Mini, Full, Extended or 360 Tummy Tuck: Which Do You Need?

There are four main types of tummy tuck: mini, full, extended and 360. The right one depends on where your loose skin sits, whether your stomach muscles have separated, and whether the skin wraps around your sides and back. With Beauty Butler, prices start at about THB 115,000 for a mini and THB 130,000 for a full tummy tuck.

That said, you don't have to work this out alone. Your surgeon decides at a free video consult, before you pay anything. But knowing the options helps you ask the right questions. This guide explains each type in plain words: who it suits, the scar, the recovery and how long to stay in Bangkok.

Beauty Butler is a Bangkok-based medical tourism agency that coordinates cosmetic surgery for patients from Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada and the UK.

Key Takeaways

• A mini tummy tuck treats loose skin below the belly button only. A full tummy tuck treats the whole stomach and repairs the muscles.
• An extended tummy tuck reaches around to the hips. A 360 goes all the way around the body.
• About 6 in 10 women have separated stomach muscles after childbirth (Cleveland Clinic, 2025). That usually points to a full tummy tuck.
• Plan for about two weeks in Bangkok, or about three weeks for a 360.

What are the four types of tummy tuck?

The four types differ in how far the scar runs and how much they fix. In 2026, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons lists the average US surgeon's fee for a tummy tuck at USD 8,174, before the hospital and anaesthesia (ASPS). The type you need decides the price, the scar and the stay.

Here is the short version:

• A mini tummy tuck is a lift of the skin below the belly button only, through a short, low scar.
• A full tummy tuck is the standard operation. It removes loose skin across the whole stomach and repairs separated muscles.
• An extended tummy tuck is a full tummy tuck with a longer scar that wraps toward the hips. It also treats skin and fat at the flanks.
• A 360 tummy tuck (also called a belt lipectomy or lower body lift) is a lift that goes all the way around, front, sides and back.

Each step up removes more skin. In turn, each step up also means a longer scar and a longer recovery.

Which tummy tuck am I a candidate for?

Look at three things: where the loose skin sits, whether your muscles have separated, and whether the skin reaches your sides. About 6 in 10 women have separated stomach muscles after childbirth, called diastasis recti (Cleveland Clinic, 2025). One study found that 45% still have it six months after birth.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Is the loose skin only below your belly button? A mini may be enough.
• Does your stomach bulge above the belly button too, or stick out even when you're slim? That's often separated muscles. A full tummy tuck repairs them.
• Does the loose skin roll around to your hips or love handles? An extended tummy tuck is likely.
• Have you lost a lot of weight, with loose skin at your back and bottom too? That points to a 360.

Many women are surprised by the answer. A mini suits fewer people than most expect. The reason is usually the muscles: a mini can't repair a gap above the belly button.

What is a mini tummy tuck, and is it safe?

A mini tummy tuck is a smaller operation for a small pouch of loose skin below the belly button. It suits people at a stable weight, with firm muscles above the navel. With Beauty Butler it costs about THB 115,000 (about USD 3,500 / AUD 4,900). Like any surgery under anaesthetic, it carries some risk, but it's the lightest of the four.

The scar is shorter than a full tummy tuck scar. It sits low, under most underwear. The belly button usually stays where it is.

Recovery is the quickest of the four. Most patients spend one night in hospital. You still need about two weeks in Bangkok, so your surgeon can check healing before you fly.

Who it's not for: anyone with loose skin above the belly button, or separated muscles. A mini won't fix either. If that's you, a mini can leave the upper stomach looking unchanged.

What does a full tummy tuck involve?

A full tummy tuck removes loose skin from hip to hip and tightens the stomach muscles. It's the most common type, and the usual choice after pregnancy. With Beauty Butler it starts from THB 130,000 (about USD 3,950 / AUD 5,500). In Australia, a tummy tuck typically costs AUD 15,000 to 40,000 (Plastic Surgery Hub, 2026).

The scar runs low across the stomach, from hip to hip. It's placed to sit under underwear and most swimwear. Your surgeon also repositions the belly button, so it looks natural on the new, flatter stomach.

However, the muscle repair is the key part. Your surgeon stitches the separated muscles back together. That's what flattens the bulge that diet and exercise can't shift.

Plan for one or two nights in hospital and about two weeks in Bangkok. You'll wear a binder first, then a compression garment. For the full price list, see our tummy tuck cost guide.

What does an extended tummy tuck involve?

An extended tummy tuck is a full tummy tuck with a longer scar that reaches around toward the hips. It also removes loose skin and fat at the flanks, the area many people call love handles. With Beauty Butler it starts from THB 160,000 (about USD 4,850 / AUD 6,800).

It suits people with more loose skin than a full tummy tuck can remove. That often means after big weight loss, after several pregnancies, or with age. Liposuction of the flanks is often added to shape the waist.

As a result, the scar is longer, running past the hip bones. It still sits low, so most underwear covers it. Recovery is a little slower than a full tummy tuck, but most patients still stay about two weeks.

Vikki travelled from Perth for an extended tummy tuck at 62. Another patient, from North Carolina, had the same surgery at 57. Both stories show the full trip, start to finish.

What is a 360 tummy tuck?

A 360 tummy tuck removes loose skin all the way around your body: front, sides and back. It's also called a belt lipectomy or lower body lift. It suits people after major weight loss, when the skin hangs at the back and bottom too. With Beauty Butler it starts from THB 269,000 (about USD 8,150 / AUD 11,400), or THB 409,000 with 360 liposuction.

