A “Mommy Makeover” can be very rewarding, helping women regain their pre-baby figure (and their self-confidence). Many Mommy Makeover patients feel that they get a new lease on life – and that’s a truly wonderful thing. But what about dads? They stay up with fussy babies, change diapers, and get worn out too. While it’s not as common, the “Daddy Makeover” does exist, and the procedures men tend to choose for their cosmetic enhancement may surprise you.

Tummy tucks are usually included in my Sacramento Mommy Makeovers. Tummy tucks can reduce excess skin and fat in the midsection and mend separated abdominal muscles – conditions encountered by most moms. But women aren’t the only ones frustrated by the changes they see in their midsection; men may also benefit from a tummy tuck procedure.

I’ve found that liposuction is often an even better body contouring procedure for most men because it can address love handles, male breasts, and other areas besides the abdomen. I can adjust the liposuction procedure specifically for the areas that concern men the most.

Most men aren’t just worried about the changes they see in their bodies – they’re unhappy about changes in their faces as well. For a refreshed, stronger, and more virile look, men may want to consider eyelid surgery, a brow lift, chin augmentation, or a face lift.

As you can see, a skilled plastic surgeon can help men get exactly the kind of makeover they want. For slight improvements or more dramatic changes, Daddy Makeovers just might be the next big thing.

Anyone who’s lost a lot of weight knows that the excitement of parting with those pounds often comes with an undesired consequence: loose, flabby, or wrinkled skin. The problem increases with age because as we grow older, our skin loses elasticity. This can be one reason for some people to be reluctant about having liposuction, especially on or near the face, or on an area that will not typically be covered with clothing (e.g., upper arms, legs, or stomach).

Is this a sufficient reason to avoid liposuction? Probably not, but a good plastic surgeon will be able to analyze your skin to give you a better sense of what you can expect following surgery and recovery.

In addition, your plastic surgeon has many surgical and non-surgical tools to improve the look of your skin after liposuction if he or she determines that you will have excess sagging or wrinkling following the procedure. In the face or neck region, a brow lift or facelift can tighten loose or sagging skin. In the abdominal region, a tummy tuck works extremely well to remove excess skin and tighten muscles. Also, the thermal qualities of Smartlipo™ laser liposuction in Los Angeles can stimulate collagen production and cause tissues to contract, leaving skin looking tightened and toned. Finally, your surgeon might recommend using a follow-up laser or radiofrequency skin treatment to help tone and tighten your skin or decrease wrinkles.

If you’ve had a liposuction procedure, I encourage you to share your results here so others can learn from your experience.

In this article from the Houston Chronicle, the author writes that a breast reconstruction patient (and breast cancer survivor) “likes that her breasts came, basically, via a tummy tuck.” While I support efforts in the media to educate women about breast reconstruction options, there’s a clear differentiation between the abdominal component of certain breast reconstruction procedures and a “tummy tuck” that I think is worth clearing up.

My abdominoplasty procedures in the Ft. Myers area are performed to reduce unwanted fat and skin in the abdomen while tightening abdominal muscles. They are strictly cosmetic (although similar procedures may be performed for massive weight loss patients and may be considered reconstructive). What the article is referring to is a method of breast reconstruction that uses skin and fat from the abdomen. This is a reconstructive procedure, NOT a cosmetic procedure.

Here’s how this method of breast reconstruction (superficial inferior epigastric artery, or SIEA) is performed: blood supply, skin, and fat are tunneled from the abdomen to the breast. Abdominal muscles remain unaffected. This is where the author of the Chronicle may see a tummy tuck connection: this method of breast reconstruction leaves the patient with a scar below the bikini line (as with a tummy tuck) and a slimmer belly (as with a tummy tuck) because tissue is removed from this area.

However, the primary goal of this type of breast reconstruction is to create a new, thriving breast mound from the patient’s own tissue. It’s not seen as (or marketed as) a “two for one” special for women who want a tighter tummy along with their reconstruction.

Ultimately, if a breast reconstruction patient also wants a tighter, slimmer abdomen, she may need to discuss paired or combined procedures with her plastic surgeon. Because, unlike SIEA breast reconstruction, a tummy tuck in the Fort Myers / Naples area will also mend weakened or separated abdominal muscles, completing the cosmetic improvement.

Sleep is vitally important for your health and wellbeing. It’s a time for your body and your mind to rest and recover. This is especially true for my Green Bay, Oshkosh and Milwaukee area patients after cosmetic surgery. Getting enough sleep is something I really try to emphasize to them. Often, my patients will be recovering from liposuction, a tummy tuck, or another procedure to slim and tone their figure. For these patients, sleep is important for yet another reason: weight control.

