I had an FUT procedure earlier in the year but was unhappy with the results on the crown. I had put off having additional work because the experience had been very painful and I was reluctant to go through another experience for the sake of my vanity. I had a consultation with who Dr. Powell was very professional and supportive and reassured me that I would have a much better experience in his facility.He was absolutely correct. I cannot speak highly enough of Dr. Powell and his staff. His assistant Karina made the experience relaxing and pain free. I was actually shocked at how easy the experience was. I cannot recommend this facility highly enough. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Well in the past year, I have lost 20 lbs on my own and have been slowly changing my eating habits and exercise. I did however have some stubborn fat in the abdomen area that just wouldn't progress anymore. This led me to consider the smart lipo triplex. I did lots of research before and will post my progress for anyone out there that is considering. I had it on 5-3-13 (just 2 days ago). I am happy to answer any questions anyone may have. I will post frequently both for me to track my own progress, but for anyone considering this procedure.I did my upper anf lower abdomen and lower arms ( didn't really have a lot on lower arms but there was a little stubborn area as well). Updated on 7 May 2013: Ok, now that realself approved my review, I am adding photos. I reallly didn't want to do this but I figured I will be brave and post them if it might help people make a decision that might change their life for the better. Please keep in mind, you will be swollem and bruised for at LEAST two weeks ...with the two weed period being where you will be the most swollen, then your results start to get better and better (according to my Doctor). Even with that being said, I can see a significant difference already! Today is only the 4th day and I am posting pics of the very next day, and two days after. I will probably post now weeky. If anyone has questions, I am happy to answer any! Updated on 12 May 2013: Today is May 12, 2013. Still occasionally sore at times. Nothing extra strength Tylonol can't handle. I wanted to post some pics, which I have done above described as "day 9 b4 and afters". I am still very swollen and under my arms hurt way more than my abdomen. I have to put deoderant on VERY slowly or it feels like a knife stabbing sensation for a quick moment. Very strange. I an itchy at the op sites which my doc said is good as that means its healing. Loving the results so far but hoping the swelling goes down soon so I can wear something other than elastkc waste skirts to work! lol. Updated on 19 May 2013: Ok so I took my pix down..I will be reorganizing and adding them back up soon...more to come!
I was so skeptical about this procedure. Reading all the scary things on here made me not want to get this done but I am so glad I did!!! A friend of mine had her legs done last year and she looks great so I finally said why not just do it. I saw three doctors here in Dallas and one in Houston before choosing the same doctor my friend used. He is so honest about what could happen and what may happen and isnt afraid of all my questions or anxiety lol. I had two consults with him before I finally scheduled. I know they thought i was crazy but i was so scared because ive never had any cosmetic procedures and kept reading the good and bad. My fear was the staining of the skin. I am naturally tan and kept thinking the worst. The first few days I did have bruising but my legs were taped with black tape and in about two weeks no bruises or stains!!!!!! I do have a few spider veins on the back of my legs but im not sure if i had them before because i hated my legs and didnt really look. :( Well I am four months out and love my legs!!!!! I have been plagued with cellulite all my life. But thanks to cellulaze I finally wore a pair of shorts for Easter in front of all my friends and family. This was such a big deal for me. For the first time i felt confident with my legs in front of people. I wanted to cry when I went to my follow up. I have to say I have asked God for forgiveness because I was so angry at my doctor thinking he lied to me until I saw my pictures. I skipped my follow up at three months because I was so angry and thought I had no results. When i came in they took my pictures and put my photos side by side on a tv!!!! I literally wanted to cry. All the money in the world couldnt make me this happy. I cant belive those are my legs. I must say recovery wasn't as easy as I thought or he said but it was totally worth my smooth legs!!! I can not wait til my one year mark because he said this will continue to get better!!!!!! I have one dimple on my right thight that is being stubborn but I have faith it with go away. Or so I hope.
