A little about me: I lift weights 5-6x a week and have been able to change my body with the help of exercise and my BF who became a personal trainer after we began dating. I've successfully made my butt and legs bigger and have put on muscle and lost body fat, but unfortunately, you cannot spot reduce with exercise. You can train certain muscles to grow, but not shrink fat in certain areas. It all comes down to genetics. My mother is a skinny little thing and holds all her fat in her belly. Same goes for all her siblings. Lol. Surgery or procedures like Sculpsure are the only things that can target specific areas of fat. I've always been bothered by my lower abdomen. No matter how lean I get, I always have that lil "bloop" at the bottom. It shrinks and grows proportionately, but it's still always there. Drives me nuts! I've gotten lean to the point where my ribs are protruding and I can see my top 4 abs, but that darn tiny pooch is still there. I know to get rid of it, I'd have to lean out to a really low body fat percentage, which honestly wouldn't be sustainable for me. I just want that darn pooch to be gone! Lol. Obviously, when I'm bulking, it grows with the rest of my body, so that's another irritating thing to me. I want to put on more muscle, but at the same time, I know my tummy will also grow and it bugs the crap outta me. I had previously inquired about liposuction on my lower abdomen and I was told I didn't really need it by the surgeons and there was a risk of dimpling. Dimpling and being uneven is one of my biggest fears. Ending up looking worse than when I went in because I couldn't accept my small pooch the way it was. Also, I couldn't stand the thought of not working out for 6-8 weeks. I start to get anxious after 2 days of missing the gym. Lol. Surgeons suggested I try coolsculpting instead, so I looked into it, but wasn't keen on the idea of having to pinch the fat. Would it get all the fat I wanted? Would it be uneven? It takes an hour? I read some women have "dents" of where the applicators pulled their fat and the dreaded hyperplasia, when the fat actually doubles/expands. I was extremely scared of that happening to me so I put that procedure on the back burner. While browsing RealSelf, I discovered Sculpsure. There weren't a ton of reviews yet as it was a fairly new procedure, so I stalked the reviews for a bit before deciding to finally try it out. I found a place nearby that was offering $250 off during the holidays, so I called and made an appointment for a consultation. I wanted to find out more info and hear what the pros had to say before I made a decision. After hearing what the nurse told me, I decided to give it a go and made my appointment. During my consultation, I was actually on my period and would've done it that day, but I know that pain tolerance is lower during that time of the month, so I opted to wait. I had read stories and they varied from "no pain" to "excruciating pain worse than childbirth." I like to err on the side of caution, so I booked for the next week. My appointment was yesterday and it was as pleasant as it could be. The nurse asked what Pandora station I wanted to listen to and put it on the stereo and explained what was going to happen. She even gave me a breakdown of what would happen the first 4-5 minutes. Shoot! I forgot to ask what setting she was on, but she had put it up higher after the initial heating and cooling. Anyway, it was painful, but bearable for me. It felt like a burn + cramping. I definitely started sweating, but as soon as it became too much to handle, the cooling cycle would begin. Afterward, my pooch was red and it was tender. Felt like a sunburn. Ladies, wear a loose dress or something because I wore sweats and a top and the band of my sweats was rubbing my tummy. UNCOMFORTABLE! It was rubbing against my "sunburn" so when I got home, I got naked so nothing was rubbing against me. I could function normally except for the feeling of sunburnt skin. I didn't experience any swelling and was pretty fine all day. Eventually the burned feeling subsided and now the area just feels tender. Like a huge bruise. Hahaha. I'm really hoping this works for me. The nurse said she always suggests 2x for smaller patients, but I opted for just one session. I had read a few ladies had to cancel their second session because it was too uncomfortable or they were happy after just one try. I decided to wait and see what the results were before I committed to another session. Wish me luck! I'll update this if I notice anything. 