What is the ideal shape of a tummy button?

There has been much debate about the ideal tummy button shape and size in plastic surgical circles. Adrian Richards shares his thoughts…

It is generally accepted that a youthful tummy button is slightly oval vertically in shape and small, with a gentle deep down slope to it rather like a valley.

Often following pregnancy or techniques in which telescopes are inserted through the tummy button there can be some scarring around the tummy button itself. This causes distortion of the tummy button, as does any piercing which tends to occur above the tummy button.

In a full tummy tuck procedure, the tummy button will need to be remodeled and many techniques for performing this type of surgery have been described. These range from V-shaped tummy buttons, heart-shaped tummy buttons, round tummy buttons and oval tummy buttons.

I tend to favour a small, vertically oval tummy button as I think this gives the best overall appearance in the long term to this area. I would also try and shorten the tummy button so that the skin around it is gently folded downwards, leaving a pleasing depth to the area around the tummy button which looks natural and youthful.

If you are considering a tummy tuck operation I would advise you to look very carefully at the “after” photos your surgeon shows you following procedures to the tummy button area. These can give you an idea of the typical shape, size and overall appearance of the tummy buttons created by your surgeon, to give a good idea of how your tummy button might look following your operation.

Feel free to discuss the appearance that you would ideally like to achieve with your surgeon because they may not always be able to  tailor the practical result within the restrictions of surgery to the appearance that you would favour for this area.