So far so good! I had a fat transfer with Dr. Timek a year ago and while that was very successful the perkiness that I wanted was lacking so decided to do a lift with additional fat transfer in lieu of implants. I really wanted to get that upper pole fullness that implants provide, but the universe was telling me not to shortly before my surgery when so many friends, family and acquaintances I know are having theirs removed due to implant illness. I’m really hoping that with the lift this time that the upper pole fullness remains with time. Obviously it won’t be the same as implants so my expectations are reasonable and my priority is perkiness. I was only the fence of needing a lift with my degree of ptosis, but after being done having children I really wanted to have the breast height I had prior with minimal fold over and passing the pencil test again. There’s so many clothes I have in my closet from years ago that require no bra that I’m excited to be able to wear again! Dr Timek did a short scar “J” shaped lollipop lift and reduced my areola a bit with fat transfer of around 200ccs. I had lipo from my flanks, bra line, inner thighs and a bit from my upper arm to be able to have enough fat for my breasts and also a small amount placed in my buttock indents. I’m a week and a half out from surgery and am finally starting to feel energy levels returning and pain subsiding. It’s really the lipo areas that are the painful part of recovery as these areas are bruised and sensitive. I’m also super excited for my new waist shape and butt. Even before having children I tended to carry fat in my center so didn’t have much of a waist or hourglass shape. With my first fat transfer surgery last year this was dramatically improved, but this one is really turning out to be epic. At this point my biggest concern is my incisions and what the scars will be like once fully healed. Ive never had long incisions before, but I have some small scars on my body that are not detectable and some that are not pretty so I’m not sure how my body will heal. I also think that my nipple areolar complex was placed a bit low in anticipation of the fat settling lower, but I hope that my skin tightness holds the position of my breast mound in place because I really do not want much of a fold over. Anyway, so far so good with the breast lift. I really think the lipo to flanks and bra line areas will have the most dramatic results though so I’ll post pictures of these areas as well. Looking forward to being fully recovered, fingers crossed on good scars and the swelling going down soon! I wrote a prior review on chin lipo I had along with the fat transfer a year ago with Dr Timek as well. She is a phenomenal surgeon and recommend her constantly. Updated on 14 Dec 2021: Overall very happy with my results- I mean, look at my waist!! Two things I wish had a better outcome: 1. My lift seems a little conservative- there’s not a huge difference and my nipples still seem a bit low. My goal was to be able to go braless on occasion and while a bit better without a bra I don’t think they’re go braless level. I also had a reaction to the internal stitches which is making my scars not heal nicely. Hopefully they’ll calm down soon. 2. I wish more fat was injected into my butt. Not sure if she went conservative because she was short on useable fat or if it was a choice on the surgeons end. The projection definitely depends on how I’m standing so I’m working on improving my posture. If doing a breast lift I highly recommend setting very specific goals with your surgeon ahead of time. I did not clarify where final nipple position would be along with the point of the breast mound as a result of the lift. My three month post op with the surgeons before and after pics is tomorrow. Again, overall I am very happy, but after two surgeries and the amount I’ve spent I expected to be a little closer to my goal result.
Had multiple procedures done at once: lipo of under chin area (submental), lipo of abdomen, back and flanks, fat transfer to the breast, chin, lower face and lips. At 1 week post surgery I am most excited about the sudden disappearance of my double chin. This review will include my experience of all the procedures, but only photos of the relevant procedure- other photos will be under their coordinating procedure title. Here’s my experience thus far... The surgeon: From my research there are only three surgeons that I would considered qualified and experienced at doing fat transfer to the breast and lower face in the southwest MI area. I consulted with my preferred two- Ringler and Timek. Ringler, while I’m sure very talented at the procedures he offers seems rather behind on the latest fat grafting techniques and capabilities- and does not offer chin augmentation beyond fillers. His bedside manner also leaves a bit to be desired, though his staff and nurses are fantastic. Timek is clearly more versed in fat grafting in general- in addition she specializes in reconstruction and microsurgery (super important when you do the research on submental lipo and how to naturally place fat and give it the best chance of staying alive!). Her bedside manner is caring, positive, professional and unpretentious. While I admirably believe her passion and career is more focused on the reconstruction side of cosmetic surgery, I felt she was much better equipped to give me the results and longevity I was looking for. Surgery: My surgery date was able to be scheduled within two weeks of my consult. For everything I had done surgery lasted 4+ hours under general. I woke up with a pretty good amount of pain and my lower face, particularly my lips, was already VERY swollen and hurt more than I expected. I was prepared to be very sore from the lipo, but was NOT prepared for the swelling, bruising and pain I woke up to in my lower face. Obviously, I knew the swelling would come, but the degree was a bit shocking! The swelling and bruising from the body lipo has been relatively mild, however. Recovery: Having lipo all the way around my core made it impossible to use my core muscles