Are there cheaper alternatives to tummy tuck surgery?

By MoneyhighStreet Staff. Published on March 12, 2008 This post currently has no comments.

Surgery

Whether to look younger, deal with a flabby tummy after dieting or perhaps tackle the general lack of toning after pregnancy, many people want to improve the size and appearance of their tummy. But what are the options, what are the costs and critically do you need to spend a lot of money to get good results? There are many options, the choice ranging from the more expensive tummy tuck surgery or liposuction through to the less costly tummy toner creams or mechanical based solutions targeted at stimulating muscle activity for you.

Whatever solution you consider, rest assured none are replacements for good diet control and regular exercise routines. You need to do these anyway!

Undergoing tummy tuck surgery (abdominoplasty) is certainly one route adopted by many. A skilled plastic surgeon can carry this out in a couple of hours and depending on whether you have any other surgery at the same time you may have to stay in hospital overnight. The recovery period depends on each individual but usually you will be back to full activity after 6 weeks.

Make sure you fully research the tummy tuck surgery first, from the location, to the surgeons and of course ensure you have the finance available. In the UK a full tummy tuck operation can cost in the order of £5,000. You can opt to fly off to such as Prague or Hungary and pay about half this. As well as making sure you use a reputable clinic and surgeon, consider you'll be away from home, is this is what you want? Larger tummy tuck clinics may offer finance plans or there are cosmetic surgery loan providers who may be able to help.

Another tummy surgery option is Liposuction . This removes fat from areas such as the abdomen or upper thighs. It is usually undertaken as a day-case but once done it takes time to settle down and it could be several months before you see the full results. The cost in the UK of liposuction is around £2500.

If surgery is not for you, either financially or you just don't want to go down that route, then there are creams available that claim to slim and flatten your tummy. Rodia Tummy Tuck Cream is getting some good press. It works by increasing the fat burning metabolism and breaking down stubborn fat cells around the abdominal area. It is expensive but then it does claim to be able to reduce your waistline by 2cm after only 8 weeks use!

The ER Tummy toner from Mama Mio states 'get your body back after pregnancy'. If you've ever been pregnant then you know that your tummy extends to amazing proportions but sadly when it shrinks back the skin tone is invariably not as good as you want it to be. So even if you've managed to avoid those tummy stretch marks, you probably still need to deal with a tummy tone issue. Your diet and exercise will go a long way to help but add to this the use of the Tummy toner cream and the claim is you can improve your tummy tone. It works by replenishing moisture, exfoliation and then tightening. Don't expect overnight results but with perseverance expectations are that you will see improvements.

Finally, how about getting your tummy muscles toned without any real exertion on your behalf? Sounds great, too good to be true even? There are though such products, including the Slendertone system, which basically stimulate nerves that control the abdominal muscles. The claim is that after only 4 weeks of use of the Slendertone system the toned muscles are much firmer and overall the tummy is much flatter. The system was put under a trial with Cosmopolitan readers and 8 out of 10 reported firmer muscles. At around £100 it could be well worth a try.

At the end of the day you need to consider your own personal circumstances, financially how much you can afford, how quickly you want to get results and of course whether you want to consider surgery or not. If you have the time and want to try the cheaper options first, then exploring the tummy toner creams or indeed the likes of the Slendertone system might be a good step.

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