Double Chin is Gone!! Sono Bello Smartlipo - Woburn, MA

Hi guys and ladies,
I am writing this review because I felt like I could not find all the information I wanted before committing to the procedure I will go through today at Sono Bello. I have thought about doing this for nearly a year, and have flaked on consultations a handful of times. Finally, as I am getting active in the gym at my building, I want to target this one area under my chin because I know even when I lose 20, 30 pounds and am considered "thin" again, I will still have this shape to my face. It has made me insecure ever since 9th grade when a film I made with a friend was shown in the auditorium and there was one scene where I lied down and he took a shot from above... the extra fat/skin around my face just made me look so much fatter than I was at that time...which was 115 lbs. Now I am 145lbs, 5'4'' and as I gained weight in the past couple years, had 2 boyfriends saunter over to me and actually PINCH the fat under my chin, because I know they can't stand to look at it anymore than I can. I think that doing this will do two things for me:
1. Improve the shape of my face, giving my neck-to-jawline more definition
2. Tighten my neck skin
I figure that this being a concern for half my life already, it will continue to be so and even get worse. I am trying this out in hopes that it may prevent me from considering a facelift in the future when my skin has lost most of its elasticity. I would rather do a less invasive procedure now and enjoy my beautiful youth than to only fix it so far in the future.
MY FEARS
I have been reading as many reviews as I can. I do see surgeons commenting that use of smartlipo on the face is not recommended. I'm not sure then, why it is the premier preference of Sono Bello to do so. Most stress the quality of the surgeon over the equipment used. Upon my consultation last week, I did meet a surgeon who came in and pinched my chin and told me I'd be a good candidate. I researched him thoroughly and felt confident that he was the head of plastic surgery at a hospital for 15 years and has over 30 years experience with cosmetic procedures. HOWEVER, this was not the same surgeon who came into the pre-op room yesterday. I had to re-interview him. Sono Bello has over 40 physicians who do operations, which kind of sketches me out that you can get switched like that and not know their entire background. I will add his name to this later as I forget right now.
MORE FEARS
I asked the doctor a lot about the bruising and swelling and lumps. He and his assistant both said lumps were normal scar tissue and would gradually go away. I am really concerned because I saw some awful photos of women with lumpy chins, like marbles were in their chin! I asked if I should get a therapy ultrasound machine (saw one for $50 and a surgeon had commented that 8 sessions of this would reduce lumpiness 99%) but he insisted I not get it. I also am considering using my neutrogena microdermabrasion brush without the pads to massage the area to avoid the lumps, and to TRY to be extra good about wearing the crazy headgear because my impression is that without it, the skin that has been detached to suck out fat would hang down if it cannot heal to the muscle below.
I am also concerned about bruising. He says it varies dramatically and that some patients have bruising all the way down to their chest a whole week later, some black and blue. The pic's I see on this site don't seem to show so much bruising even 4 days later, but I'm not sure how great the photos are.
I am trying to get this done today and go back to NYC on Monday, because they talked this big rap about how everyone can do this in a weekend-- BUT that you would still need to wear your head garment. I am going to camp out at my mom's (she's paying) and try to indulge in a totally salt-free diet to not aggravate swelling.

I am putting my trust in God, Sono Bello and the surgeon to do a fantastic job today. I have dealt with a messed up nose job for over ten years and would HATE for this to go wrong. I would probably get into a deep depression and stop talking to friends and guys I'm dating. BUT if it goes right.... Then I won't need to stand infront of the mirror so often, stomping my feet and seeing the vibrations in my double chin. I won't need to get insecure every time I lay down with a lover, feeling like the moment my head hits the pillow I look more like Java the Hut than a pretty young thang. I will be able to sing loudly without my chin bellowing out like a damn bullfrog. So I am taking the risk.
I want to update you guys today after surgery and upon my healing process. I really wish I could have found more reviews about this specific type of lipo. My impression has been that it is minimally invasive (surgeon says he will make only one incision under the chin) and that I HOPEFULLY will only be yellow in bruising by Monday.
I don't know what I'm going to tell my roomie/best friend when I get back. As much as I want this, and have had my nose and boobs done, I do not like discussing it so much because people are always judgemental when you want to do something that seems superficial. However, if that one thing is driving you crazy...or making you think badly of yourself and accept less for yourself.... then let's hope trying something a little bit risky will turn out with great rewards. She obsesses over losing weight to look "hot" so you know, everyone lives with insecurities, it's just about what you'll do to improve them that matters. I am taking a risk and hoping to high heavens I don't end up regretting this. I am really into a guy who is going to Europe in two months and I want to spend so much time with him.... I know he would not respect this... but I also am just scared that these two months will be full of swelling and ugliness and I pray no lumps in my FACE. I pray for an even, smooth, well defined, but not too skinny result. I pray that my young age does indeed mean my skin will adhere better and heal better than if I did this in ten or twenty years. I pray that my surgeon is focused and efficient.
I wasn't sure if many of the other reviews were real or sponsored so I am telling you now, this is definitely not one of those! I am skeptical but am really very hopeful that this procedure, plus the commitment to proper after-care will leave me with the results I am praying for.
If not, I see a dark cloud coming over me.... Just moved to nyc recently and am desperate to socialize, just started dating a lot and want to fool everyone that I am just naturally this pretty lol.
Let's see.... 4 hours til the operation!! I will follow up after.

