Dr. Nouhan is just amazing. She has the most pleasant manner and I felt comfortable with her immediately. She performed my breast reduction and the results are incredible. I could not be any happier. She is an artist and did an absolutely stellar job with the entire procedure from start to finish.
My motivation was finally losing weight and keeping it off. I have been self conscious of my mommy apron for years. I saved up the money and finally took the plunge. I am 10 days post op. I've had many surgeries, but the recovery from a TT with lipo is BRUTAL. I knew it would be rough but not quite prepared for the pain. That being said, my incision looks amazing and the pain is getting better every day. It's also a long recovery, and I'm not used to sitting still. Dr Nouhan was amazing! I felt very comfortable with her and she took excellent care of me. I scar very badly; every scar I have turns into a keloid. But so far my belly button and my large incision scar are perfect! Very symmetrical and I think Dr. Nouhan is a true artist. Updated on 3 Jun 2015: I am 4 weeks post op and I feel wonderful! Yes, the first week was brutal. 2nd week not much better. But week 3 and 4....this is so worth it! I keep reading about people who have so much swelling, and I haven't had that. I attribute that to Dr. Nouhan, and her MA Dominique, who did not listen to my whining and left my drain in for 21 days. I am so grateful for that! Yeah it was a pain but obviously necessary. My incision looks amazing and my bb is just so darned cute! My tummy looks like it belongs to a 20 year old. I still have to wear my cg for a few more weeks and I'm good with that. It actually feels like a bit of a security blanket. I will post pictures once I get them downloaded. (Took them on my regular camera). Absolutely one of the best decisions this old (now 57) broad has ever made. Good luck to all going through this, and please, ladies, do your research!
Had my Consult a few weeks back, excited, my surgery date is 10/7/15 and I know it will go slowly, ha! Never felt like I could fill out my bra cups, they gap and I'm not overly tiny so XS in some bikini tops dig into my sides, but are sometimes too big for my cup size. Tired of padded bras and not having the freedom to go braless in dresses, tanks and sports bras just flatten horribly. Updated on 7 Sep 2015: Added photo of what I'm looking to achieve Updated on 9 Oct 2015: These are pics from last night, my Day 1 post-op. Color looks funny, but they look less high and swollen than I expected. Pain meds help with the soreness, there is no way I would be able to safely drive right now for sure!! Wearing the compression band to push them down, it is uncomfortable (wear for 2 weeks) Also have on a sports bra and some gauze padding so it creates a barrier between my incision site and the bra. Showered last night as I saw my dr in the morning and was given the okay to after my post-op. Had one bout of nausea on the car ride home but felt fine ever since. I have noticed the more I move my arms, the more sore I am later, booo! My surgery experience was great, day of was easy, day 1 post op and now on Day 2 post op, more soreness but totally bearable. Hardest thing is getting out of bed and into, it swallows me whole! Sleeping with pillows to prop me up some. Updated on 11 Oct 2015: Felling decent, only took the pain meds the first 3 days, feel better to be off of them, still taking Tylenol for just discomfort, nothing too bad. Getting out of bed is when its the worst and I want to sleep on my side so badly, that stinks! They feel super tight and like rocks and not at all like "me" yet. One is higher than the other and more swollen. Wearing my strap to push them down and do not like that thing at all, its also itchy. Cannot reach very far and only drove a short distance today, I go back to work in 2 more days, I am thankful I could take off 5 days of work and to be able to take it easy. I've noticed I have more discomfort after I pushed myself, have to slow down. My hubby has been great though!!! Happy healing, wishing, planning, ladies! Updated on 12 Oct 2015: Uneven, they were a little asymmetric before and the Dr pointed that out and that it wouldn't completely fix that but oh boy my right one is way bigger and lower, hopefully they settle and even out. Updated on 21 Oct 2015: Noticeable difference this 2 week mark makes! My left one is still being a punk and not dropping as fast. I had an amazing surgery experience and had very little pain, was more discomfort and not being able to move freely that was more irritating and side effects from pain meds that I took for about 3 days and the antibiotics. Been wearing the strap shown in one photo to help push them down, I HATE it and it bothers my mid-back but believe I am almost done with it. Yesterday I switched from front zip sports bra to the stretchy soft ones shown, more forgiving with work clothes too but have to beware of nipples showing through with any of the sports bras, not used to that. They are softening up and I'm trying not to be impatient, but it's hard! Updated on 5 Nov 2015: Feeling much more myself, still some tingly numbness on my right and the left one os not even and I teally hope it does. The surgeon did tell me my creases wouldnt be symmetrical as I was not even before but it was never like this. Massage helps soften them up alot. I went to VS yesterday which was exactly the one month mark and bought 6 bras. I could not believe i really didn't want any push up, it seemed like way to much. I have been wearing the shown stretchy soft bras for 2 weeks now and bought a variety pack online for $20. I also started with the scar gel and silicone scar strips and wear those daily. 3 week mark was a huge turning point. When I had my husband take these pictures and show me, I couldn't believe how uneven they look because I swear in person they don't, so I strapped on the band to push them down hoping that will help it out.
