Whether following pregnancy or weight loss, the skin on the belly can lose its elasticity and can remain distended. Sometimes, when the skin is too lax, lipoaspiration or liposuction alone fails to achieve a flat stomach. And so we need to carry out abdominal plasty which can range from the mini abdominal plasty performed under local anesthetic and sedation to the classic lipoabdominoplasty which is a bigger operation since it also involves dealing with tightening muscles in the abdominal wall that have become relaxed (weak).

This procedure can be covered by medical insurance. In practice, the operation involves the removal of a section of skin between the navel and the pubic bone and the “redraping” of skin situated beneath the navel towards the pubic bone. The navel is preserved and repositioned by being cut into the newly tightened skin. Every surgeon has his/her techniques and liposuction of the abdomen and “love handles” are commonly carried out at the same time.

The procedure usually requires a 2 day stay in hospital and the patient must wear a support band/corset for a minimum of 4 weeks. Results can be appreciated from around 8 weeks when patients regain their figure and toned belly which usually brings with it psychological well-being which is important in daily life.

Fat can accumulate in the stomach area, principally under the navel and to the sides of the waistband, and remain, notwithstanding any amount of dieting.

Where the skin is still sufficiently toned, liposuction/lipoaspiration can be used to correct this problem.

Cryotherapy is different

Be careful not to confuse cryotherapy with cryolipolysis. Cryotherapy consists of exposing the entire body to extreme cold (between – 120 and – 140 °C) for 1 to 3 minutes. The benefits: elimination of tiredness, improvement of blood circulation and muscular recovery, reduction of oedemas and articular pains. But it does not act on fat overloads.

« The CRYOLIPOLYSE » is a technique which consists in cooling fat cells and to create a decomposition of those fat cells (lipolysis). The cryolipolyse destroys only the fat cells without damaging the muscles, the nerves and the skin which are less sensitive cold. It should be noted that this technique address only to patients with a normal weight. This not-invasive technique offers an alternative to the lipoaspiration for those who wish to avoid a surgical operation. The zones to be treated are mainly the belly, the love handles and the back, but it is also possible in certain cases to treat the « culotte de cheval », the thighs, the arms and the double chin.

Treatment :

The treatment lasts between 30 and 60 minutes, during which the zone to be treated is pinched between the cooling panels of the applicator. Pain can be perceived during the first minutes.The temperature is of approximately -7°C.

Results :

The result after three months (sometimes less) shows an average reduction from approximately 30% thickness of the pad. During this period, released fat is evacuated by the metabolism of the body. Sport, healthy food and good hydration contribute to optimize the result.

Good to know :

Redness, bruise, some oedema, pain or loss of sensitivity can persist a few weeks. These effects are not systematic but must be known.

Price for a zone: 800.- chfr.

After severe weight loss, the skin remains stretched and may also have lost elasticity. It may be unable to regain its former tone and cannot adapt itself to the new figure. It is a bit like the body being a size S and the skin remaining a size XXL. This is particularly the case around the abdomen, waist and buttocks. The problem may arise following a particularly strict diet or after bariatric surgery, such as gastric by-pass surgery.

The procedure involves extending the incision that would be made during abdominal plasty to circle the entire abdominal region; hips. waist and buttocks. A section of skin is removed, the size of which depends upon the severity of the sagging of the skin and in cases where fat is also excessive, liposuction of both the tummy area and hips is performed to refine the figure. The resulting scar is circular but can be hidden with undergarments.

This procedure requires a general anesthetic and a stay in hospital. Support garments must be worn for a period of a minimum of 4 weeks. Sometimes, it is possible for medical insurance to assist with the cost and your aesthetic surgeon can write to your medical insurer for prior agreement to the procedure, if it covers private clinics.