How Should I Dress After a Breast Reduction?
Large breasts can often cause uncomfortable symptoms as a result of the excess weight on the chest, such as pain in the back and shoulders, shortness of breath, headaches, numbness in the arms, and pressure on the shoulders from bra straps. Losing weight, physical therapy, and pain medications usually won’t provide much relief. The only method that works is breast reduction surgery. One thing that many patients are curious about after a breast reduction from our Vancouver area practice is when they’ll be able to wear normal clothes again. You’ll be excited to see the life-changing results from the procedure and it’s not the most challenging recovery process, but you should know that it can take up to two weeks before you feel like yourself again and are able to resume all normal activities.
In addition to the other steps to prepare for breast reduction, a post-operative bra is critical so this is something you will want to discuss with us beforehand. You’ll want to have a post-surgery bra that’s tailored specifically for breast reduction surgery. This bra should be convenient, comfortable, minimize movement, and provide support for sutures or drains. If you’re choosing your own, pick one that’s wire-free, has pockets, is made from soft fabric, is adjustable, and has longer lines.
In most cases, patients will be instructed to wear a surgical bra for twenty-four hours a day. We recommend that you wear it for six weeks after your surgery. During your follow-up visit, you will find out whether you can switch to wearing another type of support garment or sports bra and when it will be acceptable to wear a normal bra again. The post-surgical bra helps to reduce some of the pressure on the incisions. You should avoid wearing underwire bras and choose soft, supportive bras for at least three months after the procedure, or until the swelling goes down and your incisions have healed. While you’re recovering, you can go ahead and shop for new bras that will fit your new breast size and shape.
For more advice about breast reduction, contact our Vancouver area office of Dr. Owen Reid so that you can talk to our team about this form of cosmetic surgery. Call us today at 604-343-9309 or submit a contact form to schedule a consultation and find out whether you’re a good candidate for breast surgery.
Why is Getting Sculpted Six-Pack Abs So Difficult?
Ripped, washboard abs are considered by many people to be the holy grail of fitness and health. What we think of as a “six-pack” is technically one long, flat muscle called the rectus abdominis that’s divided into segments of connective tissue. Unfortunately, there’s no “easy way out” or magic pill when it comes to achieving that super sculpted look. What you’re probably wondering is, are there any ways to actually get those enviable chiselled abs and will a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) be helpful? Our Vancouver area team has some tips to help you get the look you want, if this is your aesthetic goal.
There are several reasons why it’s so challenging. For one thing, most people have a layer of fat covering the belly area, whether directly below the skin in the form of soft, subcutaneous fat or harder visceral fat close to the organs that obscures these muscles. Even if your muscle is defined, this layer of fat will prevent you from being able to see the work you’ve put in. For women, visible abs might be even more difficult to obtain because they have a higher body fat percentage, lower levels of testosterone and less muscle mass. Some people also naturally have thicker skin and tissue surrounding the core muscles due to genetics, making it even more challenging for them.
Even though exercises like sit-ups and crunches strengthen your core muscles, you need to maintain a healthy diet if you want to get flat, sculpted abs. Reduce your intake of sugary or processed foods while increasing your intake of lean protein and vegetables – and of course, you also need plenty of water.
If you’ve done all you’ve can on your own and are committed to a healthy lifestyle, tummy tuck and liposuction surgery may be beneficial. Neither surgery will give you sculpted abs, but a tummy tuck will strengthen weakened core muscles and remove excess skin from the abdomen while liposuction removes excess fat, to give your belly a flatter appearance. This lays the groundwork for a six-pack.
If you have more questions about what to expect from abdominoplasty surgery, our Vancouver area office of Dr. Owen Reid can guide you through each stage of this procedure. Call 604-343-9309 or submit a contact form to schedule a consultation and find out whether you would be a candidate for this procedure.
How Does Liposuction Differ from Weight Loss?
Liposuction is a technique used to enhance a patient’s appearance by breaking up and removing fat from below the skin on certain areas of the body such as the abdomen, thighs, neck, chin, and backs of the upper arms. Although liposuction can be highly effective when it comes to removing unwanted fat, one of the biggest misconceptions that patients who seek out body contouring surgery in the Vancouver area often have is that liposuction is a “weight loss” procedure or that it’s an easy way out or “instant gratification” treatment when it comes to losing weight. The truth is that while the surgery is highly effective, it wouldn’t be possible to obtain the same results from liposuction that could be achieved through traditional methods of weight loss like diet and exercise. Liposuction differs from weight loss in several major ways.
