Sono Bello removes excess skin primarily through a procedure called AbEX, which combines micro-laser liposuction with surgical skin excision in a single session. Unlike a traditional tummy tuck, AbEX is performed under local anesthesia, meaning you stay awake the entire time, and it uses smaller incisions that lead to a shorter recovery.
Sono Bello also offers a laser-only approach called TriSculpt, which tightens skin without cutting it away. Which option applies to you depends on how much loose skin you’re dealing with and where it is on your body.
TriSculpt: Skin Tightening Without Excision
For patients with moderate skin laxity, Sono Bello’s TriSculpt procedure uses micro-laser energy delivered beneath the skin during liposuction. The laser serves two purposes: it liquefies fat cells so they can be suctioned out more precisely, and it heats the surrounding tissue to stimulate collagen production. That collagen response is what causes the skin to gradually tighten and contract over the weeks and months following the procedure.
TriSculpt does not physically remove any skin. It relies entirely on the body’s healing response to firm up what’s already there. This works well for people whose skin still has some elasticity, such as those with stubborn fat pockets but only mild looseness. If you have significant sagging, especially after major weight loss or pregnancy, laser tightening alone typically won’t produce the results you’re looking for.
AbEX: Skin Excision Plus Fat Removal
AbEX is the procedure Sono Bello designed specifically for excess skin removal. It integrates the same micro-laser liposuction used in TriSculpt with a surgical step that physically cuts away sagging skin tissue. The two steps happen in one session: fat is removed and liquefied with laser energy first, then the surplus skin is excised and the remaining tissue is repositioned for a smoother contour.
Sono Bello markets AbEX as a tummy tuck alternative, and it does produce tummy-tuck-like results for the right candidate. But there’s an important distinction. A traditional tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) includes tightening the abdominal muscles by stitching separated muscle walls back together. AbEX does not do this. It removes skin and fat but leaves the underlying muscle layer untouched. If you have significant muscle separation, sometimes called diastasis recti, AbEX alone may not fully address the issue.
The incisions for AbEX are smaller than those used in a full tummy tuck, which means less scarring and less tissue trauma overall. Because the procedure skips muscle repair and uses local rather than general anesthesia, it’s considered less invasive.
What the Procedure Feels Like
Both TriSculpt and AbEX are performed under local anesthesia in an outpatient surgical center. You stay awake and can communicate with the surgical team throughout. Sono Bello says patients often appreciate being aware during the process rather than going under general anesthesia, which carries its own set of risks including nausea, longer grogginess, and rare but serious respiratory complications.
During the procedure, you may feel mild discomfort when the local anesthesia is first injected. Some patients report burning sensations during the fat suctioning phase. Afterward, most people describe soreness similar to what you’d feel after an intense workout. Over-the-counter pain relievers are typically sufficient to manage it.
Recovery Timeline
Most Sono Bello patients return to normal daily activities within 5 to 10 days. Exercise usually resumes around the 3 to 4 week mark. You’ll wear two types of compression garments for roughly 3 to 6 weeks after surgery, which help reduce swelling and support the new contour as your body heals.
Recovery from AbEX is notably shorter than a traditional tummy tuck, which often requires several weeks of restricted movement and can involve moderate to severe pain managed with prescription medication. Because AbEX uses local anesthesia and smaller incisions, the tissue damage is less extensive, and healing begins sooner.
Skin tightening from the laser component continues for months after the procedure as new collagen forms. Fat removal results are visible relatively quickly once swelling subsides, but the full tightening effect takes longer to develop.
Who Qualifies
Sono Bello accepts patients with a BMI of up to 42. If your BMI exceeds that, you may need to lose some weight or obtain additional medical clearance before being considered. Ideal candidates for excess skin removal are people who have already lost significant weight or are dealing with loose skin from aging, and who are near their goal weight with stable health.
A free consultation determines which procedure fits your situation. Pricing is customized based on the number of treatment areas, your BMI, and the complexity of the work involved. Treating multiple areas reduces the per-area cost. Sono Bello offers financing through CareCredit with fixed monthly payments over 24 to 60 months, with APRs ranging from about 17.9% to 20.9% depending on the term length.
How Long Results Last
Surgical skin removal produces permanent results because the tissue is physically taken out rather than simply tightened. Fat cells removed through liposuction don’t regenerate. That said, your body can still change. Significant weight gain after the procedure will stretch remaining skin and expand the fat cells that weren’t removed. Aging and gravity will also continue to affect skin elasticity over time.
Safety Record
Sono Bello reports an overall complication rate below 1.5% and an infection rate under 0.4% across their procedures. The use of local anesthesia instead of general anesthesia eliminates one of the more significant risk categories in elective surgery. Staying awake also means your body doesn’t need to recover from sedation drugs, which contributes to the faster overall recovery time.