Studies have shown that there is a connection between getting enough sleep and staying thin. As New Beauty magazine reports, we may be dealing with a confusing “chicken or the egg?” scenario here. Whether lack of sleep can cause increased weight, or excess weight can negatively impact your sleep (or both) has not been established conclusively. However, there is a strong indication that getting sufficient, good-quality sleep can help keep you looking slim.

The bottom line: Rest helps your body recover and will help to keep you looking and feeling vibrant in the months and years after surgery.

The Web site www.realself.com provides patient reviews of many cosmetic surgery procedures. Among the highest ranking are abdominoplasty and breast reduction surgery. My Louisville and Lexington tummy tuck and breast reduction patients, like all of my cosmetic surgery patients, can achieve excellent results, but it often helps to get a broader perspective.

Why do I think these procedures are ranked so highly?

1. Breast reduction surgery does more than improve the way that women look. Overly large breasts are a burden both physically and emotionally, so breast reduction can actually improve health and overall quality of life.
2. A tummy tuck is often performed as part of a “mommy makeover,” paired procedures that can significantly improve a woman’s appearance after childbirth. After the joys, trials, and tribulations of motherhood, a procedure that restores a woman’s “pre-baby” body can also give her a fresh new outlook.

Also among the current most satisfying procedures (according to RealSelf) are LATISSE®, breast reduction, breast implants, facelift, and laser hair removal. Why do you think these procedures and treatments rank so highly compared to others?

There are many women for whom a vaginal delivery is either not possible or not ideal. When this is the case, the most frequent solution is a Cesarean Section (C-Section). A C-Section is a surgical procedure that delivers a baby via an incision through the uterus. This different method of delivery can raise several issues. In the realm of plastic surgery, the issues related to a C-Section are most pronounced in reference to abdominoplasty (tummy tuck).

There are two main questions I hear from my Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and Pasadena abdominoplasty patients who have had or are planning to have a C-Section.

1. Can I have a tummy tuck at the same time as a C-Section?

In other words, what these women want to know is if, since the surgeon is “already in there,” can they just mend some abdominal muscles and remove excess skin and fat once the baby has been delivered.

The answer is “no.” Women must wait until they are completely healed from their C-Section before they have a tummy tuck. First, labor is a very grueling process and a mother’s energy should be devoted to recovery and caring for her new child. Plus, the person performing your tummy tuck should be a plastic surgeon, someone specifically trained in cosmetic procedures like tummy tucks; in almost all cases, the medical professional delivering your baby will not be a plastic surgeon.

2. What happens to my C-Section scar?

Many women are frustrated by the often unsightly scar from their C-Section. So, when they begin considering a tummy tuck, they want to know what effect the new procedure will have on the old scar. I’m always pleased to tell them the good news. A tummy tuck can remove an entire C-Section scar, and while the abdominoplasty procedure creates its own scar, this scar should be thinner, lower, and usually hidden beneath your underwear or a bathing suit bottom.

If you’ve had a C-Section, what are some other concerns you have about plastic surgery? Share them here and I’m happy to respond.

Ask any plastic surgeon whether liposuction or mini tummy tucks count as “minimally-invasive procedures” and he or she should give you a pretty clear “NO.” But that hasn’t stopped some news sources and media outlets from calling lipo and “mini” tummy tucks “minimally invasive.” I want to set the record straight.

Lately, many plastic surgeons in Portland, Oregon and across the country are feeling pressure to offer dramatic adjustments with little to no downtime. The good part of this is that surgeons are working hard to offer excellent results while minimizing the downsides of surgery.

However, surgeons first and foremost have to protect their patients’ safety, while taking care to set realistic expectations. Some surgeons are offering “lunchtime” or “no-downtime” versions of popular procedures, but in my experience very often a minimal approach will achieve minimal benefits. A few quick points:

• Mini tummy tucks in Portland, Oregon can help limit recovery time dramatically, but they are still invasive procedures and are only appropriate for certain patients.
• Small-area liposuction really can be performed over a lunch hour, but even the newer laser lipo methods involve surgery, and a patient needs to treat the recovery period as seriously as she would for any other surgical procedure.

Questions to ask yourself before you choose these procedures:

• “Do I have an open mind about my options?” I think it can be easy for a person to latch onto any type of “packaged” procedure as their “best” option, but in most cases it takes a consultation with a plastic surgeon for a patient to understand their needs and goals clearly. Many times, patients will come to me thinking they need liposuction when a tummy tuck or even body lift is more appropriate, so it’s important to stay open to the possibilities.
• “Have I taken the time to research my surgeon and get more than one opinion on my needs?” All high-quality surgeons take an interest in performing techniques to minimize downtime. But the fact is that some doctors are better than others when it comes to performing surgery using less invasive techniques and minimizing recovery time. When in consultation with surgeons you are considering, be sure to get the specifics on how their techniques can limit surgical time, discomfort, and recovery.