The safest and most effective way of losing a substantial amount of weight for patients who are overweight is through a commitment to a healthy lifestyle. Maintaining a balanced, controlled diet and consistent exercise, along with bariatric surgery in certain cases, would be the best option. Liposuction isn’t a substitute for weight loss. This body contouring surgery improves proportions of the body by removing some subcutaneous fat (soft, pinchable fat that’s found directly below the skin). Patients typically only lose between two to five pounds in total through this surgery.
The ideal patient for liposuction would be someone who’s in good health, within thirty percent of their healthy weight range and has a few excess deposits of resistant fat on certain areas that they want to slim down. The goal of the procedure is to re-shape their body to create an attractive appearance rather than to reduce pounds. Although patients may initially lose some weight and inches through this body contouring procedure, it isn’t a permanent weight loss solution or a treatment for obesity. Seeing the results from liposuction will often motivate many patients to want to continue a healthy exercise and diet routine to maintain their new body shape.
Curious about how body contouring surgery works? The Vancouver area office of Dr. Owen Reid can answer any questions you might have about this form of cosmetic surgery. Call us directly at 604-343-9309 or submit a contact form to request a consultation if you’re interested in exploring options.
Can Liposuction Reduce Stomach Fat?
Even with the best diet and exercise routine, getting the physique you want can be difficult. When we lose weight from all over the body, it doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll be able to make our body proportions exactly the way we want them to be. There’s a simple reason for this: we carry more fat cells in certain areas than others and each person’s body shape is different. The stomach is one of the most common areas for both men and women to be self-conscious about, especially if their body type makes them have a strong tendency to store fat around the middle even when the rest of them is slim. If you’re thinking of having liposuction from our Vancouver area practice for a flatter stomach, you should remember that it doesn’t work on all types of stomach fat.
Each time we gain weight, the fat cells on our “problem areas” become enlarged. Since we have more of them on those areas, they are proportionately larger than the other areas on the body. Genetics and hormonal factors have a major influence on where we store fat, which is why some people may consider their hips, thighs, and butt to be areas where they gain weight most easily while for others, it may be the stomach, flanks, or elsewhere on the body.
We have two main types of fat in our bodies: visceral and subcutaneous. The best method to reduce your stomach fat depends on which type you have more of. The visceral fat is a type of unseen fat that accumulates close to the internal organs such as the liver and intestines. This type of fat protrudes against the muscle wall, which is why some people have a “beer belly” that feels hard. Subcutaneous stomach fat, on the other hand, is the soft, squishy fat directly below the skin that you can pinch. Liposuction can only remove the subcutaneous fat, but it won’t be able to access visceral fat in the deep abdominal cavity. Currently, the only way of reducing visceral fat is through lifestyle changes such as improving your diet and exercising more regularly. For more details on body contouring with liposuction, contact the Vancouver area-based office of Dr. Owen Reid. Call us at 604-343-9309 or submit a contact form to request a consultation with him ifthere’s a cosmetic surgery procedure that you’re interested in having.
Is A Lower Body Lift Right for Me?
You may have noticed that weight usually comes off easier and returns faster on certain areas than others. Everyone’s body shape is unique, and we don’t have much control over how our weight is distributed because that’s mostly affected by genetics and hormonal influences. For women in particular, the lower body areas such as the hips, thighs, and buttocks tend to be the areas where they store excess fat. After losing a significant amount of weight, whether through traditional methods or bariatric surgery, one of the drawbacks for many patients is the excess skin they are left with on the lower body area. Once skin has been stretched out because of weight gain, especially if you’ve been overweight for a long time and lost weight rapidly, it can’t return to its previous tighter shape. Patients are often self-conscious about the way this makes their body look and wish they could restore a more youthful, slimmer appearance. Body contouring procedures such as lower body lifts from our Vancouver area office are a popular way of addressing the skin wrinkling and sagging that occurs on the lower body areas, since they allow the patient to have the excess skin removed and tissues repositioned.
If you can’t decide whether this is the procedure you should have, ask yourself whether a minimally invasive procedure would be enough to achieve your goals or whether you would need a more invasive surgical option. Generally, the candidates who will benefit most from a lower body lift include patients who:
- Have significant soft tissue laxity or wrinkling on one or several areas on the body including the thighs, buttocks, and lower abdomen
- Have older skin
- Are in good health without any underlying medical issues that may make surgery riskier or delay healing
- Maintain a positive outlook and realistic expectations for what they can attain with the surgery
- Don’t smoke
- Are dedicated to maintaining a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise and a balanced diet
- Have experienced massive weight loss
- Want to complete their weight loss journey by removing loose skin
Contact Dr. Owen Reid if you would like a more in-depth explanation on the benefits of lower body lifts from his Vancouver area practice. Curious about how this procedure works? Call directly at 604-343-9309 or submit a contact form to request a consultation if you’re considering plastic surgery.