for nearly a week without someone helping me change positions or get in and out of bed. I pretty much lived in my bedroom for the first week- between the compression garments on my trunk and around my head, the bruising, swelling and pain, expect to only want to get up to use the bathroom and shower. I took a smorgasbord of supplements in addition to prescribed pain killers and still the swelling, bruising and pain kept me down for the first week. Even if I didn’t have the body lipo, just the submental lipo and fat transfer to the lower face was enough to keep me down (and definitely out of public) for the first week. I’m 9 days out as of writing and working a full day is difficult. Silver lining to covid/masks- thank goodness for the masks because I am still bruised on my face and swollen in my lips. Shockingly enough, the place I had the least amount of swelling, bruising and pain were my breasts. Be prepared to wear compression garments for 6 weeks+. The body one isn’t terrible, basically got and added “lipo foam” to prevent creasing. The chin strap is a torture device... Submental Lipo and Chin Augmentation with Fat Transfer: I would have paid what I paid for all of my procedures (and more) just for this one result! The death of my double chin, I can’t even put a price tag on this... I’m sure it’s a combination of the improvement of my recessed chin along with the double chin lipo, but I feel like a different person already. I am only 35 and have had somewhat of a double chin for most of my adult life- the pre-existing recessed chin only compounded the problem. After having three children it was worse... I have been wanting to do something about the gobble for as long as I can remember. Other than cost, the only other downside is the chin strap situation... so if having simultaneous chin augmentation with fat transfer you do NOT want one with a portion that goes over the chin- it will kill it! I knew this ahead of time and ordered an adjustable neoprene like material one on amazon that looked like it didn’t require it to cover the chin at all. It was a good call because the surgical center didn’t have a post surgical wrap that would do this. I also cut out a lower jaw shaped piece of “lipo foam” to put between the strap and my banished double chin area to minimize creases- this was KEY!! Without that cutout my neck was becoming more and more uneven with creases the first few days when I hadn’t yet thought of doing this... Even though it’s also more comfortable with the foam this whole situation is basically a form of ancient torture- not fun to live in one of these 24/7... Suck it up, 150% worth it! Fat Transfer to the Breasts: 230ccs were transferred to each of my breasts. I was not looking for larger breasts, or even to gain a cup size, I was only looking to gain lost fullness in the upper pole and perkiness. Plan to get a supportive, yet not restrictive bra for recovery- don’t want anything too tight killing new fat. Upon seeing my before and after pics I am a little nervous I didn’t have quite enough transferred (once the swelling goes down fully) and that maybe I should consider a lift/areolar downsizing in the closer future. To Dr. Timek’s credit, we did discuss this prior to surgery and while I am not clinically considered droopy yet, she felt like a small lift would potentially help the overall esthetic. We decided together that adding the fat would give a subtle lifting affect and adding scars may not be worth the lift I would get at this point. Maybe in the future, we will see how the fat settles and if my nipple placement relative the to rest of my breast tissue appears higher than what is seen at my 1 week post-op. Stay tuned... Body Lipo: This is a pretty close second to the chin lipo- SO worth it. I’m still swollen, but I am basically a different person in the middle. I was built basically like a man- straight up and down- no waist, only a super high pelvis with accentuating love handles, a little back fat and after three kids a pouch in the front that wasn’t going away. Don’t get me wrong- I know I am incredibly lucky to not have stretch marks and enough laxity to get away with just lipo after three kids. I am sooo thankful I did not need a tummy tuck... I cannot believe I actually have a waist!!! Fat transfer to the lower face (smile and marionette lines) and lips: This was a throw in for me. At 35 my issues with facial fat loss was minimal. I included this more as a preventative, a little youth booster and because I was having the fat removed, why not? First, the lines- still bruised, but I am very pleased with the volume in this area improving my lines and once the swelling goes down my jowls (in their infancy) are sure to be a thing of the past as well! So glad I did this area... Okay now for the lips... HOLY HELL, wish someone had told me to expect two hugely distended slugs in the form of massive duck lips on my face for at least two weeks. Even if this was the only procedure I had done there is ZERO chance of gaining admission back into civilization for the first week. Ignore the pain, and bruising and even swelling (thank you masks!), I literally could not talk normally! (I even wore a mask at home so I didn’t scare myself and my children!!! Not kidding...) I’m at 9 days post-op and if it weren’t for masks in public I would still be hiding at home. My pronunciation ability is probably back to 80% and swelling is down 50% or so. Still have a long way to go in the lip and face healing department, but I can see the light! I am still beating myself up for the money spent... I am by no means rolling in it and I’ve had to work my butt off (literally... BBL in the future maybe...?) with two businesses to make this feasible for me, but I’ll happily drive around my beater VW wagon a few more years as a trade off. I’m sure I’ll come back and add more later regarding aftercare and follow up results, but all in all so worth it and very pleased. Updated on 14 Jul 2021: Results speak for themself. Only thing I would change is not tell my surgeon to go conservative on the abdominal lipo and fat