I have been plagued with cellulite for the past 5 years, and I haven't worn shorts since. I'm already pretty curvy, but after my baby came more dimples and stretch marks. Although my cellulite is not horrible, it has been a source of embarrassment for me. I even try to hide it from my husband. I will be having my procedure this weekend!| I met with Dr. Powell and was instantly excited about the potential of having smooth thighs. After my one consultation with him, I really didn't want to go anywhere else. He seemed just as excited as I did. I love Dr. Powell and his staff. Courtney is such a doll! Dr. Powell explained everything to me very carefully and answered all my questions. I hope this works. I posted a few before pics. Will post more after the procedure. And yes, the bum is kinda large...can't do much about that. LOL! Updated on 11 May 2012: Just had my procedure. I feel absolutely fine. Still pretty numb, so I'm not feeling much at all. Dr. Powell was great. I can't say enough about him and his wonderful staff. The numbing process was a bit painful, but it was over before you know it. Now, I'm off to eat dinner with my hubby before the numbing meds wear off. Praying that the results go a smoothly as the procedure did! Updated on 13 May 2012: Woke up this morning to some pretty smooth legs. I have no bruising, which is weird, but hey I'm ok with that. If my legs look this god already, I can imagine what they Will look like in a few weeks. I can't wait to work out. GET CELLULAZE FRIENDS!!!! Updated on 16 May 2012: Owwww....5 Days after my procedure and I'm just really starting to feel pain. My legs are really achy now. They seem to hurt more when I take off the compression garment. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I must have been floating on my numbing high for the first few days. I'm a bit down today. Had to take some meds for pain. And my compression garment is irritating me. My legs feel so itchy. I just want to make sure I give you guys the good and bad of my experience. I'm still thinking positive. It'll all be worth it room :) Updated on 16 May 2012: Soon not room....LOL. Updated on 18 May 2012: I think I'm dealing with a bit of depression. I've been so sore. I have seen some results, but not in the main area I was concerned with. I'm having crazy "what if I'm the one person it doesn't work on" thoughts. Even though I know it may take up to 6 mos to see results. My rational mind knows this, but it does not stop me from feeling down. I did a little research because I wanted to see if this feeling was normal... here is a summary of my research: "Quite frequently patients experience a brief period of "let-down" or depression after cosmetic surgery. Some may subconsciously have expected to feel and look better "instantly," even though they rationally understand that this will not be the case. Patients commonly question their decision to have surgery during the first few days after surgery. " Good to know I may not be alone. #Bummed Updated on 25 May 2012: It's been two weeks since my procedure. Bruising and swelling is pretty much gone. I've seen some minimal results on some of my deeper dimples under my bum. I look a lot better in my own mirror then the ones at clothing stores. Ugh!! It's the worse. My advice is to have Cellulaze in the fall because wearing the garment or spanx in the Texas heat is brutal. Also, I would stay away from the bad lighting of dressing room mirrors. The itching from the garment was easily resolved with a great suggestion from Dr. Powell's office. I simply wear some thin tights under my garment. It has helped out tremendously. Recently, I've been feeling some pea sized bumps under my skin. I calles my doc and they suggested massage and heating pads. They told me I should definitely come in if they are larger than a pea. During the massage, my husband felt more than I thought were there. I think I'm just gonna go in the insure that everything is ok. Updated on 8 Jun 2012: Well, it's been a month since my procedure. The bruising is pretty much gone, however I do see a bit of a dark shadow on the front of my thighs. The achy feeling is gone, however my skin is still sore to the touch. Shaving my legs is still pretty painful. Now for the important stuff...the results...or, lack there of. I guess because my cellulite was so minimal I was expecting to see results immediately. I have seen the two dimples under my bum become a bit more flush, but my area of main concern(front and inner thighs) look the same, and in one spot, a bit worse. I'm really trying to be optimistic, but I won't be buying shorts anytime soon. I feel a little foolish, and kind of superficial. It sure was a lot of money. Oh well. I'll be patient and see what happens in another month. Good luck ladies. Updated on 16 Jul 2012: Hi Real Self Friends, I know It has been a minute since I've updated my profile. It has been 9 weeks since my procedure, and I have had a lot of developments since then. First of all, I am expecting my second child. I'm about 12 weeks preggo! I have been beating myself up because as happy as I am about having a new little baby, I was pretty bummed that I had just spend thousands on a procedure that will probably be ruined with all the pregnancy hormones. After slapping myself around a bit I finally stopped the pitty party and started being truly grateful for my new little blessing. Despite the pregnancy hormones, I am still seeing some results. Am I 100% cellulite free, No, but I would say my cellulite has improved. I'm still a bit chunkier that I would like, but I can see some spots where there is some signs of smoothing. I am hoping to continue to see results, but now I'm just gonna focus on having a healthy pregnancy. See the pics for results!