Why is Winter Ideal for Cosmetic Surgery?
One of the most important aspects involved in planning for plastic surgery is the timing. Patients often have questions about when will be the best time for them to get a certain procedure because of course, they want everything to do with their procedure and the results to be just right. People who have an upcoming special event to attend such as a wedding need to give themselves lots of time to heal before the occasion. Seasonality is also something you’ll need to consider as some treatments are more popular at some times of the year than others. Then on top of that, there’s the complicated issue of deciding how to navigate taking time away from work and your other responsibilities. It’s important to discuss these concerns with your plastic surgeon and find out how much time you’ll need for recovery. If you’re thinking of having some form of plastic surgery such as breast augmentation from our Vancouver area practice, the colder months are an optimal time to finally have the cosmetic treatment you’ve always wanted. These are some of the reasons why we recommend having surgical treatments at this time.
You’ll Need Less Vacation Days
Lots of people put off having plastic surgery because they might feel like can’t take off enough time from work to recover. As the holidays provide some built-in days off work you won’t need to take as many days off and this will give you a longer time to rest up at home.
Conceal Side Effects
When you spend most of your time indoors and covered in bulky clothes, it’s easy to hide any changes or side effects you experience during recovery.
Be Ready in Time for Summer
For most body procedures, it can take months before the complete results appear. Scars and swelling need sufficient time to disappear. When you have a body contouring or breast surgery during the winter, you’ll be ready to flaunt your new look by the time warmer weather and swimsuit season arrive again.
Contact the practice of Dr. Owen Reid to have all of your questions about breast augmentation in the Vancouver area answered. If you’re interested in getting to know more about what this procedure involves, call us at 604-343-9309 or submit a contact form to schedule a consultation and let us know about your goals.
How Long Do the Results from a Tummy Tuck Last?
Maintaining balanced breast and hip contours with a slim waistline isn’t always easy because genetics, pregnancy, or weight gain can cause you to store resistant excess fat on the midsection or stretched skin that won’t go away. Although patients can obtain impressive results from plastic surgery performed by an experienced practitioner, one of the most common concerns that patients have is whether their stomach will remain flat permanently. The results from a tummy tuck from our Vancouver area practice are considered to be permanent because the fat and skin cannot return after we have removed them surgically. The slimming and tightening effects will be long lasting but with that said, it will still be important for patients to maintain a healthy lifestyle and avoid anything that could reverse them.
Remember that it’s still possible to gain weight even after having this procedure and weight gain can cause the skin to become stretched out again. The most important thing patients can do is maintain a stable weight. Extreme weight gain in the future could cause excess fat deposition that would undo the results. If you want to maintain the sculpted body shape you get from a tummy tuck for years to come, here’s what we recommend doing.
- Eat Healthy
Patients will need to make certain lifestyle changes after a tummy tuck such as avoiding processed foods and refined carbohydrates along with high sugar, and high fat foods. Focus on including more nutritious foods in your diet
- Exercise Regularly
Although plastic surgery can give you outstanding results, there’s no replacement for regular exercise for maintaining good health. A combination of aerobic exercise and weight training will help you to tone your abdominal area.
- Manage Stress
Stress due to sleep deprivation or other factors causes your appetite to increase and causes hormonal balances in the body that make you more likely to gain weight on the abdominal area.
Learn more about what to expect from a tummy tuck in the Vancouver area at the practice of Dr. Owen Reid to enhance the abdominal area by tightening skin, removing fat, and repairing weakened muscles. Call us at 604-343-9309 or submit a contact form to schedule a consultation and tell us more about your goals.
What Should You Do After Liposuction to Get the Best Results?
The main benefit of having liposuction is that it improves areas of excess fat on parts of the body that have been resistant to diet and exercise. When you lose weight normally through traditional techniques, the fat cells remain but simply lose some of their fat content. Liposuction from our Vancouver area office, on the other hand, will permanently remove those fat cells that remain directly below the skin. Once the fat has been removed, it can’t grow back. Although most of the hard work is done in the office and liposuction is less invasive compared to some other forms of plastic surgery, it’s important to remember that what the patient does at-home during their recovery will have a major impact on the type of results they get. There’s no way of knowing for sure what to expect during recovery as the experience varies from patient to patient depending on their age, overall health, prior medical history, and other factors.
Here’s what patients can do at home to optimize the outcome from this procedure while avoiding complications. It’s normal to experience mild bruising, swelling, and discomfort but these side effects will typically resolve on their own within a few weeks.
