Most people feel a desire to gain a flatter, more toned belly in order to enhance their silhouette and boost confidence, especially after pregnancy, weight changes, or the effects of aging. Unfortunately, the factors that often cause the stomach to bulge outward — such as reduced skin elasticity, stubborn fat buildup, and stretched out musculature — are not corrected with dieting and exercise alone. For this reason, Santa Barbara plastic surgeon Wesley Schooler, MD offers effective solutions for addressing exercise-resistant fat, loose skin, and weakened muscles that can’t be improved through a healthy lifestyle alone. 

Subcutaneous Fat vs. Visceral Fat: Understanding the Difference

Subcutaneous fat and visceral fat are two distinct types of body fat — each of which differ in their location, function, and impact on one’s health. Subcutaneous fat lies just beneath the skin’s surface and is known as the soft, pinchable fat in areas like the abdomen, thighs, and arms. It serves as insulation and energy storage. Visceral fat, on the other hand, is stored deeper within the abdominal cavity, surrounding internal organs such as the liver, intestines, and pancreas. While subcutaneous fat can be removed through cosmetic procedures like liposuction, visceral fat typically requires lifestyle changes, such as an improved diet and regular exercise, to reduce. Understanding the difference between these two types of fat is important when considering the most effective body contouring treatments to flatten your stomach.

Treatments to Flatten the Belly

Surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures can be tailored to give you a smoother, slimmer, and more sculpted abdominal profile within the context of your individual goals. At Santa Barbara Plastic Surgery Center, options include:

• Tummy Tuck: Over time, factors like pregnancy, weight changes, or aging can stretch the skin and separate the abdominal muscles, leading to a protruding or sagging belly. During a tummy tuck, Dr. Schooler repairs and tightens these muscles, trims away loose skin, and may also reposition the belly button for a more natural look. The result is a firmer, flatter, and more toned abdominal profile. While not a weight loss procedure, a tummy tuck can significantly enhance your body contour, especially when combined with liposuction.
• Liposuction: Liposuction helps flatten the belly by removing stubborn fat deposits from beneath the skin. It specifically targets areas of fat that are resistant to dieting and exercise, especially around the lower abdomen, flanks, and waistline. During the procedure, a surgeon inserts a thin tube called a cannula through small incisions to break up and suction out excess fat, resulting in a slimmer and more contoured look. Unlike a tummy tuck, liposuction does not remove loose skin or tighten muscles, but it can be highly effective for patients with good skin elasticity who are looking to reduce localized fat and achieve a flatter belly.
• Mommy Makeover: For many patients, a dual approach to achieve both skin tightening and fat reduction can be ideal. More often than not, the belly bulges outward due to a combination of loose, crepey skin and excess fat. A Mommy Makeover offers an all-encompassing solution to address the skin, fat, and underlying musculature for a total transformation of your body contours. Needless to say, this treatment option can be very popular for Santa Barbara patients who want to improve changes caused by pregnancy and major weight loss. 
• BodyTite^®: While non-surgical treatments cannot achieve a dramatic transformation in your body contours, BodyTite^® can be an effective minimally invasive approach to tightening loose abdominal skin. Treatment can also help reduce excess fat deposits in the belly, providing more comprehensive enhancement when compared to other non-surgical technologies. Dr. Schooler is among the only plastic surgeons in the Santa Barbara region who offers RF skin tightening and fat reduction with BodyTite^®. 

Body contouring procedures can be essential in mitigating the cosmetic effects of pregnancy, weight gain, and breastfeeding as you age. For more information on developing a custom treatment plan curated to achieve your desired results, don’t hesitate to contact our Santa Barbara practice today. 

Pregnancy, weight fluctuations, or simply the effects of aging can leave behind a “pooch” of excess skin and fatty tissue in the abdomen. Despite living a healthy, active lifestyle, many patients find that this shelf of excess tissue is resistant to exercise, dieting, and other efforts to tone and tighten the belly. This aesthetic concern is not uncommon, but Santa Barbara plastic surgeon Wesley Schooler, MD understands how unflattering contours in the abdomen can negatively impact a patient’s confidence, self-esteem, and body image. Fortunately, stubborn regions of fat buildup and skin laxity don’t have to last forever. 