I'm 41, 6'5", 215lbs. Smart Lipo chose me! I mentioned prior to tickle lipo on my flanks that I would like to see if the DR would do my abs for an additional $750. Prior to the lipo, a kgbdeals came for smart lipo. I called immediatly and scheduled a consult. What I hope is that the laser will tighten the loose skin on my abs. The PS said that I should be able to get a 50% improvement. Updated on 15 Oct 2011: Day 2 was uncomfortable. Day 3 was much better at first. Day 4 I am much better and went for a workout. I did 55 pull-ups and 30 minutes on the elliptical. I felt fine afterwards, but i became so tired in the afternoon that I fell to sleep for several hours. I have a compression top, which I think sucks. I bought a back support wrap from walmart for $16 that offers more compression than the $95 compression top. Today I got a 12 inch binder from makemeheal, and that combined with my walmart wrap is all the compression I need. Question, how tight should the compression be? I've been having it super tight, just wondering because the $95 compression top offers no more compression then a spanx. Updated on 21 Oct 2011: It's been 9 days now. Today I am swollen up. I look fatter than I did prior. If not for reading all the other reviews, I'd be nervous now. There is still some numbness in my ab area. I have been low on energy. Working out has been tuff, each thing I do takes so much more effort and wears me out. I'd been falling asleep earlier at night, etc. I think my body healing is taking all my strength. My doctor said that I should feel better energy wise 2 to 4 weeks out. I'm hopeful. For me, the worse part so far has been the pain the first few days, the compression garment, and not being at 100%, oh yeah, the waiting! The 6 month final result is hard to take, I want to see the results now. In six months, an unhealthy eater can pack all their weight back on and never notice any results. Updated on 26 Oct 2011: 13 days out. I feel so much better. The swelling is down. I'm back to working out for the most part, but I have to limit myself due to pain in the abs. Today I worked out without any compression. There were a few times I felt the odd pain, but it pretty much was okay. I still get tired quicker than before. I still have numbness and swelling in the ab area, and I'm still wearing the compression around the clock. But i feel that everything is going good. Updated on 16 May 2012: I added my 6 month pictures. I was not happy with my flanks, but that was another procedure. My abs are smaller, but I was not completly wowed. I went back last week to have some additional lipo and a skin tightening procedure. My dr is convinced that my issue is loose skin and not fat. Fo me, I want to feel skin and nothing but muscle. So I have been wrapped up for the last week waiting on the numbness and pain to go way again. I'm hopeful that in 2 months I can go shirtless in Jamaica. I think what I need is to have all the loose skin cut away, but I'm not ready for the pain, and cost. My dr says since it is only skin and not muscle, I should only be down for 4 or 5 days. So I'd only miss one week of work. Updated on 16 May 2012: I'm posting my 6 month photos. Totally not happy with the flanks, but that was a different procedure. Not really happy with the stomach either. There was more fat the dr could have taken. The stomach area does look better and smaller, but not awesome like I was looking for. I think I may need a tummy tuck on the skin only, but not looking forward to the down time, the pain, or the cost. Last week I went in for some laser skin tightening and additional lipo. I'm wrapped up and swollen right now.