12 weeks is when you're supposed to see results, so I'll try to exercise my patience. Lol. Updated on 13 Jan 2017: No more sunburned feeling. Just tenderness on my belly. Don't feel anything unless I push down on it. No discomfort. In fact, I worked my legs and glutes today and didn't have any issues. If there was any swelling, then it was negligible because I actually wore pants that are tighter on me during that time of the month due to bloating and it fit me fine today. I hate waiting. Can't believe I have to wait 12 weeks to see if it really worked or not. Hahaha. Updated on 26 Jan 2017: So it's been a little over 2 weeks and there aren't any visible changes. Of course, I didn't expect any at this point. It's still early. However, I can tell you that I was tender/sore up until a few days ago. Now, I feel good. I do feel like I might have one nodule on my left side, but you can't see it. I just felt it during my massage. Will continue to massage it everyday until it goes away. See ya later, folks! Updated on 9 Feb 2017: So it's almost a month later and I'm on my period again. Last time I had it was RIGHT before my procedure. So far, no changes. Again, I know it takes 12 weeks, so I'm not sweating it. I HAVE noticed that I've developed another nodule on the right side. The first one was on the left side. They're not obvious, but I can feel them when I press on my lower abdomen. Going to continue massaging it and hopes that's enough to break it up. I can only assume that the laser must've worked to SOME extent on me if I've formed nodules. Wishful thinking. Lol. Also, haven't really changed my routine. Still lifting weights 5-6x a week and eating pretty much the same. Updated on 29 Mar 2017: So, just an update. I haven't forgotten about this review. I just hadn't had anything riveting to add. Lol. My 12 week IS coming up soon, so I will update you ladies and maybe gents with my before and afters after my check-up. Updated on 6 Apr 2017: I know some of y’all have been waiting on my 12 week update! Ok, so I’m going to say it’s worth it. Although the changes were minimal, they made a difference to ME. You gotta remember that what’s important to me, may not be important to you. Like I mentioned before, I’m very active and exercise/lift weights regularly. I was able to transform my body from soft and flabby to strong and toned. My belly fat went down with exercise and diet, BUT I still had that stubborn lower area. I was on a bulk (purposely eating more/at a surplus to put on muscle/weight) when I got my first treatment. I had intended to go on my cut (eating at a deficit to lose fat) but ended up just eating at maintenance/surplus for the last 12 weeks. Even with me not changing my diet and working out LESS because I kept getting sick, there was a slight reduction in my lower abdomen. It’s minimal, BUT I was realistic going into this. Any non-invasive procedure like this is going to affect everyone differently. Some lose more, some less. I guess I was on the “less” spectrum. Most before and afters I saw with better results opted for 2 treatments. I knew this going in but I wanted to play on the safe side and just purchased one. I wanted to compare my photos and see my results before purchasing another treatment. After returning to the office and taking my photos, I was able to see the difference. Again, it’s nothing drastic, but noticeable to ME and that’s what’s most important. Sooooo I decided to go for another treatment on the same area. I purchased it already and will be going back next week to get it done. So if any of you were waiting on my review to make your decision, there it is! Just keep in mind that all bodies differ and you should remain realistic. Also, when you see before and after photos, make sure to ask how many treatments that person did. To sum it up: I exercised LESS because I kept getting sick. I didn’t change my eating habits. I still saw a reduction in my problem area. I bought another treatment. Worth it (for me). P.S. If you’re in the area and are thinking of doing it, the people at this office are AWESOME. Everyone is really friendly. Customer service is really important to me, so just wanted to note that. Updated on 6 Apr 2017: I just noticed that my before and after photo came out really tiny. I changed the dimensions. Hopefully this shows a larger version! Updated on 16 Apr 2017: Because I saw some results the first time around, I decided to go for a second. I recall someone asking me about the paddle placements, so I posted a photo. Sorry I don't have a pic of the first time, but the first time had all four paddles around the bottom of abdomen. The second time with the different paddle placement was WAY easier. It was more tolerable and actually had minimal discomfort at the highest setting. The first time wasn't on the highest setting and I was sweating bullets. Hahah. I guess the nerve placement helped me out there. I only wish that I had done this placement the first time around. Lol. Not only was it easier DURING, I felt better afterwards as well. My belly felt sunburnt the first time and this time around, I was able to pull my pants up without any discomfort/pain. I didn't feel much the rest of the day. I resumed my normal workout and only felt sore starting the day after. It's Sunday now and I'm still a little tender, but only a little. Updated on 25 Jul 2017: Hey ladies! Didn't want to leave y'all hanging that might be following this, so I had my check-up after my second round. I'm still waiting on my nurse to send me the photos though. I'll upload them as soon as she emails them to me. There WAS some more changes. Just like the first, it wasn't drastic, but enough to see a difference. I noticed