After having children and/or weight loss, a tummy tuck is often considered the most effective, long-lasting solution to improve the tone and texture of the abdomen. Often called abdominoplasty, a tummy tuck addresses excess skin, fat accumulation, and separated internal musculature to achieve a leaner, slimmer, and more sculpted look — effectively smoothing a belly pooch. Before-and-after photos of previous patients’ tummy tuck results can help highlight the transformative power of the procedure. 

While a tummy tuck is by far the most beneficial treatment to reduce a belly pooch, other non-surgical services may still be able to provide improvement. If you’d rather avoid surgery, Dr. Schooler also offers BodyTite^®, a minimally invasive skin tightening technology, to recontour the abdomen via radiofrequency (RF) energy-assisted fat removal. Through a process known as Radio-Frequency Assisted Lipolysis (RFAL), BodyTite^® can help remove excess fat while simultaneously tightening loose skin. Following a discussion of your overall goals, Dr. Schooler can recommend an ideal treatment plan to resculpt your abdomen. 

Dr. Wesley Schooler offers a range of body contouring solutions tailored for your unique needs at Santa Barbara Plastic Surgery. Don’t hesitate to contact our team today for more information about a tummy tuck, or to book a consultation. 

Losing weight can be an uphill battle, but the confidence of improving your health and achieving your aesthetic goals is incomparable. When it comes to cosmetic procedures after weight loss surgery, comprehensive research before your procedure(s) is vital. While finding the right plastic surgeon to achieve your goals can be daunting, we encourage you to follow these tips to help narrow down your potential options:

• Select an extensively experienced board-certified plastic surgeon in Santa Barbara: Make sure your cosmetic surgeon is accredited by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), as plastic surgeons who are board-certified generally have the highest caliber of training in aesthetic body lifting procedures like brachioplasty, abdominoplasty, and mastopexy.
• Research their reputation and online reviews: In many cases, a doctor’s reviews can be a telling indication of the level of patient care you can expect to receive. Exploring these online reviews by previous patients can help you determine whether you feel comfortable entrusting a prospective surgeon with your goals.
• Review before-and-after photos: Ultimately, the photos in your plastic surgeon’s portfolio should mirror the types of results you wish to achieve. That said, we encourage you to explore his/her patient gallery to assess whether the outcomes depicted align with your goals.
• Visit their practice for a consultation: Feeling comfortable and confident under a plastic surgeon’s care can make your plastic surgery journey much easier. Book a consultation with a surgeon you’re interested in to not only speak about your goals more personally, but also to get a feel for the environment at their practice.

Post-weight loss procedures can help resculpt areas affected by residual hanging skin after significant weight loss, resulting in a slimmer and leaner look. For many individuals, body contouring surgeries like a tummy tuck, breast lift, thigh lift, and arm lift are often the last step in their aesthetic transformations.

If you’re looking for solutions to get rid of hanging skin, Dr. Wesley Schooler understands that you likely have many questions. He can evaluate your concerns and listen to your goals to develop the best possible treatment plan for your needs. Contact our Santa Barbara practice for more information about our body lift procedures or to book a consultation.

Among the most popular cosmetic procedures in the country is a Mommy Makeover — an advanced treatment plan consisting of aesthetic procedures designed to reverse the changes caused by pregnancy and breastfeeding. While the exact details of the process vary from patient to patient, a Mommy Makeover is usually quite extensive. Due to the complex nature of treatment, selecting the right plastic surgeon to make your goals a reality is pivotal. Dr. Wesley Schooler, our renowned plastic surgeon in Santa Barbara, understands that the process of choosing the right Mommy Makeover provider for your unique needs can be overwhelming. In conducting your research, our team encourages patients interested in a Mommy Makeover to select a doctor with: 

Extensive Credentials and Professional Memberships

Choosing a highly experienced plastic surgeon to conduct your treatment is paramount. In the interest of your health, safety, and appearance, selecting a doctor who is accredited by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) and who belongs to other national professional organizations is recommended. Dr. Schooler is not only double board-certified in aesthetic and hand surgery, but he was also the Chief of Plastic Surgery at LAC-USC Medical Center, as well as an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Southern California.