Dr. Powell is amazing! He is patient and kind, and has a great sense of humor too. He explained the Tongue Ablation treatment in precise detail to me and explained why I would not be a good candidate. I appreciated the time he took to explain his reasoning, including giving me examples of people who were good candidates for the treatment so I could better understand why I am NOT a good candidate. Dr. Powell is very friendly and engaging, not intimidating at all. I was comfortable asking him questions and I did not feel rushed. Very impressed with his knowledge. It should also be noted that Dr. Powell is the Founder and Inventor of the Tongue Ablation procedure (The Powell Procedure) and thus, it makes sense that he is the Ultimate Expert on discussing this amazing medical procedure! Highly recommend Dr. Powell if you're considering the Tongue Ablation procedure, he's The Man!
I found this site and the reviews of so many who took the time to share so helpful I thought it was only right that I post as well. Today I had Smartlipo Triplex performed on my upper and lower abs and the front side of my flanks. I was scheduled/paid for upper/lower abs, front/partial back flanks, and inner thighs. However, I am having the procedure broken up into two sessions due to maximum anesthetic limitations. I have to say, even after reading so many reviews, I was completely unprepared for the pain of the numbing procedure. Not only was it very painful - and I thought I had a fairly high threshold for it - the process of its application caught me off guard. I am definitely not trying to scare anyone and I am so far very happy I did it; however, I wish I had understood what it felt like so I could have been a little more prepared. So I'm going to give a quick overview. By the way, I am about 4 hours out of "surgery" as I write this. So my day started with my prescribed daily dose of Arnica and Vitamin K, and my first dose of antibiotic. The procedure was scheduled for noon so of course I was up at the crack of dawn anxious to get going. About 30 minutes before arriving I took one pain pill and a Valium (these types of drugs have little effect on me in small doses as prescribed and honestly I didn't feel much in the way of drowsiness). So I arrive, am taken back to my personal recovery room to undress and relax a bit. Then the before photos were taken, the results of which made me even happier to be there. LOL Finally time to begin. I get to the OR and all set up. Huge screen with my pictures for him to view during the procedure - ugh. The nurse gave me some additional sedative for nerves. Hardly did a thing. But still, no big deal - YET. He begins with a pinch and a warning of the shot of lidocaine. Uncomfortable but not unbearable by any means. However, I didn't realize that the numbing shots were only for inserting the applicator that would be used to numb my entire mid-section. The part he described as the most "uncomfortable" part of the entire procedure. And in my case, that was the understatement of the century! I have no idea what it truly looks like, but it FELT like he was inserting a tube into the numbed incisions that seemed about 8 inches long. He told me he liked to just go for it rather than prolong it by going slowly because it would be better for me to get it over with. And as he inserted the "tube" to numb my insides it felt like it was ripping through my inner layers of skin and fat (maybe that's exactly what was happening), and like what you would imagine actual liposuction feeling like. Up down, deep and back, high up and low, side to side, the sensation of popping and separating skin from fat. While the lower portion and front side of flanks were painful, they were NOTHING compared to the numbing process of the upper abs. He went through my navel area up near my ribs and diaphragm. He warned me beforehand that this part would be the most uncomfortable. And boy, I found it to be excruciating. He was very patient with me, stopping when he felt I needed a break. At one point however I became very hot and started sweating profusely. I asked if this was normal and his nurse said I was very pale. She checked my blood pressure and it had dropped to 85/43!!!! I started to panic a little because I had never heard of blood pressure being so low. But they assured me that I would be fine and elevated my lower portion. After a few minutes I did start to feel better and stopped sweating, then we started again. This happened when I was only about 2/3 of the way through just the numbing part!!! FINALLY we're done. Time for the laser part. He tested a few areas with that dang numbing tube back and forth all over the place and it was fine. Again, though, that popping sensation really freaked me out. But it didn't hurt. Just feels very strange. We found a few areas that needed a little