This is the biggest of the four operations. The scar runs around your whole waist, placed low so clothes cover it. It often lifts the bottom and outer thighs a little too.

Plan for about three weeks in Bangkok, especially with liposuction. Your hospital stay is longer, and you'll need help for the first days. Our own nurses visit you at your hotel every day during the first week.

Our body lift cost guide covers this surgery in full. If you're still losing weight, read excess skin removal after weight loss first. Surgeons prefer a stable weight before a body lift.

Mini vs full vs extended vs 360: how do they compare?

The four types differ in scar length, muscle repair, recovery and stay. As of 2025, Cleveland Clinic cites a study in which 45% of women still had separated muscles six months after giving birth (Cleveland Clinic, 2025). That single fact moves many patients from a mini to a full tummy tuck.

• Mini: short low scar · no muscle repair above the navel · 1 hospital night · about 2 weeks in Bangkok · about THB 115,000
• Full: hip-to-hip scar · full muscle repair · 1–2 hospital nights · about 2 weeks · from THB 130,000
• Extended: scar past the hips · muscle repair + flanks · 1–2 hospital nights · about 2 weeks · from THB 160,000
• 360: scar all the way around · front, sides and back · longer hospital stay · about 3 weeks · from THB 269,000

Whatever the type, your price covers your surgeon, anaesthesia, a JCI-accredited hospital, your hospital stay and your aftercare. Most patients add our recovery-hotel package, with nurse visits and transfers.

Can you add liposuction or breast surgery?

Yes. Many tummy tuck patients add liposuction, and many mothers add breast surgery. Liposuction shapes the waist and flanks around a tummy tuck. A tummy tuck with a breast lift or augmentation is called a mommy makeover. One surgery means one anaesthetic and one recovery.

Your surgeon decides what is safe to combine. They look at your health and how long the surgery would take. A bigger combination may mean a longer stay. Read our mommy makeover cost guide for combined prices.

Also, some patients ask about skin tightening instead of surgery. It can help with mild laxity, but it can't remove loose skin or repair muscles. Our guide on tummy tuck versus J-Plasma explains the difference.

How does your surgeon decide?

Your surgeon decides at a free video consult, before you pay anything. At Beauty Butler, you send photos of your stomach from the front and side. Your surgeon looks at the skin, the muscles and your sides, then tells you which type fits and why.

Dr. Atikom Tanadpojanamart (Dr. Hope) leads our body contouring cases, including tummy tucks. He is a Thai board-certified plastic surgeon with more than 15 years of experience, and he operates at a JCI-accredited hospital in Bangkok. You can read about him on our surgeons page.

Good questions to ask at your consult:

• Which type do you recommend for me, and why not the smaller one?
• Will you repair my muscles?
• Where will my scar sit, and how long will it be?
• Do you recommend liposuction as well?
• How many nights in hospital, and how long in Bangkok?

Your next step

Start with a free consultation. Send us a few photos and tell us what bothers you. We'll come back with your surgeon's view, the type that fits, a clear price and possible dates. There's no payment until you're ready.

Start with a free consultation

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a mini and a full tummy tuck?

A mini tummy tuck removes a small amount of skin below the belly button, with a short scar and no upper muscle repair. A full tummy tuck removes skin across the whole stomach and repairs separated muscles. With Beauty Butler, a mini costs about THB 115,000 and a full tummy tuck starts from THB 130,000.

What does an extended tummy tuck involve?

An extended tummy tuck is a full tummy tuck with a longer scar that reaches toward the hips. It removes loose skin and fat at the flanks as well as the front, and repairs the muscles. With Beauty Butler it starts from THB 160,000. Most patients stay about two weeks in Bangkok.

Is a mini tummy tuck safe?

A mini tummy tuck is the smallest of the four types, with the shortest scar and the quickest recovery. Like any surgery under anaesthetic, it carries some risk. It's done in a JCI-accredited hospital, usually with one night's stay. It only suits loose skin below the belly button.

What is the difference between an extended and a 360 tummy tuck?

An extended tummy tuck reaches around to the hips and flanks. A 360 tummy tuck goes all the way around, including the back, and often lifts the bottom too. With Beauty Butler, an extended tummy tuck starts from THB 160,000 and a 360 from THB 269,000.

How long do I need to stay in Thailand for a tummy tuck?

Plan for about two weeks in Bangkok for a mini, full or extended tummy tuck. For a 360 tummy tuck, especially with liposuction, allow about three weeks. Your surgeon checks your healing and clears you to fly before you go home.

Which tummy tuck is best after pregnancy?

Most women need a full tummy tuck after pregnancy, because the muscles often separate. About 6 in 10 women have separated stomach muscles after childbirth, according to Cleveland Clinic. A mini can't repair muscles above the belly button. Your surgeon confirms the right type at your free consult.

This article is for general information and isn't medical advice. Your surgeon will give you guidance for your procedure and health, including a free video consultation before anything is booked.

References

• American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Tummy Tuck Cost, retrieved 2026-10-25, https://www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures/tummy-tuck/cost
• Cleveland Clinic, Diastasis Recti (updated 2025-04-21), retrieved 2026-10-25, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22346-diastasis-recti
• Plastic Surgery Hub, Body Surgery Prices in Australia, retrieved 2026-10-25, https://www.plasticsurgeryhub.com/pricing/body-surgery-prices-in-australia/

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