Davis

In my last post, I discussed the dramatic effect that liposuction can have on shedding (or transferring) excess fat. Here, I’ll get into what exactly the procedure entails, what the recovery’s like, and how long you can expect the results from liposuction to last.

How it works

There are several variations on the technique, each aimed at reducing tissue damage and shortening recovery time, but the most traditional—and widely-performed—form of liposuction is called tumescent liposuction. With this particular technique, the plastic surgeon makes one or more small incisions (a quarter inch or less) in the targeted area and injects a mixture of saline, lidocaine, and epinephrine into the tissue. The fluid will make the fat easier to remove. It also will constrict the blood vessels, which will help minimize bruising, blood loss, and recovery time.

From there, the board-certified plastic surgeon will insert a thin tube called a cannula through the same incision and pass it back and forth under the skin to break up the fat before suctioning it out.

The procedure can last anywhere from a half-hour for a very small area to up to four hours when it includes much of the torso. “Does it hurt?” is a question that comes up often during the consultation. Depending on the extent of your liposuction, you’ll either be under general anesthesia or sedated, so you shouldn’t feel a thing during the procedure itself.

What the recovery’s like

You can expect to feel sore for the first few days after the surgery. There may also be some swelling or bruising. Generally, it’s a good idea to set aside about a week to rest before heading back to work. You’ll be prescribed a pain medication, but ibuprofen is often more than enough to remedy any discomfort.

As the swelling subsides, the treated area (or areas) may appear a little lumpy. That will improve after a few weeks. Many plastic surgeons will recommend that you wear a compression garment as you recover, which can not only help prevent any lumps from forming it’ll also help minimize the swelling and bruising and speed up the healing process.

When you’ll see the results

You should be able to notice the improvement in your silhouette right after the procedure, even with the swelling. As you heal, the results will continue to improve for up to a year after the procedure.

What often starts as a humble desire to simply fit better in their pants, for many, evolves into the impetus to kickstart a healthier lifestyle, once the dramatic results become evident. And, as long as that new weight is maintained, the results will last.

Even in cases where some or all of the weight is gained back, the treated area will still look better than if you’d never had liposuction. In a recent study of people who underwent the procedure and gained the weight back, they still reported being very happy with their results.

In my last post, the first of this quick, two-part series, I got into the how, as in how to start going about a breast augmentation. The consultation is such a critical part of the process because it’s where you and your plastic surgeon begin to get to know each other, and that bond will prove to be essential to shaping the breasts you want. Here, I’ll discuss what exactly the surgery entails, what the recovery’s like, and how breast augmentation differs from a breast lift.

What happens during the procedure

Generally, the surgery is done under either general anesthesia or conscious sedation. For the latter, you’ll remain awake, but you’ll be in a deeply relaxed state and you won’t be able to feel any pain.

The procedure itself is fairly straightforward. I’ll make a small, economic incision to create a pocket to make room for the implant. Once I’ve positioned the implant, I’ll close and bandage the incision. The entire procedure usually lasts less than two hours, and you’ll be able to go home soon afterward.

I practice conservation when making any incision, which reduces downtime and post-operative pain as much as possible. The incisions will leave minimal scars, but they heal very well and become harder to see with time. Plus, they’ll be located in an inconspicuous spot, so you likely wouldn’t notice them unless you looked for them.

What the recovery’s like

Everyone recovers from surgery at a slightly different pace, but, on average, it takes about four to six weeks to fully resume your normal activities. You should feel significantly better within a week, though you’ll still want to stick to light activity and avoid high-intensity workouts until you’re fully healed.

Should you need pain medications after the surgery, you’ll have access to them in accordance with your overall recovery plan.

If you’re doing the math in your head, the coming weeks would make for an ideal time to have the surgery done. You’d be able to recover completely and still have the entire summer ahead of you.

Breast augmentation vs. breast lift

For most women, particularly those post-pregnancy or -weight loss, a certain amount of drooping of the breast is to be expected. If the breasts already have sufficient volume, a breast lift may be all that’s needed to restore the fullness and perkiness. Very often, though, the lift is done in combination with a breast augmentation.

With a breast lift, the surgeon remove excess, stretched-out skin, reshapes the breast tissue, and raises the nipple and areola to a more forward position, which creates a more youthful contour. Those who undergo the procedure are usually able to return to work within a few days, as long as it isn’t too physically demanding, and to most normal activities within a week.

To find out which approach is best suited for you—a breast augmentation, a breast lift, or a combination of the two—consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon.