High-Quality Patient Results

A consistent record of beautiful and natural-looking results can be a very telling indication of a plastic surgeon’s ability to achieve your goals. While you will be shown before-and-after photos during your consultation, we also invite patients to explore a doctor’s patient gallery to see the potential results possible with the treatments you’re interested in. 

Non-Surgical Treatments and Technology

Although most Mommy Makeovers consist of surgical procedures, there are many non-surgical treatments that can also complement the results of a procedure and achieve a more rejuvenated, youthful look. It can be useful to select a plastic surgeon who offers non-surgical alternatives on top of cosmetic surgery to help ensure you receive the best possible treatment plan. At our med spa, Dr. Schooler offers fillers, microneedling, laser skin resurfacing, injectables, BodyTite^®, CoolSculpting^®, and other minimally invasive treatments to give patients a greater range of options to achieve their aesthetic goals. 

A Mommy Makeover can be a truly life-changing treatment plan to regain your pre-pregnancy figure as well as your confidence. Don’t hesitate to contact Santa Barbara Plastic Surgery Center for more information about your Mommy Makeover options or to schedule a consultation. 

Having children can cause a range of unfavorable changes in the body and excess abdominal skin is a common concern experienced by patients following pregnancy. For most patients, pregnancy reduces skin elasticity in the abdomen and the skin is unable to “snap back” to their original body shape. As a result, there is often an apron of loose skin left on the lower abdomen that cannot be corrected with dieting and exercise alone. While board-certified plastic surgeon Wesley Schooler, MD understands how frustrating excess skin can be, our Santa Barbara practice offers both surgical and non-surgical treatments to help you regain a smoother, tighter abdominal contour: 

• Tummy Tuck: A tummy tuck is the most effective treatment to rid the abdomen of excess, hanging skin. Results can be immediately noticeable and long-lasting, providing patients with a slimmer waistline and a sleeker, more defined abdomen. 
• BodyTite^®: Those looking for non-surgical improvement may benefit from BodyTite^®, a minimally invasive skin tightening treatment that uses radiofrequency energy to help promote skin tissue contraction. This can help enhance loose skin on the abdomen without the commitment of a surgical procedure and recovery period. 
• Post-Bariatric Body Contouring: Also known as a lower body lift, body contouring after weight loss can help address excess skin left in multiple areas, such as the abdomen, thighs, and buttocks. This is a combination treatment plan designed to correct hanging skin in many different regions, resulting in all-encompassing improvement. 

There are many different options available to improve the abdomen after pregnancy and Dr. Schooler would be happy to meet with you to formulate an ideal treatment plan to obtain the results you envision. 

Loose abdominal skin left after pregnancy can negatively affect your abdominal contour, but Dr. Schooler offers solutions to give you the smooth, sleek stomach you desire. Don’t hesitate to contact our Santa Barbara office to book an appointment with Dr. Schooler or to learn more about our services. 

The best timing for a Mommy Makeover is a frequently asked question raised by patients in Santa Barbara and beyond. For many women, the desire to return to their pre-pregnancy body as soon as possible after giving birth is very common. Unfortunately, there are some concerns that cannot be improved with healthy living and an active lifestyle, such as separated abdominal muscles, hanging skin, and stubborn fat. A Mommy Makeover is perhaps the most effective and comprehensive way to reclaim your pre-baby contours, but it’s essential to give your body time to “settle” after giving birth before putting it through additional stress. In general, patients should wait at least six months to one year after their pregnancy before considering a Mommy Makeover.

While it typically takes six months to one year for the body to heal after having children, other factors may also affect the best timing for your Mommy Makeover. For example, many women choose to wait until their childcare responsibilities are less demanding — often through enlisting outside help or by waiting until their newborn is a little older — to ensure they have adequate time to recover and rest after surgery. That said, it’s never too early to start planning for your Mommy Makeover and to receive guidance on your potential treatment options during a consultation. The right timing for your surgery is unique to your situation, and Dr. Schooler will be there to help guide you through the process.

Regardless of when you decide to start pursuing a Mommy Makeover, consulting with a board-certified plastic surgeon is the best way to determine how to safely and effectively achieve your goals. Dr. Wesley Schooler can answer all of your questions and help you develop the right treatment plan for your needs, so don’t hesitate to contact Santa Barbara Plastic Surgery today.