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A protruding, hanging, or bulging look in the abdomen can not only compromise confidence and interfere with the ability to achieve your fitness goals, but may also prevent you from finding a proper fit in clothing. The best approach to getting rid of a protruding belly often involves some combination of healthy lifestyle habits and aesthetic procedures designed to remove excess tissue. Depending on the different factors causing your belly to bulge outward, effective treatments may include:

• Tummy Tuck: Abdominoplasty is the gold standard treatment for the removal of stretched, excess skin and fatty tissue in the belly area. A bulging midsection is also often caused by stretched out abdominal muscles, which are brought back together and repaired during tummy tuck surgery.
• Liposuction: Targeted fat removal can slim the waistline and smooth common bulges of fat accumulation such as “love handles,” a “bra bulge,” or a “muffin top.” By suctioning out excess fat deposits with a cannula, liposuction offers a flatter and tighter look in the abdomen with minimal scarring and a relatively fast recovery period.

It’s important to remember that fullness in the belly may also persist — even after treatment with liposuction — due to internal fat inside the abdominal cavity. This visceral fat can only be reduced with dieting, exercise, and a healthy lifestyle, and Dr. Garlick can give you insight into the best ways to achieve your goals during a consultation. Those seeking a full restoration of their pre-baby body may consider a Mommy Makeover, which combines a tummy tuck, liposuction, and other treatments into the same surgical plan.

Dr. Garlick develops personalized treatment plans to slim the abdominal profile and achieve flattering, more sculpted body contours. Contact our Utah aesthetic practice for more information on abdominoplasty or to schedule an appointment with our board-certified plastic surgeon.