For more on this topic, check out Dr. Davis’s podcast – The Plastic Surgery Revolution.

What would you like to change about yourself? For many women, it’s their breasts.

More than 18,500 women in 40 countries participated in the Breast Size Satisfaction Survey, the results of which were published earlier this year. It’s believed to be the largest cross-cultural study to examine body image ever undertaken. Nearly half of the women who participated (48%, specifically) said they wanted larger breasts. (The average age of the participants was 34.)

The researchers behind the study also discovered that that dissatisfaction was associated with poorer psychological well-being, including lower levels of self-esteem and happiness, and that those women were more likely to be unhappy with their weight and overall appearance, too.

So, if you’re feeling insecure about your breasts, you’re far from alone. Whether you want to increase your cup size or lift them post-pregnancy or -weight loss, consulting with a board-certified plastic surgeon may not only prove informative but it could also help you feel less, well, stuck.

The consultation

A consultation isn’t a purely one-way experience. You should come prepared with some basic background knowledge of what breast augmentation entails, which will enable you to ask more pointed questions about both the procedure and the and the surgeon him- or herself, such as:

• How many breast augmentations did you do last year?
• What was your complication rate?
• What shape, size, surface texturing, incision site and placement site are recommended for me? (More on that in a moment.)
• Where and how will you perform my breast augmentation surgery?
• How can I expect my implanted breasts to look over time? After pregnancy? After breastfeeding?

Also ask to see before-and-after photos specifically of women with your body type.

Meanwhile, the plastic surgeon’s also going to try to get to know you and understand the motivation that brought you to his or her office. They’re also going to ask about your medical background, in case there’s anything that may have relevance to the surgery.

Finally, they’re going to examine you physically. Your anatomy plays an important role in determining the size and shape of your implants.

Size and shape

The plain truth is: Some have more capacity for breast implants than others. But breast augmentation also isn’t purely about the size of the implant. A plastic surgeon who’s experienced in the procedure will be keenly aware of creating the right aesthetic balance of tissue above and below the nipple. Breasts that aren’t slightly fuller below the nipple tend to look noticeably artificial.

The shape of the implant itself is also an important variable. There are two different shapes, generally speaking, round and teardrop. The teardrop offers a slightly more natural look. But, again, it depends on your anatomy. The idea is to work with your body as much as possible, not against it.

In my next post, I’ll discuss what the surgery entails, the difference between breast augmentation and a breast lift, and what the recovery’s like.

While the stigma around plastic surgery and, more specifically, injectables, has faded significantly over recent years, few celebrities talk as openly about their experiences with it as Jenny Mollen.

The mother of two, actress, and the New York Times bestselling author of I Like You Just the Way I Am has cultivated huge followings on Twitter and Instagram—The Huffington Post has recognized her as one of the funniest women on both platforms—simply by being herself. And a notable part of that is her love of injectables, particularly Botox.

“Whenever I need it, I just gotta go in and replenish. I don’t ever plan it. I just think of it as an ongoing situation,” Jenny Mollen said of the frequency with which she gets Botox injections in a recent interview with Allure magazine. “I like to think of my Botox situation as I’m in school year-round.”

The 40-year-old Mollen often shares those occasions on her Instagram Story. Even in this age of increasing candidness and acceptance, Mollen’s transparency is striking. But for her, it’s the only way she’s ever known. Her parents, she said, were always fans of cosmetic enhancements, so she was never exposed to the stigmas against fillers.

“When I saved my placenta, my mom was like, ‘Can I have it to inject into my face?’” Mollen said. “I’m like, ‘I’m pretty sure that doesn’t happen, but where are you going to get that done?’”

Mollen tried Botox for the first time at age 29 and immediately understood the difference it could make in her appearance. “That was the first time I started to think, OK, wait, this could look softer, or I could get rid of this line. Or, maybe if I did a little bit up here, these lines wouldn’t be so intense when I was raising my brows and just emoting,” she said.

She insisted, however, that it wasn’t insecurities about her appearance that led her to that moment. “No, I was just like, Wait, this could be better,” Mollen said. “Always in life, I’m like, Oh, is there something that would make this look a little bit more to my liking? It wasn’t really, Oh, I hate this about myself. It was, Let me see what I can do.

“I think you just kind of have to accept and embrace what’s happening to you naturally,” she said. “And, if there’s something that you can maybe lessen, cool. But you sort of have to just ride the wave. That’s the exciting part about living in this age—solutions are popping up all the time.”