Patients with loose tummy skin suffer from a very common condition, specifically excess loose skin of the abdomen that may or may not have stretch marks, excess fat and loose tummy muscles. The cause for loose tummy skin is usually childbearing and childbirth. During pregnancy, the baby expands the tummy skin beyond which the elastic recoil potential that the tummy skin will allow and there is damage to the elastic fibers resulting in excessive skin laxity.
Loose tummy skin is particularly common above the belly button and just above the pubic line. If the skin is stretched too much there will be actual tears in the soft tissue matrix of the skin resulting in stretch marks. Stretch marks are white, soft, displeasing lines on the skin that can be a source of aesthetic concern. Additionally, during childbearing the tummy muscles, called the rectus abdominus, splay apart and may never return to the midline, resulting in a lack of support for internal organs which push forward leading to a bulge or “pot”.
There may also be extra fat and subcutaneous tissue under the loose skin and out towards the love handles, which may contribute to a cosmetically unattractive tummy contour. Other causes for loose tummy skin include excessive weight loss and weight gain and normal aging.
The fractional CO2 laser treats superficial and deep skin layers to rejuvenate, tighten and brighten the skin.
Erbium laser skin resurfacing removes the upper layer of the skin to reveal smoother and younger-looking skin.
