46-year-old female patient who had an extended tummy tuck to eliminate her FUPA
What is a FUPA?
Before we discuss how to get rid of a FUPA, let’s define the term. Fatty Upper Pubic Area, or FUPA, is a common concern of patients seeking cosmetic surgery. As the abbreviation suggests, FUPA is a collection of fat found between the hip bones in the upper pubic region.
Childbirth, aging, sudden weight reduction, having a cesarian section, c-section, and heredity causes are all factors that might lead to the formation of a FUPA. FUPA affects men and women equally. This fat area is generally more apparent in women who wear tight-fitting clothing like yoga pants and want to feel more confident with their physical appearance. Other women are uncomfortable with the appearance of their FUPA during intimacy.
After a C-section, the FUPA often appears more prominent. This is owing to the lower abdominal horizontal incision, which creates scar tissue that distorts the soft tissues to protrude over the lower abdominal muscles. These post-pregnancy changes in the pubic area often develop a prominent bulge of underlying fatty tissues that prompt patients to desire a surgical procedure.
FUPA fat deposit is also common in overweight men due to an overabundance of fatty tissue in the pubic area. The FUPA can be difficult to hide in clothing for men and often hangs over their belt or sag beneath their belt line, depending on where they like to wear their belt.
FUPA Components
The widespread misunderstanding is that a FUPA is exclusively compromised of fat, whereas in reality, it can be about excess fat, skin, or both! There are several non-surgical options for softening the FUPA’s overall appearance. Planking, crunches, leg raises, rollups, superman stances, burpees, pelvic tilt, and traditional Pilates techniques are muscle toning exercises that aid in pulling in and toning the area. Improving muscle tone is beneficial since it will help reinforce the connective tissues spanning from the skin to the pubic bone. However, it is most effective when FUPA is not extensive.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and setting goals to lose lower abdomen fatty tissue is the best solution. Unfortunately, this lifestyle may not work for everyone or in cases where the fat is hereditary due to a poorly placed scar or is stubborn and cannot be exercised or dieted off.
Surgical Correction of FUPA
Surgical FUPA treatment aims to generate a natural curve rather than a conspicuous one. Preventing a prominent look, such as a concavity, is crucial on how to get rid of FUPA These objectives are met by determining whether the problem is caused by skin redundancy or extra fat, or both:
- Liposuction to remove excess fat
- Surgery to remove excess skin
- Scar revision
A lower tummy tuck incision is used for FUPA skin removal. Resetting the height of the pubic area, creating a pubic lift, and improving the overall appearance of the pubis are all possible with an incision when done by a plastic or cosmetic surgeon.
The ideal pubic height ratios are based on supermodel evaluations. A surgeon with attention to perfection and proportionality will use these distances:
- 44% from the inframammary crease (fold)to the belly button
- 38% from the belly button to the upper groin
- 18% from the upper groin to the bottom of the genitals, respectively.
How to get rid of FUPA? Your choices are weight loss and exercise or a surgical option.