more numbing and he did. However, by this time I had reached my max on how much anesthetic I could safely handle. I was on my own for the rest and if it became unbearable we would have to stop. So I bit my lip and went for it. I would highly recommend to anyone who may get squeamish to bring a pair of headphones and listen to music. The sounds of the laser and suction while at the same time feeling the tugging and jarring back and forth and imagining all of this stuff going on made me a little...I don't know...I just wished I didn't have to hear it. I tend to get a little dizzy at such things. There is actually a name for this response...starts with a "V", and I've experienced it before with other procedures. So if you're like that, bring se music. Would have made things a bit easier. Anyway, about 2.5 hours for the procedure that we could not finish fully. He was able to remove 2600 ccs from just my abs and front flanks alone. So I was happy with that (photo attached). And I'm not HUGE. While I have no visible point of reference as to the results right after the procedure, I can say that when he started, he was gently pinching large areas of fat rolls on my abs (I could pinch about two handfuls on my lower abs before the procedure). And when we were finished he was pinching those same areas as he did before he started and it felt like he could maybe pinch an inch from the top of my upper abs to the bottom of my lower abs, evenly. And I could feel a significant pinch reduction on my flanks even though there is still quite a bit left to remove from the back side. Today is Friday, July 5; the second and final session is scheduled to occur next Tuesday (back side of flanks and inner thighs). As you can imagine, I'm not very excited to go through it again so soon, especially because I will still be very sore. But it was not bad enough where I won't do it or hold off. I want my results to occur simultaneously as planned. My flanks have bee a thorn in my side (no pun intended), since forever. My poor daughter, who is 5'9" and only 120 has them. Genetics...(sigh). So the flanks were the most important part of this for me, and I am determined to see it through. I'll keep you posted as so many of you have, which I am very grateful for. By the way, I am 40 with 3 children (one of which is 3 years old); I'm 5'2" and 142 lbs. Updated on 7 Jul 2013: So I finally got to unwrap myself last night (Saturday, July 6) after 24 hours to take a showe and see myself for the first time. And I am VERY pleased! Not to mention I still have my second procedure left to finish the backside of flanks and inner thighs. While I am definitely swollen and my side pics don't reveal much difference, the most obvious reduction in fat can be seen around my belly button (see new before/after pics of navel area). Also, when I bend over or sit, there are no fat rolls hanging over when before there were at least two handfuls!! That's definitely where the difference is and an indicator of what's to come. And everyday the pain is exponentially better. Where Friday evening I could barely move, this morning I woke up optimistic that I can maybe make it into work tomorrow. Still sore, but SO much better than yesterday! The Tuesday procedure is scary because of how much pain I was in, and that I am still very sore. But I can say that the pain is very localized only to the areas worked on. That "invisible line" I spoke of between front and back flanks is like night and day between each side. The side worked on is very sore, but the backside isn't at all. It's almost like you could draw a line right down the middle where the pain ends and no pain begins. Pretty remarkable. So as long as they don't touch the front side much I should be fine. (Eeek!) So, so far I am very, very pleased, especially considering that I had prepared myself to be patient on seeing any results after reading so many posts and before/after pics. Like I said, I'm still very swollen. But it's easy to tell that it's only swelling because there is no fat to pinch, no rolls when I bend over, and you can clearly see the difference in a significant reduction of fat around my belly button. Can't wait till everything is all done on Tuesday. I can already tell there is going to be a HUGE difference before and after the procedure a month or two down the road. Yippee!! Updated on 7 Jul 2013: I forgot to add that as of today, second day post op, I have had ZERO leakage. Wasn't sure if that was good or bad. But since I am seeing results - and hardly have ANY bruising - I guess it can't be a bad thing, although it is surprising. I haven't had to sleep on a shower curtain or anything for that matter, not even a towel. The only bruising I've had are on my flank areas, and even that is minimal. But most importantly, I have had NO problems with loose skin. I