An Account of my Chin/neck Liposuction - Los Angeles, CA

Greetings RealSelfers, tis day 11 and the healing continues. I think I must stretch my chin a lot because the area around the incision is often red and irritated looking. I continue to apply bacitracin two or three times a day. I wear the bandage at night. I was sleeping with my head elevated for the first 8 nights and have begun to sleep normally again. This has not produced a noticeable difference.

The neck is less and less tender. The bruise is gone. Under the chin remains numb. There is still some bagginess and the sides of the chin seem swollen still, the area of the lymph nodes. I am still pleased I got the surgery but, as in my last update, there are things I am trying to withhold being critical about - the bagginess around the chin and lack of strong definition - these things I pray with time will continue to sort themselves out. Have any of you been through something similar? I feel impatience about the incision area too, like, heal already.

Note about the pics followed by tangent: I went to this Halloween convention today, that's what the earrings are about. Also, it's funny how I will share the most unappealing unattractive photos on here that I would never post or want people to see elsewhere. Like, my life wouldn't be over if people I know saw them (and honestly the cropping I do barely offers anonymity - if you know me in real life I'd be easily recognizable by my writing if not by these pictures.) But I feel less critical and attached to my standards of beauty and self presentation because these pictures are helping people by providing more raw, objective information. That's what other peoples' pics have done for me and that's my intention with these pictures anyway. And when peoples' pictures are instagrammified with low light and precise angles it can make surgery seem like it's always going to turn out perfect and you will be a smooth polished airbrushed person in real life. I'm learning that this isn't how it is. My skin is still oily and I get acne and I still have these creases in my neck. I think writing these reviews and including these 'exposing' photos are kind of helping me accept my own reality a little more. This journey has, surprisingly, become one of beginning to accept myself more - and not because I have less fat in my chin, although that is thrilling. It's that I am coming into constant contact with myself in a way that I don't when I'm not documenting for the purpose of objectively recording this experience for other people... Alright, that's enough musing for one night.

Good night RealSelfers, may our healing be swift and bring many gifts.

The yellow residue continues; it appears on the bandage whenever it is removed. I don't love it. The swelling and tenderness in the neck continues to improve. I can massage it with more pressure now and do not experience pain. Crazy what a difference a week makes. The areas that were numb are less so, they tingle a little when touched now for the most part. The bruising has lessened too.

The skin seems less baggy around where the chin meets the neck but the definition is not sharp. As you can see in the profile pic attached to this update it looks like there's this extra skin, like an old lady's waddle. Even in the front view pic it looks like it could be more defined or have sharper lines; I hope there is still swelling there and it continues to take shape. I stated in an earlier review that I'm not going to be hasty in making any judgement until three months so I'll do my best to withhold any emotion about it. Let's leave it at: my chin/jaw line/neck is more improved now than before the surgery but I really hope that it continues to improve and God please help me to be patient. My tone sounds a little more negative or critical today, but I should also note that I have continued to enjoy higher self-confidence, I have continued to feel more beautiful and *comfortable* in my own skin today so don't let my nit picking at the pictures betray my multi-dimensional feelings about the whole thing.

I have continued with the bacitracin and the colloidal silver, vitamin c, bromelain and arnica. Tomorrow I am going to stop the colloidal silver. I will begin my supplement regime up again and get stricter about my diet again. Today I had sushi, so rice and then I had vegan froyo, so cane sugar. I feel better when I don't have grains and cane sugar and it's also better for my healing. So by writing this down I am committing to get back to a more alkaline/ healing diet.

Lastly, I do not know if I will continue to update daily or include pics daily after this. There's been nothing dramatic to report (Thankfully). If you have questions or want to comment and share your experiences, feel free to do so. Sending love to all you Realselfers, may we be healed in all the ways we need it. Good night.

Last night I had the opportunity to sleep in and I ended up getting 9 hours of sleep - I must have needed the rest. I woke up wanting to sleep more but had to get up. I began the day with a cold shower. This entails dry brushing, then applying almond oil to the skin and introducing parts of the body to the cold water and massaging or tapping on parts of the body in a certain order. It's highly beneficial because it helps move your lymph (one of the body's toxic eliminatory systems), it cleans the capillaries, and flushes the blood in the organs.

I went on a hike today and did Not experience dramatic swelling afterwards. Hallelujah! It did swell and is may be more swollen today than previous days - take a look at the pics and you be the judge. In any case, it is not dramatic and still looks better than pre-surgery. Two friends told me they could really see the difference, and they both said it unprompted and multiple times. I think they found it surprising that a 'minor' change like this can affect someone's appearance so dramatically. It's not like I had a massive double chin before, but I had enough that now without it, I look like I've lost weight (or, 'gone on a long cleanse' as one friend put it haha.) I'm excited about it; it makes me feel more confident and more pretty without having to do anything. It's a similar feeling to when you get lash extensions and you wake up and just feel beautiful. A little thing can make a big difference.

I've been keeping the area moist with bacitracin. The yellow residue on the bandage continues. The chin incision looks a little irritated in the picture. But all's good in the hood, generally speaking. I don't know if I ever mentioned so I will state now that there are three incisions, one at the chin and one behind either ear. I have not taken any pictures of the ear ones because - have you ever tried to take a picture of behind your ear? Me either but it seems like a lot of work.

Anyway, I am exhausted so I'm signing off. If there is anything I haven't mentioned that you are curious about, feel free to ask. Good night Realselfers, and may our healing continue swiftly and with many blessings.