At age 18, there are probably many questions you may have about "what is normal," and, being female, it makes sense that breast size might be one of them. Rest assured that the only opinion that counts is yours, and if you are comfortable with the way you feel and look in your clothes, then 32B is perfect for you. B and C are relatively average cup sizes, but remember that the cup size is determined by the difference between the circumference around your rib cage and the circumference around your breasts. So the exact same breast on three different women would likely result in different cup sizes, if their rib cage width is different. But, if you feel that your current size is too small for you, then surgical breast augmentation could be an option for you, whether by implant or fat grafting. The latter can sometimes be less predictable in terms of how much of the transplanted fat will survive, and there are potential size fluctuations if you gain or lose weight. But, I would advise you to hold off on augmentation until you're certain you have finished with breast growth (if you have had the same bra size for at least two years). And, I would also keep in mind that if and when you become pregnant in the future, you will naturally have some breast changes that may have some bearing on your decision today. Your best bet is to obtain a formal consultation by a board-certified plastic surgeon, who will evaluate your individual case and give you advice that is appropriate just for you. But above all, trust yourself, and not what society tells you. My best to you.
Hello, These are good questions, and I think a lot of people may be interested in the answers. Of course the best advice for you would come after an exam by your plastic surgeon, but let's talk about some general principles and break it down a bit, in reverse order: 1) What is the difference between a full tummy tuck and a mini? The Full tummy tuck (including some liposuction in all but those with minimal body fat) removes excess skin and fat from the abdomen, extending from the pubic region all the way up to the bottom of the rib cage. It also tightens up the fascia, or "gristle" tissue that sits on top of the rectus muscles ("six pack" muscles), kind of like an internal corset. This second part makes you a little flatter in front. The Mini tummy tuck likewise reduces excess skin and fat, but only from the pubic level up to the belly button. It does not go any higher up than the belly button. Some surgeons will include a little bit of fascia tightening, dependent upon the circumstances. 2) Which is more suitable for someone who has had significant weight loss? The choice of whether to do a full or mini tummy tuck is not based on how much you weigh or how much weight you've lost, or whether or not you have had children. Instead, it is largely based on how extensive the excess abdominal skin is. If there is no extra skin above the belly button and you have not lost skin elasticity, then you may be a candidate for a mini tummy tuck. But, if there is a crepe-y look to the skin, or if there is excess skin folding above the belly button, then a full tummy tuck is likely more helpful. 3) What about liposuction alone? Standard liposuction reduces the amount of fat in the area but does not have much direct affect on the overlying skin. (the exception is for some of the lipo machines that can add another energy component, such as laser, to try to shrink the skin a bit, but it is often not by as much is you would hope.) So, after liposuction, you're at the mercy of how good your skin elasticity happens to be. Typically, skin elasticity decreases as we age, and the rate at which it does so depends mostly on our genetic makeup. But people who have had significant weight gain and loss commonly find that their skin elasticity suffers greatly as a result. So, if the skin has lost elasticity, then in addition to liposuction, removal of the excess skin is most helpful: in other words, a tummy tuck. 4) Should you consider a tummy tuck and/or liposuction Before having children? The answer is possibly, but only if you are OK with the High likelihood of requiring a revision surgery someday after finishing with pregnancies. The abdominal wall tissues will be tighter after a tummy tuck, but as you can imagine, the pregnancy will stretch everything back out again, and it's not likely things will shrink back after delivery. But you may be planning to put off pregnancy for a while, and in the meantime want to enjoy a rejuvenated appearance of the abdomen, especially after the hard work of losing weight. That is certainly understandable. The choice is yours. Your plastic surgeon will be able to give you the best guidance about this, when he or she evaluates you individually. But, I hope this information made it easier for you to understand the options, and I wish you best.
Congratulations on your weight loss so far! You've asked some good questions here that may be helpful to many others in your situation. Let's break them down for the clearest understanding: 1) "What is recommended?" Looking at your photos, though final recommendations would be made when you had lost as much as you reasonably thought you could achieve, so far you'd benefit from an extended tummy tuck, a breast lift, and an arm lift. In terms of thigh and buttock rejuvenation, we would want to wait to see how the tissues settled once you completed your weight loss and then determine would be best for you individually. 2) "How much more weight do I need to lose to have a good result?" The answer to this is the closer you are to your weight loss goal, the better and more lasting results you will have. Keep in mind, that you may never get quite get down to your exact goal, but if you have gotten close to it, and the weight has stayed off for several months, that may be a reasonable time to start your process. If you lose more weight after surgery, however, you will have some additional skin excess that you may not like. 3) "Should I do by parts or all together?" I personally always recommend breaking up surgeries into smaller portions, though some can be could safely combined together. One reason to break these up is that the recovery of some areas may counteract the recovery of other areas (think, for example, of trying to avoid pulling on a tummy tuck incision in front, but at the same time trying to avoid separating a buttock lift incision in the back). Another reason to break the surgeries up would be that to do these procedures with as much finesse as we would like requires time, and we would like to avoid too much time under anesthesia at one setting. Also, it's a lot to ask of your body to try to heal too many areas at once, no matter what your head might think! 4) "Does surgery help eliminate weight with removal of fat and skin?" While you may be a little lighter on the scale following all of these surgeries, do not think of them as weight loss procedures. Again they are body-contouring procedures first and foremost. If a few extra pounds come off because of them, that's just icing on the cake. Best of luck to you on your journey ahead, and I hope this helped.