So I went and did it! I blocked out the occasional voice that told me something would go wrong and I'd end up horribly disfigured... If my mother hadn't made the $1000 deposit this week I probably would have tried to back out due to uncertainty. But I took the leap and decided to be happy about trying to improve myself physically in an area that could never be targetted so well through diet and sports. I was feeling excited than no future boyfriend would have the ability to come over and pinch my double chin and that artists will stop making that their charicature go-to feature, and that I won't have to feel so much of the fat on my neck when I lay down, and thus won't be feeling like I look like Java the Hut or Hillary Clinton when I'm just a 28 yr old lady.

PRE-OP WITH DR. RAY
The doctor, Dr. Ray, has been doing cosmetic surgery since the 70's and is a Board Certified plastic surgeon. He was a friendly, direct and upbeat with me. I addressed concerns about bruising and lumps and bumps, and he told me that indeed he has had patients 1 week post-op from chin lipo being black and blue right down to or through their chests. Not the kind of thing I wanted to hear but I guess I had asked for the worst case scenario. Most of the pics I see on here show no or minimal bruising one week post-op. I'm curious to see where I'll be with that.

THE PROCEDURE
After an hour of waiting for the anxiety and pain meds to kick in (I insisted on Demerol but they refused and would only give my Vicoden/Percs), I was asked to dress in a head-to-toe gown get-up. Hairnet, funny bra and panties, knee-high stockings topped with grip-sole socks were all brought together beautifully by the hospital gown. Once Dr. Ray drew an outline of the treatment area all over my face and neck, I was looking pret-ty fly. The pills kicked in but I could feel my carpal tunnel acting up so requested one more pain pill. That did the trick.
PROCEDURE STEPS
I laid on the table. Dr. Ray had already marked the incision area with his marker. First he took a needle and injected novacaine into the area. Then he used a tool to make it a real incision, which is semi-circular and no larger than the size of an annoying zit. He made only one cut below my chin and did not cut behind my ears, although that was a definite point of interest for me, he assured me it was not necessary to make three holes instead of just one. Not gonna argue with that!!

Then he got out his long metal tools and slipped them through the hole and started targeting the areas he had drawn out, almost a scrubbing back and forth to perhaps break up the fat tissue. This was only very slightly painful when around the ears, but I hardly flinched. I didn't want to move so much because, like tattoos, you don't want them to lose their place or pace. Then they filled my chin up with the tumescent fluid and it was like a big balloon. Then they sucked it back out (my eyes were closed but I'm fairly certain it went just like this) and as the last step, inserted the lazer and that only took under a minute. They wrapped my head up in the garment, wheeled me out in a chair to my mother's car, and off we went.

They gave me a stress ball earlier on and between that and humming along to my favorite jazz songs on my own Pandora channel (they let me put my player on their system), I rank this experience A-OK and am impressed the the lack of pain. I am still praying for no deep bruising but we'll see.

GOING HOME
The compression garment is confusing so DEF ask them to show it to you BEFORE you do the surgery and have them guide you through it--- I just spent the past ten minutes trying to figure it out with my mother after I had ripped it off the moment we got home because I was ready to YaK hard in the yard!! I popped a phenergen and am good now. Also thankful for the anxiety meds but with my mother as my personal nurse I could have used a MUCH larger bottle of those, she is already driving me crazy and we've only been home 15 minutes. She is stomping in my room every few minutes to mess with the damn headgear.

Well, the rumors were true... I am definitely seeing some large bumps under the chin. However, they are just slightly paler than my normal skin tone and I don't think they could be too noticable to anyone except if they were intimately close to my face. On the up side, I DeFinitely see a difference in my face. Just before the surgery, I kept pinching and pulling on the extra skin below my face. Now there is nothing to pinch! I wish the two boyfriends who did come over and pinch my chin would see me now. Ha. Although the bumps are sore, I am using a Neutrogena microdermabrasion vibrating brush without the head on it to hopefully smooth the bumps away quicker than regular healing would give. All in all, this has been a win. I have been working out again in the gym and for once can tolerate my reflection. I do feel like this is a jumpstart to feeling better in my skin, especially since I had the double chin/lack of contour in my face even when I was of a lighter/average weight so it's not something I could have fixed by being skinnier.
The face garment is actually kind of comfortable although it sucks to have to wear it for twelve hours a day... it just means I have to hide away in my room. I had my new boyfriend come over a few nights ago and he wanted to stay, so I didn't put the awkward headgear on and was worrying I'd pay for that later. I guess it's a good thing we aren't together every night or I probably wouldn't be wearing it. I can get away with seeing him less often as we'll be in the "fresh" stage for 2-3 months anyway and that's how long I need to keep up the 1/2 day compression sessions.
Another important thing to know about the headpiece is that the velcro will tear your damn hair out! I was lucky to find a good cap to put on and then strap over it with the garment. Otherwise I'd have a bald spot on the top of my head. Be warned!
Overall, I don't regret this surgery right now. I am happy to see the "bull dog" droops removed so I don't look like Hillary Clinton, whom I was once compared to. No one my age should get that kind of comment! I'm disappointed I have to deal with some sore bumps, but it's a damn fair trade so long as they don't become large or noticeable bumps like I saw on one lady's picture far too late in the process to back out from fear. If they seem to get any larger I am going to get the $50 ultrasound therapy machine I saw online because another surgeon on here had suggested it to the woman with the bumps and said that the bumps had completely disappeared by the 8th treatment with it. Fingers crossed the vibrator thing will do the job- that brush is under $20, and hey, it is a pretty good product for the microdermabrasion, added benefit. Hope this helps for someone out there to know what to expect from this.