Abdominal Etching In Beverly Hills | Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery

If you have ever opened a fitness magazine and read – let alone tried out – a ‘six-pack abs’ routine, you know just how intense such an exercise regiment can be. All the crunches, the pullups, the squats, the sit ups, can be not only be physically challenging, but making time for such an intense workout regiment can be preventative, in and of itself. Fortunately, modern plastic surgery offers a solid alternative that is meant only for patients with a healthy diet and exercise routine – and a muscular stomach – already in place. The procedure is known as abdominal etching and it can help you etch out a washboard stomach, without feeling like you are in boot camp.

Abdominal etching, sometimes called six-pack liposculpture, is a specialized plastic surgery procedure that can help you achieve a flat, toned belly. The goal of this procedure is to make your abs look chiseled. If you just want a flatter midsection, traditional liposuction here at Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery is an ideal choice. If you have been trying for years to make your six-pack pop with little or no success, abdominal etching may be the perfect option for you.

To help you decide if this is the best procedure to help you attain the chiseled physique you desire, you first need to understand who qualifies as a candidate for abdominal etching, what the procedure involves, recovering from the surgery, and the specific results you can expect.

Is Abdominal Etching Right for You?

The ideal candidate for abdominal etching is an athletic individual with already pronounced abdominal muscles – and just a few persistent pockets of fat covering up your underlying washboard. You may not think that someone with an athletic build who sticks to a healthy diet and exercise regimen would need this kind of treatment, but it is quite common. You may even fit this description and know firsthand just how frustrating it can be to be otherwise physically fit, but still not have the toned tummy for which you have worked so hard.

Even someone with large, strong abdominal muscles can have trouble achieving that defined appearance that you see on the cover of fitness magazines. Small areas of fat can simply hang on persistently, even on a fit person’s stomach. Sometimes, all that is needed is a last little “push” to help your stomach appear impeccably defined. Losing that last bit of fat to really expose the muscles can be nearly impossible, leading many otherwise fit people to look for help through abdominal etching. The procedure is not limited to such patients, some of our patients request this procedure following a tummy tuck or abdominal liposuction to really make their abs stand out.

About the Procedure

Abdominal etching is a popular procedure for both male and female patients, and the procedure is virtually the same for both genders. Abdominal etching is normally performed as an outpatient procedure, and is a highly targeted form of liposuction, which is the most common type of plastic surgery performed in the United States.

Abdominal etching is, in many ways, just like other forms of liposcultpure. Using standard liposuction equipment, Dr. Chiu is able to remove small, targeted pockets of fat to alter the contour of your abs. Using extremely small incisions – sometimes these are made in the belly button, or concealed in the creases between the muscles, Dr. Chiu is able to permanently remove the fat that is concealing your abs.

The small size of the incisions earns this procedure the “etching” part of its name. It really is a matter of etching out carved, toned abdominal muscles from beneath the small pockets of fat that seem to cling on, despite your best efforts at exercise. The best part is that the procedure typically takes only about an hour to complete.

Recovering from Abdominal Etching

Because abdominal etching is performed on an outpatient basis, you are able to return home the same day as your surgery. It is normal to experience bruising, swelling, and mild discomfort following your procedure. A compression garment will need to be worn for three to six weeks to help reduce these symptoms and hold your newly sculpted abs in place.

After the operation, you should avoid strenuous activity, heavy lifting, or anything that can put pressure on your midsection for about three weeks. It can take up to six months of recovery for the final appearance of your abs to settle. That means that, even you are an avid athlete or bodybuilder, following this procedure you will need to leave the weights alone. In consultation with your doctor, you will need to scale back into your workout routine following your surgery.

Results

The ideal outcome of abdominal etching is a toned, contoured, well-defined ‘six-pack’ tummy that looks ready for the cover of one of those fitness magazines. The goal here is the ripped, toned look of peak physical fitness that, even for those in great physical shape already, can often prove evasive. Abdominal etching puts that look within your grasp.

Abdominal etching gives you the following results:

• Less Abdominal Fat
• Slimmer Waistline
• More Defined Abs
• Minimal Scarring

If you are considering abdominal etching, chances are that you have worked hard toward these results through rigorous exercise. Plastic surgery offers the extra push that so many otherwise fit people need to have a flat stomach worth of showing off.

If you are interested in finally achieving the well-defined abdominal muscles you have always wanted, abdominal etching may be the perfect procedure for you. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Chiu at our Beverly Hills office, contact us today.