CoolSculpting® or Tummy Tuck: Which One is Right For You?

Getting rid of belly fat is hard, especially if you're genetically predisposed to store extra fat around your midsection for hard times. Thankfully, there are surgical and non-surgical options to help you overcome this hurdle for the flat, tight stomach you’ve always wanted.

At Laughlin Plastic Surgery in Annapolis, MD, Dr. Daniel Laughlin offers both CoolScupting®, a noninvasive way to treat stubborn spots of belly fat, and tummy tucks to surgically remove excess fat, skin, and tissue to leave you with the body you want.

CoolSculpting

CoolSculpting uses cryolysis, or cold therapy, to damage fat cells so your body will perceive them as waste and flush them out via your lymphatic system. Dr. Laughlin uses a handheld device that emits waves of energy just cold enough to target fat cells without affecting skin or muscle cells.

You might be a good candidate for CoolSculpting if you’re already within 10 pounds of your weight goal, have no excess loose skin hanging around your belly, and want a non-surgical option.

If CoolSculpting does not seem like the powerhouse treatment you need for your belly fat, Dr. Laughlin can switch tactics and perform a small surgery fondly known as the tummy tuck (its proper name is abdominoplasty).

Tummy Tucks

A tummy tuck might be better for you if you still have significant fat hanging around your midsection, have loose skin from weight loss, or have been struggling to get rid of stubborn belly fat for a long time and are otherwise healthy.

Many women, in particular, choose a tummy tuck because of sagging skin and belly fat left from pregnancy or because of the separation of some of the abdominal muscles during pregnancy or childbirth. Dr. Laughlin can do some repairs during the tummy tuck to tighten your core and relieve back pain due to a sagging front.

Which option is right for you?

Both men and women can benefit from CoolSculpting or a tummy tuck. However, women undergo tummy tucks more often than men; a whopping 97% of abdominoplasty patients are women.

Dr. Laughlin will sit down with you and discuss your specific goals for your body and your future fitness, pregnancy, and lifestyle plans. For women, abdominal surgery is usually better saved for after you’ve had your children, as your body can change with each pregnancy, and childbirth can put a strain on an abdominal scar.

If you’re athletic, focused on weight loss, and almost at your body weight, you might choose CoolSculpting just to get you over that last bump in the road. If you’ve been struggling with abdominal fat for years and feel like you’re getting nowhere, a tummy tuck may be more attractive, even though it’s a surgical procedure.

Interested in learning more about ways to target insight lower abdominal fat? Call our office at 410-205-5629 to schedule a consultation, or visit our contact page to message us today.