Tummy tuck or abdominoplasty is a frequently performed cosmetic procedure which is meant to improve the looks or appearance of your abdominal region. The primary goal of this procedure is to remove excess skin or fat from the abdominal region and then reconnect the tissues with sutures to get a more toned and flat look.

The requirement for abdominoplasty
The tummy tuck surgery is for someone who has folds of fat or skin on their abdominal region that results in an unsightly appearance and causes body image issues. These problems may be caused by multiple factors, some of which are mentioned below:

1. Significant weight loss: Men or women who have lost a lot of weight tend to have excess loose skin on their bodies as a result of the skin being stretched over a long period of time.

2. Pregnancy: Many women who have gone through multiple pregnancies also have similar problems as the skin in their abdominal region tends to stretch over multiple times which may result in the skin becoming flabby.

3. You have a weak lower abdominal wall: Some patients tend to generally have a weak lower abdominal wall which over the years tends to protrude and hang. This results in a misshapen body which they want to correct for body image issues. 

4. To correct scarring from C section: Many women who give birth via C-section tend to have a scar on their body and some abdominal contouring can change the shape and size of the scar, which in turn not only tightens the tummy but also hides the scars.

Considerations before abdominoplasty
Abdominoplasty isn't recommended if you fall under any of the following categories:
1. Still have to lose weight: If you have to lose a lot of weight, then it is advised that you wait till your goal weight is reached and only then consider this procedure. Abdominoplasty isn't meant to reduce weight, but to take out excess skin and flab that remains after weight loss

2. Plan on becoming pregnant again: If you are planning to become pregnant again, then the muscles and tissues in your abdomen might loosen and cause a flabby belly again.

3. If you have heart disease or other conditions: If you have heart related conditions or are diabetic, then abdominoplasty won't be considered as it might put you at high risk of complications after surgery.

Abdominoplasty - An Overview

Liposuction is very popular as a relatively quick and safe cosmetic surgery to get rid of excess fat. At one time, the procedure was even touted as a better alternative to healthy diet and exercise. Regardless of such myths, liposuction is an important development in cosmetic surgery. Indeed in certain cases (of extreme weight gain) liposuction is the first surgical procedure performed on the patient. Like all surgeries, liposuction has a few do's and don'ts, and they are:

Do's
1. Keep your weight at a healthy level before surgery. The more the amount of fat is removed from your body, the greater is the risk involved in surgery, which is why controlling your weight pre surgery is important. Losing a large amount of weight leaves a lot of loose skin in your body, which can make your skin look saggy.
2. Wear your compression garments. Compression garments help your skin compress over the area where the fat used to be, leaving smooth, tight skin.
3. Continue exercising (with the go ahead of your doctor) after the procedure and follow a healthy diet to maintain your body.
4. Maintain gentle activity for two weeks after the procedure. This will help in removing fluid deposition in the surgical area and prevent complications.

Don'ts
1. Do not take anti inflammatory medicines like aspirin or ibuprofen as these medicines may cause bleeding complications. They also harm the body's immune system, which is detrimental to recovery.
2. Do not smoke or drink while recovering as Nicotine disturbs normal skin growth, which may lead to permanent scars, while alcohol interferes with the effect of some medicines.
3. Don't lift heavy objects or bend down immediately after the surgery. Your doctor will give you a more specific timeline as to when you can pursue such activities.
4. Don't expect results from day one. You will see results after you have recovered from the surgery.
5. Do not opt for liposuction specifically for weight loss. Liposuction is chiefly a procedure for shaping and contouring the fat in your body to give you that shape you always desired.

Do's and Don'ts of Liposuction

Losing weight for an obese person is a big achievement, but mere weight loss may not give them the desire look. Dramatic weight loss often causes excess skin to hang in folds. This can be both embarrassing and unappealing. While exercising and dieting can reduce fat, there is no way to deal with this excess skin other than surgery. Body contouring refers to plastic surgery procedures that address this. 

There are many type of body contouring surgeries. Face lifts, tummy tucks and breast lift procedures are common examples of such surgeries. Body contouring surgeries that follow weight loss usually address more than one area.  The lower body lift, which focuses on the tummy, midsection and thighs is one of the most common procedures. Though such a surgery is usually performed by a team of surgeons who simultaneously focus on different parts of the body, a body contouring surgery can take up to 8 hours. People who have undergone drastic weight loss may still need multiple surgeries to achieve the desired look. 

The risks of such a surgery are similar to other procedures that are performed under anesthesia. The most common complications experienced after this surgery are infections of the wound, seroma formation, slow healing of the wound, excessive bleeding and reopening of the wound. Patients may also notice a difference in the quality of their skin. This can lead to slow wound healing, skin laxity and issues related to scarring. For the overall cosmetic results to be appreciated, the patient must wait for at least 3 months. The scars can take up to a year to heal and blend with the rest of the skin. Body contouring is also a surgery that is not covered by most insurance policies and can be quite expensive. 

If you are considering this surgery, ensure that your weight remains stable for 3 to 6 months before the surgery. This will ensure that the surgery has long lasting results. Weight fluctuations, both gain and loss can lead to the need for additional procedures. If your weight loss is a result of bariatric surgery, you may need to wait a year before undergoing a contouring procedure. Instead of opting for an overall contouring procedure, prioritize your problem areas and address these first. You may realize that you do not need additional surgeries. You should also be aware that though this surgery removes excess skin, it will not leave you with flawless skin. the scars caused by this surgery may lighten over time but are permanent.