transfer to the lips. Wish I had done a little more of both. Otherwise, I am absolutely THRILLED with my results. Dr. Timek is the best and I refer friends, even strangers, who notice my work to her constantly. Updated on 14 Dec 2021: Still the best decision ever- look at this jaw line!! In my second surgery (see my other review) I had her touch up my chin and lips with fat grafting while she was doing fat grafting for other areas. Honestly don’t notice much of a difference in my lips, but my chin and jawline is incredible. Updated on 10 Jan 2022: I’ve had a few people ask what I used in recovery so I wanted to post for you. I think these really made a huge difference in my overall results and prevented me from needing any skin tightening procedures afterwards. Note- if you had any type of fat transfer or filler to you lips while wearing these it will take 10 times longer for your swelling to go down to normal. Learned this this hard way- it took about 6 weeks before I looked normal in public again haha. 1. Lipo foam sheets- cut to fit the double chin area (the soft area between your jaw bone and your neck). Bevel the sharp corner that hits your jaw bone so it makes a smooth transition to your jaw bone. Ends up being a wide U shape- should put gentle pressure on the soft tissue area you had lipo’d while allowing you to swallow. I wore these every night for the first 12 weeks, then most nights for almost a year. I still wear them occasionally. 3 Pack Lipo Foam - Post Surgery Ab Board for Use with Post Liposuction Surgery Compression Garments Such As Fajas Colombianas, Phax and Lowla Coresets https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QH7X659/refcm_sw_r_cp_apip_YVJI5nvPzb5Q5 2. Chin strap- I had a fat transfer to my chin and couldn’t put any pressure on my new chin so this is the one I bought. Facial Slimming Strap, Face Lifting Belt, Double Chin Reducer, Adjustable Pain-Free V Line Lifting Chin Strap for Women & Men, Firm Skin, Anti Sagging Skin, Anti Wrinkles, Anti Aging https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GY2JMVS/refcm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_ACTVM5G4F57H857PMQ0Z?_encodingUTF8&psc1
I am so happy with my decision to have a breast reduction with Dr. Timek. She is an incredibly talented surgeon. She created a masterpiece with my exceptionally large and sagging breasts. For the first time I feel comfortable with my body. A life changing experience for me. Her results were precise and beautiful. I am so pleased. Dr. Timek and her office staff are most professional. Throughout my experience they were caring, attentive and compassionate. Dr. Timek listened to what my needs were. The office staff helped in getting all of my paperwork submitted to the insurance company. Very responsive. I would highly recommend Dr. Timek.
Hello msl7336, You have a very nice shape to your breasts, having fat transferred to the areas where the fullness has been depleted, would very nicely enhance the size and shape of your natural breast. If you are looking for a higher placement and perkier look to the breasts, then you may want to consider a breast lift. This would be a matter of personal choice and the lift may not be necessary. I would advise that you seek out a board certified Plastic Surgeon, who has a great deal of experience with this type of procedure. I hope you are able to achieve the results you desire.
Hello Melsxb, Congratulations on your weight loss, I am sure a lot of hard work and discipline were required to achieve this, and you look amazing! In order to enhance your overall result, you could benefit from an Abdominoplasty, with muscle repair. Removing the excess skin without the muscle repair would not give you the full benefit of having a really flat stomach and added core strength. A Breast lift with an implant would most likely give you the desired size and shape you are hoping to achieve with your breasts. I wish you well and hope you attain your desired outcome.
Hello ekmama, You appear to be an appropriate weight for your height and look great after 3 pregnancies! Your midsection protrusion is more likely due to the muscles of the abdomen being separated, rather than excess fat causing this. Having a Tummy Tuck would address this concern with a minimal amount of liposuction in this area, if necessary. This procedure would also address the concerns you have with your belly button. The breast procedures you may choose from could vary, depending on the look and size you hope to achieve, a breast implant with a breast lift may give you the best results, or you may want to consider fat grafting to the breasts, for a filled out and very natural look. This would give you some fullness and could be done with a lift as well. These are all good options for you to discuss with a knowledgeable, board certified Plastic Surgeon. This is a decision you would want to make when you know for certain you will not be going through any more pregnancies, as this will change your results. I wish you all the best and hope you are able to achieve your goals.
Hello Maryann159, It is often not necessary to have an En Bloc or Capsulectomy done with the removal of saline implants, these particular procedures can carry risks of their own. You may want to consider Fat Grafting to the breasts, after the removal of the implants, this will give you the natural breast you desire, without the use of an implant and could enhance the shape and volume of your natural breasts. I hope this information is helpful to you and you are able to achieve the look you desire.
Hello Cinzia55508, Yes it is fine to have Botox injections in the neck, the platysmal bands, to be specific. The injections will not have any effect on the thyroid, however, it is very important to choose an injectionist with excellent credentials and experience with this particular treatment. Botox can be a great way to relax the bands, giving an overall smoothness to the neck, creating a more youthful appearance. I hope you are able to achieve the results you are looking for and that your health issues have been resolved.
