How To Get Rid of Mummy Tummy Overhang

After certain life events, such as pregnancy or rapid weight loss, women can experience a paunch of excess skin that hangs down from your stomach – this is known colloquially as a ‘mummy tummy’. 

For many women who have mummy tummy overhang, their first question is how to get rid of it. This article details the different ways that you can work to reduce the appearance of your mummy tummy via both surgical (e.g. abdominoplasty) and nonsurgical means.

To explore resolving your issues with your mummy tummy, book a consultation with Dr. Omar Tillo, the CREO Clinic’s body contouring specialist in London. Dr. Tillo has performed hundreds of successful abdominoplasties and other body contouring procedures  , and will use his experience and expertise  to help ensure a comprehensive transformation for your upper body.

What Causes Mummy Tummy Overhang?

There are a variety of potential causes for mummy tummy overhang, and identifying those which affect you will help you understand the best treatment path to take.

Pregnancy

As your baby grows, your uterus expands and stretches the muscles of your abdomen. The skin also stretches and becomes inelastic, which can create an overhang of lax skin postpartum.

In addition, patients who undergo a C-section are also more likely to develop a hanging belly as C-section scars create the effect of a tight band around the lower abdomen, forcing the lax skin and muscle to protrude over the scar. 

Excess Fat 

It is normal to gain some weight during pregnancy, and for many women this excess fat can be difficult to lose. Your overhang may be a result of stubborn fat not lost since childbirth that has been resistant to diet and exercise. The overhang can also be the result of skin laxity from stretching.

Poor Diet & Excess Alcohol

Many new mothers find themselves craving carbs and sugars, which tend to lead to excess belly fat if you are overindulging. Returning to drinking alcohol after abstaining during pregnancy is a common impulse, but alcohol is also highly calorific, and may also add to the abdominal fat reserves that create overhang.

Speaking to a nutritionist can help you design a personalised diet plan that works for you and your lifestyle.

Stress

Excess stress can result in heightened levels of cortisol that can cause you to have cravings for sweet, fatty, and high calorie foods. This will turn you away from the well-balanced diet, creating habits that can lead to a pouch of stomach fat.

Ageing 

One of the most important factors in drooping skin can be age. As time passes, our skin becomes less elastic, which means that skin is more likely to hang, especially if subcutaneous fat begins to weigh it down.

Can I Get Rid of Mummy Tummy Overhang Without Surgery?

It is difficult to resolve a mummy tummy overhang without an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) surgery, especially when it is a result of skin laxity, but there are some simple habits that are likely to be beneficial for fat-related overhang. 

Increase Aerobic Activity

Regular exercise can help reduce the appearance of your mummy tummy overhang. Yoga, pilates, and jogging can all help to burn any fat that may be causing your stomach to droop.

Improve Diet & Maintain Caloric Deficit

In addition to regular exercise, you should aim to keep to a healthy diet so as to ensure caloric deficit — meaning you are burning more calories than you are taking in, and therefore also reducing levels of subcutaneous and visceral fat.

Non-Surgical Alternatives

To address overhang caused by skin laxity as well as excess fat, there are non-surgical alternatives to abdominoplasty:

BodyTite

BodyTite is a particularly advanced liposuction technique, which uses radio frequency (RF) energy to dissolve fat permanently and tighten lax skin at the same time. It can be very effective at treating a hanging belly after a C-section.

Morpheus8

Morpheus8 also uses radio frequency energy to create controlled depth heating using microneedles. This creates controlled trauma in the skin and subcutaneous fat in order to promote collagen and elastin, thereby helping to improve the contour of the skin. It can work to treat hanging belly caused by inelastic excess skin post-partum.

Abdominoplasty for Mummy Tummy Overhang

A tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) is a procedure with many important aesthetic benefits. The surgery is designed to target incidence of diastasis recti and loose skin around the stomach, making it a perfect treatment for skin overhang.

Procedure

Your procedure will take place in a clinical setting, where you will be made comfortable for the duration of the surgery. 

Depending on the type of tummy tuck your surgeon recommends, the incisions they make can vary. A full tummy tuck requires an incision across the bikini line, other types, such as the extended tummy tuck or fleur-de-lis tummy tuck will use different incisions.

After the incisions are made, your surgeon removes any loose skin around the lower abdomen and navel. You may be experiencing a bulge as a result of muscle separation, otherwise known as  diastasis recti. If this is the case, your surgeon will address this by bringing the separated muscles back together and tightening them up with dissolvable sutures. 

Before & After

Schedule A Consultation With CREO Clinic

To dramatically improve the appearance of your stomach by removing your mummy tummy, book a consultation with Dr. Omar Tillo, the CREO Clinic’s double board-certified cosmetic surgeon in London.

Dr. Tillo will use his depth of skill and expertise to create a bespoke treatment plan designed specifically to achieve a flatter, more contoured stomach, and help you see the aesthetic transformation you deserve.