Pregnancy puts a woman’s body through many changes. Many of these are temporary, but a lot of women want to get their pre-pregnancy body back as soon as possible after birth. Our Atlantic Coast Aesthetics Question of the Week comes from our Facebook audience, and asks, “I am aged 36, 31 weeks pregnant and looking to have Vaser lipo on my long-hated double chin as soon as I can, as a ‘well done’ for squeezing out my third (and last) human! At my age is elasticity an issue? It’s an inherited double chin and I’ve had it forever, so it’s definitely not pregnancy related.”
Dr. Pane says that as a good rule of thumb, most women recovery from pregnancy and delivery sufficiently to undergo cosmetic procedures as early as 4-6 weeks postpartum. In some cases, especially when the pregnancy or delivery was exceptional difficult on the mother’s body, this may be pushed out as far as 6-12 weeks to give the mother sufficient time to recover and for her body to regain as much of her pre-pregnancy physical condition as possible in a more natural and less invasive way.
Normally Dr. Pane advocates caution when considering cosmetic surgery soon after delivery, largely because in many cases the body will self-correct to a certain degree without surgical intervention. This means that often, surgical intervention undertaken too soon can result in unexpected and undesirable outcomes that actually make the situation worse instead of better and make revision procedures necessary later to correct the undesirable side effects. For this reason, although a waiting period is not always strictly necessary, it is nevertheless a good idea if for no other reason than the fact that it gives the mother a chance to recover from one major stressor on her body before adding another.
As to the quality of the patient’s skin, this is difficult to assess properly without either using photographs for comparison or an in-person clinical evaluation of the problem areas under consideration. At age 36, the skin usually retains enough elasticity to make liposuction relatively easy. However, a number of environmental and habitual factors such as prolonged exposure to sun, smoke and pollutants can influence skin health and elasticity. A photograph with good lighting can give a general idea of the overall condition of the skin, but is still a poor substitute for direct examination.
A final point Dr. Pane addressed was that of Vaser lipo versus regular, laser or “tickle” lipo. Vaser lipo relies on ultrasound waves to break up and liquefy subcutaneous adipose deposits. Ideally this makes the fat easier to harvest, remove and if desired, implant elsewhere in the body. However, Vaser lipo does tend to have more side effects than standard mechanical liposuction. These side effects can be reduced in many cases, but patients should be aware that this form of liposuction does carry risks, albeit slight, that may be lessened or nonexistent in other forms of liposuction.
As with any form of cosmetic surgery, the first step in achieving the desired results is to directly consult with a surgeon who is skilled enough to properly analyze the patient’s current situation and desired outcome. It is important at this stage not to get “married” to the idea of any particular procedure, because some cosmetic surgical measures may offer better or less optimal results or even be completely inappropriate as a corrective measure, depending upon the circumstances and the patient’s overall wishes. A better method is to identify the problem points and the desired outcomes and speak openly and freely with the surgeon about them. This gives the surgeon the best idea of what the expectations are and how to achieve the best possible results with the highest possible degree of safety and minimum risk of side effects.
Finding the right resources for straight answers and real talk about cosmetic surgery is an important part of getting the results you want. If you have a question for Dr. Thomas Pane or the staff of Atlantic Coast Aesthetics about anything related to cosmetic surgery, we welcome the chance to discuss your concerns, desires and needs! Call us at (561) 422-4116, follow us on Facebook and Twitter or email us at https://acplasticsurg.com. At ACA, we believe the only bad question is the one you don’t ask! It’s your body and you deserve to look and feel beautiful in the skin you’re in. We’re excited for the opportunity to help you find the body you’ve always wanted.