was very worried about that pre-op because after three children and being overweight now for more than four years, I figured there would be some. Now there is a little part along my c-section scar that seems a little more bulgy in the middle, but even if that hung around I would still be very pleased with the overall results because nearly ALL the overhang and flab that was above my scar is flat against the skin now. And that's the first I've EVER seen that since I had my daughter in '93, even when I was super skinny. I've always had that "hangover" above my scar. Now there's nothing except a little bulge in one area. So pfstt, I'm super pleased. Fingers crossed for Tuesday!!! Updated on 8 Jul 2013: So I'm three days out and feeling good. Was even able to come into work. I have an hour commute-drive to and from and made it just fine. The soreness has subsided so much more than yesterday. Like night and day from the day of the procedure to now, which makes me less anxious about tomorrow's round two. I am planning to go in straight from work tomorrow at 5 and get right to it. Took Weds and Thurs off work completely knowing that the first two days are very sore. There's no way I could make it in. And I know I'll be taking pain meds so I won't be good for much of anything. But today - no pain medication, not even Tylenol, since I'm having the second procedure tomorrow and I don't think you're supposed to take anything beforehand. Regardless, I don't feel I need it. Posting new pics from this morning. A little more bruising but not too bad. Same flanks area that was bruising before, so no surprises there. Updated on 8 Jul 2013: Not too bad!!! Updated on 9 Jul 2013: Boy, I have to say, Round 2 was a million times easier and less painful than Round 1 of the upper-lower abs and frontside flanks. Like it wasn't very painful at all. I was so nervous and scared from what it was like the first time I even thought of canceling; I'm so glad I didn't. So if I scared anyone before, it is easier and less painful for some than others. My first round may have been an anomaly. But I was no exaggerating. I think the key is understanding what it feels like and what to expect. That probably played a big role in how I handled the first procedure and this one. And of course it was performed in less painful areas. On the other hand, part of the second round of flanks did cross beyond that "invisible" line of pain I spoke of before. But it was MUCH less intense than I had imagined. So all went great! He did additional before pictures and ended up going "beyond the call of duty" in some areas on my backside just to ensure a great result. Pretty nice considering I was already paying a special $1500 per area discounted special. He is a wonderful doc. He even waited to perform the procedure at 5:30 so I could work a full day. Love this guy. And I cannot wait until a month down the road because I will love him even more I'm sure :) An additional 1300 ccs of fat was removed today, bringing the total to nearly 4000 ccs removed of almost pure fat overall, 70% of which was from my abs alone. Not much was needed from inner thighs. He said any more than a few hundred would end up leaving an awkward looking indention. While I don't have a before/after pic of my inner thighs, I do of my backside love handles. And the results were amazing, right off the table. Also, unlike before, I am experiencing quite a bit of leakage but not overwhelming. However, I did have to take out the shower curtain tonight to sleep on. Will update more in a couple days!! Yay, finally done!!! And very, very happy!!! Updated on 12 Jul 2013: Well second day back at work since second procedure and it was the first day that I've felt the "hardening" of my stomach that so many talked about. It was also the first day that I wore my compression garment without the foam padding insert. So maybe it wasn't the first time it's felt hard but the first time I've actually felt it harden and swollen. It sorta worried me a bit because I had worked a long time with long periods of sitting (I don't have the best posture) and did some off and on driving/walking to meetings. Stressful. So I called the doc who told me it was normal - the hardening is dispersed evenly over my abdomen - but that I should go home and take it easy, which I am. The good part is that even with all the swelling and hardening, I fit easily into the same clothes I did before the surgery, which probably doesn't seem like improvement, but it does because there is no feeling of "fat" or rolls underneath. It's tight but very swollen. So I know for sure that once all the swelling goes down it's going to feel and loos great. I know that my clothes sizes will become smaller and smaller, and get looser and looser as the weeks go by. So it's all good. But no pics to post this time.
