GLOW Blog

When it comes to improving your self-image and your body, diet and exercise always factor in. There’s undoubtedly room for improvement in both for most of us, and more often than not, a healthier diet and more exercise will help. Yet, there is such a thing as eating fairly healthy and exercising regularly and still finding that belly impossible to shape. In fact, it is often the case that after you lose weight, excess fat and loose skin stubbornly exist around the belly. In situations like this, a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) might be the best way to tighten abdominal muscles and reduce the amount of excess skin.

If you have been considering liposuction, you are probably already familiar with how it works: through tiny incisions, fat is suctioned from your thighs, abdomen, back, or other body area with unsightly fat deposits.  Your body is rid of a significant amount of fat from whichever area of your body you choose, you’re back at the office within a week and you’re showing off your more sculpted body at the gym or on the beach within a couple of  months. The complication rate is low and the satisfaction rate is high. Some questions remain, and the one I hear most frequently is:  Does the fat come back after the liposuction?

It depends on who you ask.

At GLOW Surgical Arts, we do a lot of liposuction, and particularly Smartlipo. Because of our interest in and experience with Smartlipo liposuction, we talk to many patients (and potential patients!) about the possible outcomes of this procedure and its limitations.

We're amused at the number of food analogies used to describe body areas: banana rolls, chicken cutlets, and rolls, to name a few.  I particularly like "muffin top," that descriptive phrase attributed to the midsection that squeezes out of a snug (perhaps too snug…..) pair or jeans.  You also have spare tires, love handles, bat wings, beer bellies, pooches, and bra rolls.  The list goes on, as does our struggle to make these body areas just a little less noticeable.

Now that Summer is here, we're thinking of slowing down, vacation time, spending time on or near the water, and just having fun.  You may have a special trip planned, or an upcoming wedding, and you want to look your best.  Why not commit to finally getting closer to the look, and feel, you've wanted when clothed or otherwise?

Don't we all dream of having that perfect bikini belly, a flat, sculpted abdomen you are proud to show off to the world.  And we are willing to try just about anything to get it, especially if it does not involve dieting or exercise. There are pills, drinks, diet plans and " in only 10 minutes a day" equipment all promising that perfect swimsuit tummy.  The latest craze, The Tummy Tuck Belt, suggests that 10 minutes twice a day is all it takes to lose inches from your abdomen and get tummy tuck results. It reminds me of the old adage "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

With the longer days, warmer weather, and clear skies of summer beckoning, thoughts turn to the outdoors, poolside, beaches and good times on vacation. We'll probably be wearing a little less and exposing a little more.  Hopefully, that will be a good thing.  But don't we all have a few concerns?  

How many days at the gym have we logged, or time have we spent, discussing or thinking about food choices, only to have a bulge, roll, or soft spot that simply won't go away?

Exercise is great - the health benefits are manifold, and it is so easy to do.  I really like the approach outlined by Gretchen Reynolds in her new book.  This is very doable - and well worth it.  We all have work to do, and competing priorities, but incorporating exercise into everyday life is possible.

While Smartlipo liposuction, breast augmentation, and tummy tucks (abdominoplasty) remain popular as standalone procedures, we’ve seen an increased interest in combining some of these into one sitting. As such, a few lines on the fabled ‘mommy makeover.’

The term ‘mommy makeover’ usually refers to some combination of procedures meant to restore a woman’s body to the shape and dimensions enjoyed before pregnancy and breastfeeding. Natural and predictable changes on the road to motherhood may include stretch marks, sagging or lax skin, pesky, intractable fat deposits, and volume loss and sagging of the breasts.

Have you been thinking about having liposuction done? Do you have problem areas that just don’t respond to diet and exercise? If so, liposuction may be a smart choice for you.