I see many patients who express interest in one of the variations on the general tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) procedure, such as a “mini tummy tuck.” Although these alternative procedures may be a good option for some people, there’s another tummy tuck procedure I offer at my practice that may work even better than these other alternatives, a procedure that offers many benefits to my patients in Fresno and Visalia: the Avelar tummy tuck. I thought I’d share some of those benefits in this post.

What Is the Avelar Tummy Tuck?

Created in the 1990s by Dr. Juarez M. Avelar, a Brazilian surgeon, the Avelar tummy tuck combines abdominoplasty with tumescent liposuction. The technique requires less cutting, although it still removes the excess skin that is usually addressed during a tummy tuck. Combined with the removal of drooping skin, tumescent liposuction is used to safely and effectively eliminate excess fat.

Why the Avelar Tummy Tuck?

There are several benefits to the Avelar procedure that I have seen with my Fresno and Visalia tummy tuck patients.

The Avelar technique reduces the risk of flap necrosis and other complications.

In some cases, more fat can be removed than with a traditional tummy tuck.

Many patients experience less pain and a faster recovery with the Avelar technique.

Deciding between liposuctionm, mini abdominoplasty, full abdominoplasty or Avelar tummy tuck can be confusing. The only way to truly know what is best for you is to meet with a qualified cosmetic surgeon.

Lately there’s such a push for mini and minimally-invasive procedures that often you don’t hear much about the more intensive options like “vertical-incision abdominoplasty” that some patients need. For surgeons who perform a fair amount of post-weight-loss cosmetic surgery, this abdominoplasty technique can be an appropriate method to address larger amounts of excess tissue and loose skin, especially in the upper abdomen.

What Is The Vertical-Incision Tummy Tuck?

The problem: Most tummy tuck patients have loose skin and muscle in the lower-abdominal area only, and the standard procedure can deal with this very thoroughly. However, if a patient has lost a lot of weight, they’ll probably have loose, extra skin above their belly button, and a traditional tummy tuck won’t address that problem.

The solution: Vertical-incision abdominoplasty takes the standard tummy tuck a step further by adding a second incision upward from the first (the final scar looks like an inverted “T”). This incision allows a surgeon to tighten loose skin inward as well as downward, and gives direct access to the upper abdominal skin. It also makes it a little easier to suture the upper-abdominal muscles into place.

Do You Need It?

Unless you’ve lost a lot of weight, you’re probably seeing looseness and sagginess at the lower abdomen only, so most likely you won’t need anything more than a standard tummy tuck in Orange County.

A few signs that it might be worth asking your surgeon about more extensive options:

• Very loose tissue above the belly button that easily pulls outward when you pinch it
• A deep fold below your ribs, with loose skin hanging below the crease
• Vertical wrinkles, caused by skin looseness, that extend into the upper abdomen

By: Andrew Goldberg, MD

I’ve heard some comments recently about a new nanotechnology sealant that some people are saying might prevent surgical scarring completely. The claims are a little overblown and this technology is several years from even being testable, but I’m sure that plenty of patients considering plastic surgery in Virginia still wonder whether they can really expect totally scar-free surgery anytime soon.

The nano-sealant is an exciting idea and there are already some products on the market that seal off blood flow in similar ways, but the fact is that surgeons like me are already performing a lot of “scarless” surgeries without the help of either advancement.

What We CAN Do to Prevent Scarring

You are not going to find a magical solution for guaranteed “scarless” now or even in 10 years, but fortunately a good surgeon can help you significantly minimize scarring. Realistically, here are the two biggest things you and your surgeon can do to avoid scarring:

• Scale the surgery down by limiting incisions in the first place and hiding them in unnoticeable areas.
  What this means: I might recommend a mini face lift or tummy tuck instead of the full version, or place breast implants through an incision in the armpit instead of on the breast itself for a “virtually scarless” breast augmentation in Virginia.
• Help healing by taking steps before, during, and after surgery to encourage your body to heal faster.
  What this means: New technologies can help limit surgical time, but there’s no technological replacement for a surgeon who knows how to avoid unnecessary tissue damage – and who makes sure you understand how to take care of your incisions properly after surgery.

The Bottom Line: I’ll be interested to see where this nanotechnology goes in the next few years, but if you’re worried about scarring, I would say to make sure you choose a doctor who is highly qualified, and talk through things with him or her thoroughly. Not all surgeries can be “scarless,” but minimizing scars should be a central focus on your doctor’s mind.