that the most noticeable results are with the heavier folk, but I figured that might happen. My lower belly is quite stubborn. It's a genetic thing. Tons of really skinny people in my family with HUGE guts. They're mostly belly. LOL. Again, I wasn't expecting a miracle. Just a lil help. Would I have wished there was more like the heftier people I've seen? Yes. Do I regret doing it? No. Anyway, I'll post the pics when my nurse sends em! I'll give her a few more days before I remind her. :) Updated on 29 Jul 2017: Good grief! My update got deleted. Ugh. Lemme see if I can remember what I put. Hahaha. I realize it's not a drastic difference, but I don't have a ton of fat and noticed that people that are more heavy set had more noticeable changes. It's ok, I saw enough change that it was worth it for ME. I didn't want to do anything invasive or have downtime, so I'm satisfied. I uploaded photos from the office. Keep in mind these were taken at a DEEP exhale so definitely look more bloated. Lol. I feel it looks better in person so I attached some non-exhale/sticking my stomach out photos I took at home. Also, I noted the changes I saw in the office progress photos. There's less fat under my belly button bc there's less of a shadow. From the side, the lil bump I have on my lower abdomen is slightly flatter. I know it works because I didn't really do anything differently. I'm roughly the same amount of weight and body fat percentage. In fact, the first time I did it, I was bulking (eating at a surplus to gain more muscle) and I still saw a difference. Anyway, hope this helps anyone that has been following me.
Deep glabellar lines are something that have developed over many years of muscular activity. These lines, also known as "frown lines" or "11s", occur due to activity of the procerus and corrugator muscles. In most patients, the dynamic aspect of the lines (i.e., when they get the most noticeable during muscular contraction) can be dramatically improved with a neuromodulator such as Botox, Dysport or Xeomin. But in some patients with really deep static lines (when the face is at rest) even after the neuromodulator is in full effect, a deep line remains. Such patients often benefit from a little filler such as Juvederm Ultra or Restylane...but that area of injection is a bit risky (due to the tenuous blood supply) and should only be injected by an expert. Best of luck!
First of all, it would be helpful to see your before pictures to know what you looked like at baseline. But clearly the left eyelid does appear to be drooping (know as an eyelid ptosis). This occurs when some of the product affects one of the muscles that opens your eyelid. The appearance can be improved significantly with eyedrops such as iopidine (which is a prescription medicine). The ptosis is usually self limited and will eventually resolve on its own...in some cases this resolves within 4 weeks and in other cases as long as 3-4 months for complete resolution. The other thing that one can develop after Botox in the forehead is a brow ptosis, where the muscle in the forehead is so weakened by the product that your brow actually drops. This latter problem occurs when too much product is put too low on the forehead, more commonly in older patients. While your brows are a bit low-lying, it seems that this may be your baseline and it also sounds like your provider tried not to go too low on the forehead. In any event, notify your provider, get some eyedrops, and soon you'll be looking and feeling much better!
More than likely you had Botox injected in the area called the glabella (in the muscles known as the procerus and corrugators), which helps with frown lines - this is the 1st place most injectors put Botox. Treatment of this area alone is not enough to get rid of forehead lines...Botox in the forehead is needed for this. I would suggest finding a provider who takes good before and after pictures, who understands your concerns, and who has solid reviews on line. One other note - not everyone is a candidate for Botox in the forehead, so a thorough evaluation of your facial musculature is essential prior to treatment.
Ultrasound can be used to establish if a vein on your treated hands is open or clotted...however most often this can be determined with a physical exam. If a vein is hard and non-compressible, it's likely clotted. In any event, there are a number of ways to remove veins on the backs of the hands...or make them look less noticeable. Treatment options include microphlebectomies (taking the veins out through tiny incisions), sclerotherapy or laser ablation. Alternatively, you can mask the appearance of veins by injection of fillers. I'd suggest that you see a vein expert who also does fillers, in order that you have options available for consideration. Hope that helps!
In your case fillers would be the best option. I prefer to use hyaluronic acid based fillers to correct this problem...such as Juvederm Ultra Plus or Restylane. Botox can be used adjunctively in some patients to relax a muscle known as depressor anguli oris, but based on your picture I don't believe it will do much...
