changes if necessary.
Of course, aging plays a factor and you can't do much about that, but here are some things you do have control over:
- Follow all of your surgeon's post-operative instructions. Hold off any strenuous activities until you doctor okays it. Take any post-op pain medications. Use any topical treatments prescribed for you. Preventing infection and reducing swelling ensures better results.
- Diet and exercise. Keep your body healthy overall with a healthy diet and exercise. This will help you keep your weight stabilized. Making sure you have a well-rounded diet of fruits, vegetables and lean proteins, your body will heal much faster than with a diet of junk food. Exercise is essential to good cardiovascular health as well as building muscle which in turn, burns fat.
- Kick your bad habits. Smoking is bad for the health of your skin and body. It can impede the healing process after your abdominoplasty as well. In fact, your surgeon will tell you to quit smoking at least two weeks prior to the surgery.
Alcoholic beverages are empty calories and lead to weight gain as well as other health problems. Drinking in moderation or not at all means you can use those empty calories for something that is better for your body.
- Drink lots of water. You moisturize your skin on the outside, but you should also moisturize the inside by drinking at least 8-10 glasses of water a day.
- No more pregnancies and limit weight gain. If your sagging skin came from pregnancy, you should be finished having babies before an abdominoplasty. Also, you should be at your ideal weight or at least within twenty pounds of it and ready to maintain that weight.
The reason for this is that skin is removed and muscles are tightened after having been stretched out by pregnancy or weight. Once this is done, if you stretch them out again, it can lead to complications, stretch marks and ruins your results.
When pursuing an abdominoplasty, be sure to choose the right surgeon for the job. He should be board certified, licensed and experienced in the procedure.
This is a surgical procedure that is done under general anesthesia so you want to be sure that you are in good hands. Continue to follow his advice afterwards and you can enjoy your flatter tummy for years to come.