- Wear Compression Garments as Directed
While you’re recovering, the surgeon will give you a compression garment or elastic bandages that will need to be worn around the areas that surgery was performed on. These help to keep swelling down, decrease discomfort, and help your body contours adapt to their new shape. Follow your surgeon’s instructions for wearing them.
- Limit Your Activity
Try to reduce your activity and avoid strenuous exercise after liposuction. The compression garments will restrict your movements and you’ll need to give yourself time to heal so plan accordingly and get support if you have small children.
- Go For Walks
Light movement such as gentle walks can help you recover at a faster rate even though heavy exercise should be avoided.
Liposuction is a safe way of reducing stubborn fat on isolated areas of the body. Find out whether you’re eligible for liposuction in the Vancouver area at the practice of Dr. Owen Reid to enhance your body shape. Give us a call at 604-343-9309 or submit a contact form to schedule a consultation and learn more about the benefits of body contouring procedures.
Who is a Good Candidate for an Upper Body Lift?
Is loose skin on your back causing bra bulge and making it difficult to find clothes that fit properly? Not sure which form of plastic surgery is best for rejuvenating your upper body? Exercise and changing your diet won’t help to tighten the loose skin – for that, you’ll need cosmetic surgery. The right type of cosmetic procedure for each patient may depend on their age and the condition of their skin. Patients who are considered ideal candidates for an upper body lift at our Vancouver area practice are in good general health, have loose skin under their arms, around their armpits, below the breasts, or on the back, and do not have much fat beneath the skin. They also share some of the following characteristics.
Moderate to Severe Skin Laxity
Although there are now many minimally invasive alternatives for skin tightening, many patients may find that these treatments don’t provide satisfying results for them. Cases of severe skin sagging that causes rolls may require surgical excision for dramatic tightening.
Loose Skin
Although patients at any age who want to remove loose skin from the back could be eligible for this type of surgery, as we get older, we are more likely to need a body lift to correct sagging skin. Throughout each decade of our life a significant amount of the collagen and elastin that we need to maintain firm, volumize skin is lost because of normal aging and sun exposure.
Weight Loss
Loose, hanging skin is a common side effect amount patients who have lost a large amount of weight rapidly through bariatric surgery or natural means. The collagen fibers in their skin have been stretched and it can no longer snap into its normal shape. The skin can often be frustrating, embarrassing, physically uncomfortable, and prevents patients from reaching their body goals. In most cases, the only way of actually tightening these areas and removing the excess skin is with plastic surgery.
For more advice on the benefits of an upper body lift in the Vancouver area at the practice of Dr. Owen Reid, get in touch with our team today. Call us at 604-343-9309 or submit a contact form to schedule a consultation and we will get back to you shortly.
Which Non-Cosmetic Concerns Can Be Treated with a Tummy Tuck?
Have you ever looked at the flat, super-toned abs of celebrities and wondered how you can get the same look to show in time for beach season? A tummy tuck, which is also called abdominoplasty, is what our Vancouver area practice recommends for patients who want to transform their appearance or restore their body shape after pregnancy or losing a significant amount of weight. Tummy tucks won’t automatically give you chiseled, six-pack abs but they will lay the groundwork by removing resistant skin and fat. While there are many obvious cosmetic benefits to having this procedure, such as improved self-esteem that may lead to a better overall quality of life and being able to wear clothes that did not used to fit well before, there are also some major physical benefits associated with the treatment.
1. Address Diastases Recti
Ventral hernias occur due to weakness of the abdominal wall because of pregnancy, prior surgery, chronic coughing, heavy lifting, obesity, or other causes. By strengthening the core muscles, the surgeon can also reduce the unnecessary stress and pressure that’s placed on them and prevent a ventral hernia from developing.
2. Relief for Back Pain
Lower back pain is another common complaint that can be corrected with a tummy tuck. People who have given birth or experienced major weight loss often suffer from lordosis or sway back. Tightening and strengthening the abdominal muscles helps them to provide better support for your back.
3. Better Posture
Another major advantage of having a tummy tuck is that your posture is likely to improve. Having good posture provides relief for your back and decreases the stress that’s placed on your joints, connective tissue, and ligaments as you age.
4. Improved Stamina and Tolerance for Exercise
One of the negative side effects of losing weight is having loose skin on the stomach. Being overweight for a long time causes skin to become permanently stretched as it loses collagen and elastin. A tummy tuck makes exercise easier and gives patients a renewed sense of confidence.
Explore the cosmetic and medical benefits of having an abdominoplasty from Vancouver area’s Dr. Owen Reid office to restore weakened muscles and remove sagging skin. Give us a call at 604-343-9309 or submit a contact form to request a consultation.