The reasons behind a flabby-looking abdomen could be many. It is not always excess fat and thus may prove extremely difficult to tackle with diet or exercise. You could end up with a lot of loose skin around the stomach area either due to recent childbirth or sudden gain or loss of a lot of weight leading to damaged abdominal muscles and a bunch of loose skin. One of the best solutions to deal with this problem is to go for an abdominoplasty popularly known as a tummy tuck surgery. When you decide to go for a tummy tuck procedure, it is important to note that there are two types of tummy tucks you can opt for based on your requirements- a mini or a full tummy tuck, also referred to as partial or full abdominoplasty respectively. However, to make your decision you first need to know the difference between the two. There are fundamentally three ways in which a mini and a full tummy tuck differ:

1. The length or number of incisions made
2. The total area of the abdomen that has been repaired
3. The total amount of time needed for recovery

What is a full tummy tuck?

A full tummy tuck usually involves two incisions, one that runs from hipbone to hipbone while inclining downward toward the pubic area, while the other is made around the navel to separate the navel from the attached belly skin. Once the layer of skin and fat has been lifted, a plastic surgeon brings together the underlying muscles which had got permanently stretched for some reason. You thus end up with a tighter and more contoured waistline.

What is a mini tummy tuck?

In a mini tuck, the surgeon makes only one incision, on the bikini line. This procedure is a much simpler procedure that leaves less amount of scarring and lesser downtime. However, this can be only applied in the case of people who have a normal body weight with less fat below the navel area. In case you are suffering from excess fat that is sagging down from above the belly button area, a mini tummy tuck will be of no help, and you may need to go for a full abdominoplasty.

Things to keep in mind when choosing a mini or a full tummy tuck surgery

You can opt for a mini tummy tuck if-

• If your areas of concern are limited to the lower abdomen, for instance, a small amount of loose skin and excess fat in the area below the belly button
• Your upper belly skin and muscle tone are good
• Your overall body type is slender and you are very close to your ideal body weight
• Your general health condition is good

You can opt for a full tummy tuck if-

• You have very loose muscles around the abdominal area
• You have stretch marks that accompany huge quantities of excess skin in the abdominal area

The pros and cons of a mini tummy tuck-

This is a simpler surgery that is performed with the help of a much smaller incision that may be around only 4 to 6 inches long. Through the incision, small amounts of excess skin get removed by your surgeon who may also use liposuction to target little fatty pockets.

Pros:

• Minimal scarring as compared to a full tummy tuck
• The window for recovery is shorter and even faster than a full tummy tuck procedure

Cons:

• If you have concerns in the upper abdominal area, the problem does not get addressed
• As compared to a full tummy tuck, you will see a less striking difference after your surgery

The pros and cons of a full tummy tuck-

A full tummy tuck involves a complete bikini line incision where your surgeon will remove the excess fat and skin from the lower abdomen and in some cases include liposuction on the upper abdomen in order to repair the abdominal muscles.

Pros:

• Gets rid of excess skin and fixes loose muscles present in both your upper and lower abdominal areas
• You will end up with a noticeable change to your overall appearance

Cons:

• You may end up with much scarring in the bikini area
• You will need a longer time to recover

Final Words

If your worry is the loose skin and lax muscles under the belly button, a mini tummy tuck may be the answer. Whereas, if you feel you could benefit from muscle and skin tightening both under and above the belly button, a full tummy tuck is likely a better option. However, a thorough examination by your plastic surgeon is a must to make an informed choice.