Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Articles

No doubt you’ve heard of liposuction, or, at least, lipo, and probably even a tummy tuck. As plastic surgery gained mainstream acceptance, many of the most common procedures became household terms.

The trouble is, they’re so widely used, and often incorrectly, that cousin procedures, like lipo and the tummy tuck, are confused for one another. So, let’s clear up some of that confusion here and discuss the difference between liposuction and a tummy tuck.

Lipo: A brief primer

Liposuction removes excess fat deposits, slimming and reshaping specific areas of the body, such as the hips and buttocks, abdomen and waist, upper arms, inner knee, and cheeks, chin, and neck.

There are a few different kinds of liposuction; tumescent liposuction is the most common. After the surgeon injects a sterile solution, which aids fat removal; an anesthetic, and a drug that causes blood vessels to constrict into the area that’s being treated, they’ll make small cuts in the skin through which they’ll insert a tube called a cannula. The cannula’s connected to a vacuum that suctions fat and fluids from the body.

There is commonly some mild discomfort and bruising, though you should be well enough to return to work within a few days. The swelling usually subsides within a few weeks but can last longer.

Your surgeon will have you wear a tight compression garment for a few weeks to help reduce the swelling. During that time, some irregularities in the contours of the treated area may develop as the remaining fat settles. But, within a few months, it’ll take on a leaner appearance, and the skin will mold to the new contours.

You’re a good candidate for lipo if you have too much body fat in specific spots. It’s not a treatment for obesity, cellulite, or saggy skin.

Exercise regularly and eat a balanced diet and the results are usually long-lasting.

Tummy tuck basics

The tummy tuck removes excess fat and skin and, in many cases, restores abdominal muscles for a smoother, firmer appearance.

During the procedure, the abdominal muscles are tightened and excess, sagging skin is removed. Like lipo, there are a few different techniques. A “full” tummy tuck addresses the full length of the abdominal wall through a horizontal or U-shaped incision above the pubic mound. Sometimes, a second incision is made around the navel to address excess skin above the belly button.

Because a tummy tuck entails surgery on the abdominal muscles, the recovery is more extensive than it is for lipo. Expect to spend the first week mostly resting. Drains are placed in the incisions to help remove fluid after the surgery, in which case you’ll also need to devote time and attention to maintaining them until they’re removed a few days later.

You’ll be sore and may have some bruising for the first few weeks, but you should be well enough to return to work within ten days to two weeks. After you navigate that stretch of the recovery, you’ll find a much flatter, smoother midsection. Those pesky stretch marks will be a lot less prominent or may be completely gone.  You’ll not only look much better in your clothes—especially a bathing suit—you’ll feel better in them.

Tummy tucks are a popular procedure among women following their pregnancies and also men and women who’ve lost a significant amount of weight. It is not, however, intended as a substitute for weight loss.

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Thanks to reality TV, we’ve come to live almost exclusively in either the before or the after. Everything in between has been edited down to a few seconds. But life demands more patience than that.

A question I’m often asked is, “After my surgery, when can I get back to exercising again?” Their reaction sometimes is disbelief when they hear weeks and they were expecting days. Preparing for plastic surgery, both physically and mentally, is critical, and a big part of that is setting realistic expectations for your recovery.

I love the drive of someone who’s determined to go for a run or get back in the gym a few days after a major surgical procedure, but rushing your recovery opens you up to all sorts of complications and even another surgery. Apply that focus and willpower to your recovery instead.

Everyone heals at a different pace, so two people may undergo the same procedure, but one could start exercising after plastic surgery a week or two before the other. The answer I offer in my consultations, and what you’ll find online, is merely an estimate. Above all, listen to your body. If something’s causing swelling or discomfort, pull back.

Framing expectations

Before we dismiss them altogether, there is value in the estimates. They give us a framework to build our expectations around when you can begin exercising after plastic surgery. So, here’s a general timeline:

• Two weeks after surgery: The bruising and swelling should have significantly subsided. You should continue to avoid strenuous activities, but begin lengthening your walks as your energy and stamina returns.
• Four weeks after surgery: With your surgeon’s approval, you should be ready to start some light cardio, but nothing more intense just yet.
• Six weeks after surgery: You should be completely healed. Again, with your surgeon’s approval, you can start easing back into your regular exercise regimen. Don’t expect to pick up where you left off, though.

Heeding particular precautions

Just as everyone heals at their own rate, each procedure comes with its own precautions. After breast augmentation, for example, especially with implants under the muscle, try to avoid strenuous chest exercises, like pushups. The contraction places downward and outward pressure on them, which, over time, can result, in the implants dropping or becoming displaced.

If you’ve had a nose job and your nose starts to hurt, or it bleeds or swells during or immediately after exercising, contact your surgeon. And even if you’re exercising without any trouble, you need to be mindful of being hit in the nose by someone else or a piece of equipment before it’s fully healed, which, for some, could be up to a year.

When it comes to injectables and to create great botox results we tell patients not to lay down or workout for at least four hours. Many times terrific Botox results and amazing lips rely on following post-injectable procedures.

In time, these thoughts will gravitate toward the back of your mind, and exercise will become second nature again. The more conscientious you are during your recovery, the sooner that time will come when you can return to exercising after plastic surgery.