Liposuction Vs. Tummy Tuck – Which Procedure Is Better

Cosmetic surgery is at the height of its popularity nowadays. Both men and women are undergoing surgeries and procedures to improve their aesthetics. People are doing rhinoplasty, breast augmentation surgery, and so many more.

On the other hand, when it comes to sculpting the rest of your body, most people still rely on dieting and regular exercise to get their perfect beach bodies. However, in some cases, that’s either not possible; or you need a little bit of extra help to achieve your goals.

The procedures that can really help you get a flat stomach and nice toned abs are liposuction and tummy tuck.

Many people use these terms interchangeably, but they’re actually not the same thing. So, if you decide to get one or the other, you should probably be aware of their differences. On that note, we wanted to compare the two and see what the differences between them are, and maybe, in the end, ultimately decide which one is better. Or, at the very least, determine which procedure is better for you. Let’s get started.

What’s Liposuction?

Liposuction, lipoplasty, or simply lipo, is a cosmetic surgery that essentially breaks up and “sucks” the excess fat from your body. It is one of the most common, if not the most common cosmetic procedure in the US. It is most commonly done to remove the excess fat from your abdomen, but it could also be performed to remove the fat from your thighs, buttocks, neck, chin, arms, calves and even back.

Nowadays, there are several different ways to perform liposuction. Some are done with the laser, some are power-assisted, some are done with one, the others with two cannulas, etc. There are minor differences between all of them, mostly in regards to bruising, inflammation and the effectiveness of the procedure.

Contrary to popular belief, this is not a weight-loss procedure nor a treatment. It is just a procedure to remove the undesirable fat from certain portions of the body. It won’t help with the cellulite or stretch marks, and if you’re not cautious with your diet and exercise after the procedure, the effects of the lipo can be pretty short-lived, although that is quite common.

What’s Tummy Tuck?

A tummy tuck or abdominoplasty is a cosmetic procedure used to make your abdomen thinner and firmer. Unlike liposuction, during the tummy tuck procedure, alongside excess fat deposits, the doctors will also remove the excess skin and tighten your abdominal muscles. As you can see, this is a far more complicated and invasive procedure and is usually done on people who have lost a lot of weight and have been left with excess, sagging skin.

Unlike lipo, you will be left with a much more noticeable scar. Some can even extend across your whole abdomen, from hip to hip, although most of them will be low enough so that you can cover them with your underwear.

Can You Do Liposuction And Tummy Tuck Together?

The answer is yes. You can undergo both procedures at the same time to achieve the best results. The recovery period will be as long as it is with the regular tummy tuck, maybe slightly longer, but not often. We won’t get too much into the recovery process, but if you want to read more about it, you should feel free to do so.

Pros And Cons Of Liposuction and Tummy Tuck

To better understand the differences between these two procedures and understand which one is better, we’re going to take a look at the pros and cons for both of them. Let’s start with the lipo.

Liposuction – The Pros

First up, liposuction is arguably the safest procedure you can undergo to remove the excess fat from your body. It is not as invasive as a tummy tuck, the recovery process is much shorter, and it is highly effective.

Also, it gives immediate results. Even though nothing beats exercising and dieting, changing your body that way takes a lot of time. With lipo, you see the results after only a few hours.

Furthermore, a procedure like this can boost your esteem, and as we’ve previously mentioned, it won’t take long to recover from it.

Liposuction – The Cons

If performed inadequately, this procedure can result in damages to the skin, which could result in scarring, swelling of bruises. Fortunately, these are often short-lived and are rarely permanent.

Also, even though liposuction is known to yield long-lasting results, it is not permanent. You can always get fat again and ruin your physique if you don’t exercise or eat healthy.

Finally, there is always the risk of infection or a reaction to the post-op medication with procedures like these. Rarely, these issues could lead to some severe health problems like skin necrosis.

Tummy Tuck – The Pros

A tummy tuck will manage to get you looking slimmer and leaner than liposuction would. This is primarily due to the fact that apart from removing excess abdominal fat, you also end up with tightened abdominal muscles and less skin on your stomach.

Once again, the results are instantaneous. However, it will take some time for you to fully appreciate them because of the recovery process, but that doesn’t mean they’re not there. You just can’t see them right away.

Finally, abdominoplasty can also help you get rid of the stretch marks on your lower stomach and possibly improve the look of the C-section scars.

Tummy Tuck – The Cons

Unlike lipo, from which you can return to work within a week, the recovery process for abdominoplasty takes at least six weeks since the procedure is far more invasive.

Also, you will end up with a pretty big scar after you’ve undergone the procedure. The scar will be pretty visible during the first year, but it will get better as time goes by.

Finally, you might want to avoid pregnancy or sudden weight gain following this procedure. Otherwise, the results of the tummy tuck might be severely compromised.

Which Procedure Is Better?

That’s really hard to tell. They’re both very effective, and you could make a case for both of them being the superior ones. The only thing we could say is – you have to judge for yourself. If you have a lot of excess skin – lipo probably isn’t the right choice for you. Also, getting a tummy tuck is probably unnecessary if you’re just dealing with some extra fat.

So, we guess what we’re trying to say is – it all depends. Take a good look in the mirror and understand what works best for you.