Facts About Body Contouring Surgery

A lower body lift is also called a belt lipectomy, is an increasingly popular type of surgery. The aim of this surgery is to eliminate or improve excessive or sagging of thigh and buttock skin from the area. This surgery is mostly opted to enhance the physical appearance and is becoming increasingly popular these days.

Causes to undergo lower body lift
1. A lower body lift may be undergone when, due to extreme weight loss or advanced age, the skin in the buttocks, thighs and abdomen becomes loose and appears to be sagging 
2. Apart from loosening the skin, weight loss can also make the buttocks &amp; thighs and abdomen look deformed or de-shaped. In that case, a lower body lift helps the patient correct the area.

Lower body lift are most likely to be successful when: 
1. The layers of fat beneath the skin of the patient are relatively thin. 
2. The patient does not smoke, as smoking slows down the healing process and also increases the risk of post surgery complications. 
3. The patient's weight does not fluctuate a lot. He or she must have stable weight for at least a year before the surgery. 
4. The overall health of the patient is good, and he or she does not suffer from chronic medical conditions.

How is the surgery performed? 
1. Depending on the body type and other condition of the patient, the doctors make a circumferential incision at the waist or slightly below that area. 
2. After that, the excess fat or skin is removed from the soft tissue that is present there. Following this, the skin is closed up in layers and tightened.

Things to keep in mind before the surgery: 
1. It may take a few months to recover fully, post surgery
2. Weight gain or loss in the future may affect the results of the surgery.

All About Lower Body Lift

Immediately after hair transplantation, you need to exercise little extra care to derive the best benefits. This includes immediate postoperative care, some common with most other surgeries and some very specific to hair transplantation. 

The following things will happen immediately after transplant, throughout the first week: 

Immediately after surgery, like any other surgery requiring anesthesia, there will be slight drowsiness and so it is advisable to arrange for a drive.

Expect some mild swelling and soreness that can be managed with rest and anti-inflammatories.

There will also be a tight and itchy feeling in areas where transplant has been done.

Spray water or saline every half an hour to keep the scalp moist in both the recipient and the donor sites. This promotes healing and also reduces the itchy feeling in these sites.

Thermal shock would be applied to areas to damage the existing follicles and new stem cells would be transplanted. This can also produce a warm feeling, sometimes referred to as 'thermal shock'.

In some people, there could be scab formation which occurs due to fall of the topmost transplanted hair follicles.

If you have undergone a micrograft, then you will have a compression bandage around your head. This should be in place for a day and will cause a tight feeling.

Sleep with your head elevated with a couple of pillows.

The first day after surgery, hair needs to be washed under the supervision of a physician or a nurse. Use a shampoo, which contains tea tree oil.

It is recommended to shampoo your hair regularly from day 2, as it is required to remove the dirt, blood, and oil that often accumulates at the recipient's site. This also helps to controlling infection, which is common post surgery.
Wait for at least 14 days before you resume coloring your hair, use of hair sprays, gels, and other hair care products.

All transplant surgeries require stitches. If the suture material is absorbable, there is no need to follow-up for removal. If it is not of absorbable material, they need to be removed after 2 weeks' time.

Please do not get into a regular exercise routine for up to 6 weeks. Cycling, gymming, swimming, golfing, etc., are to be avoided until the scalp is completely dry and to avoid stretching of the scar.

Everyone's body is unique and responds differently to hair transplantation. Go for periodic review with your doctor to understand how your body is responding.


What To Expect After Your Hair Transplant Session?

One of the effects of ageing is the double chin that is caused due to extra fluid or fat under the chin. It could also be due to increased weight, sagging skin, or merely genetic. Given that it produces an aged appearance, people with double chin are constantly trying to find ways to hide it. There are two main muscles in the neck area, and toning them helps to remove the double chin appearance. There are grooming tips like specific kinds of clothes, hairstyle, and makeup to conceal it. There are also some exercises which are believed to reduce the prominence of the double chin. However, these are temporary measures, and for a permanent solution, surgical correction is the only method of choice.

Some of the new methods to get rid of the double chin are listed below with some important additional details. Talk to your surgeon and understand what to expect before going ahead with the surgical correction.

Kybella: Approved by FDA, this is the new wonder drug to correct double chin. With no surgery involved, all it takes is about half an hour. The area is injected with a local anaesthetic and then Kybella. This contains deoxycholic acid, which is an enzyme that the body also produces naturally. This helps break down fat cells and so after a couple of weeks, the double chin gradually begins to literally melt away. Depending on the desired results, repeat injections might be required at monthly intervals. There could be mild swelling in the initial couple of days, which will subside shortly. The result would be a more defined chin line, producing a slimmer appearance.
CoolMini: This involves freezing the fat and massaging it to remove the double chin. This is a form of chin sculpting and is preferred in people with good skin tightness. Results will be evident in about 1 to 3 months.
Skin tightening using infrared light: A beam of infrared light is aimed at the double chin which causes tightening of the skin by stimulating the underlying collagen and elastin layers.
Chin liposuction: In people with excess fat deposition, chin liposuction where the excess fat is suctioned off is a good treatment option. This is a time-tested method and produces results more immediately than the above-mentioned procedures.
Subsequent to any of the above procedures, it is better to make some lifestyle changes so that the double chin does not return. Weight management and regular exercise can go a long way in preventing recurrence of the double chin. Speak to your doctor to draw up a weight management plan and an exercise regimen that can help in the same.

Double Chin - Ways You Can Get Rid Of It!

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