Since the body’s own fat has to be harvested and injected back into the body, it is important that the patient take steps during the recovery process so as to not disturb the healing process that the newly re-injected fat needs to go through so that they may create the results that are desired. When recovering from the Brazilian butt augmentation procedure, it is recommended that you keep the following tips in mind:

• Plan on having at least a three week recovery period- It will take blood vessels about 3-4 days to begin to form on the newly injected fat grafts and it will take about 2-3 weeks before these new fat grafts will be strong enough to withstand minimal to moderate pressure. It is incredibly important to let the blood vessels and fat grafts to satisfactorily heal before exposing them to any stresses or pressure, or else the results of the procedure can become distorted.
  • Avoid sitting as much as possible- Sitting on your buttocks will cause them to experience tremendous pressure. This pressure can effectively cut off the necessary blood supply to the areas into which fat has been injected, preventing the survival of the fat grafts. Although squatting and stretching will not cause as much pressure as sitting, it would be best to avoid squatting and stretching as well during the recovery period as they can cause undue shear and tear stress to the buttocks.
• Plan on returning to work in about a week- However, patients who have jobs that require sitting for long periods of time may need to wait longer before returning to work as sitting is not recommended for at least three weeks. You should check with your surgeon before returning to work. Regular activities that do not require sitting or are not strenuous may be continued within a week or so. More strenuous activities and exercises should be held off for at least three weeks after a Brazilian butt augmentation in Los Angeles.
• Wear your compression garment as directed- Although you may think that a compression garment would be ineffective, or perhaps, even detrimental, to your recovery since it exerts pressure on your buttocks, the compression garment actually provides a level of moderate pressure that actually works to decrease the amount of post-op swelling in the buttocks, which can help speed up the recovery process.

When a person loses a lot of weight, what is left behind is excess skin that has lost its elasticity from being stretched out for too long of a period of time; younger people tend to have skin that is able to bounce back after massive weight loss better than people who are older and people who lose weight slower tend to achieve more taut skin at the end of their weight loss than a person who loses weight rather rapidly.

There are a few people who are lucky enough to have skin that has retained sufficient elasticity to allow skin to satisfactorily bounce back naturally in such a way that there is minimal to no excess skin or fat on the body. However, the majority of people who undergo massive weight loss will notice that there exists at least one area on their body that has excess skin and fat after losing the weight. Try as they might, these people will most likely find that no amount of post-weight loss exercise or dieting will reduce the presence of the excess skin and fat. It is for people like this- who have lost a lot of weight but do not have the sculpted, toned body that they desire at the end of their weight loss journey- that body contouring in Los Angeles has been designed for.

“Body contouring” describes a collection of cosmetic procedures that can be used to sculpt an aesthetically-pleasing body, especially after major weight loss. As the areas of the body that are most commonly affected by excess skin and fat are the abdominal region, the thighs, the arms, and the breasts, making the most common procedures included in body contouring surgeries:

• Liposuction
• Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck)
• Thigh Lift
• Arm Lift
• Breast Lift

The reason that certain areas of the body, such as the tummy and thighs, are prone to the development of excess skin and fat after massive weight loss is that they tend to not only carry a good deal of fat cells, but also tend to be hard to work out effectively. By using liposuction, excess fat that exists in areas such as these after major weight loss can be eliminated. For some patients, liposuction alone may be enough to correct the bulk of their body contouring issues, but as most patients will also have experienced the development of excess skin, a “lift” procedure is often necessary. The purpose of these procedures, such as the arm or thigh lift, is to surgically excise this excess skin permanently, allowing the effective sculpting of a post-weight loss body.

Successful fat transfer has been able to be obtained, thanks in large part, due to the advent of liposuction. Before liposuction was developed, attempts at fat transfer were quite ineffective due to the fact that a sufficient amount of fat for transfer was unable to be extracted. Not only was an adequate amount of fat unable to be gathered for transfer in the past, but surgeons were also unable to find a method of keeping fat cells alive and well enough to be transferred successfully.

Developments in modern surgical procedures have allowed cosmetic surgeons to improve upon a technique that is known as “fat grafting”, which is the technique that allows to successful fat transfers. By using the improved fat grafting techniques, plastic surgeons are able to transfer alive and healthy fat cells to their intended destination by first purifying them, which gives surgeons viable fat cells that will survive the transfer.

Coupled with the development of liposuction, the improved fat grafting techniques have been able to give cosmetic procedure patients enviable body contouring in Los Angeles. The most common areas of their bodies that patients wish to improve with autologous fat transfer- “autologous” meaning “derived from one’s own body”- are the buttocks, the breasts, and the face.

Fat transfer to the buttocks has come to be known as the “Brazilian butt lift”. This fat transfer procedure allows patients to achieve the contours and fullness once provided only through the surgical insertion of buttock implants. Fat transfer to the breasts, like fat transfers to the buttocks, give patients the advantage of achieving bigger, fuller breasts without the need for breast implants. Fat transfer to the face has been giving patients back the fuller, rounder faces of their youth without the need for dermal fillers derived from foreign materials, which can cause complications with patients who are allergic to those materials.

While the ability of fat transfer to give patients their desired results without the introduction of foreign materials such as implants or dermal fillers is an incredibly attractive feature of fat transfer to patients, the most attractive feature of all for almost all patients is the fact that this procedure allows them to eliminate fat from areas of the body that it is unwanted and to re-purpose it to enhance other areas of the body that could benefit from a bit of added fullness. It’s not science fiction, folks- it’s reality!

Although it has reconstructive beginnings- surgeons originally used plastic surgery to repair congenital physical flaws and help undo unwanted physical, aesthetic effects suffered by accident victims- plastic surgery has turned into a very lucrative field as more and more people began to seek and demand the cosmetic abilities of plastic surgery.

According to last year’s statistics, an astonishing 13.8 million surgically and minimally invasive cosmetic treatments were done in the United States alone, a 5 percent increase from the previous year’s data; approximately $10 billion was spent on cosmetic surgery procedures, both surgical and minimally-invasive, by US consumers during the past year. The increase in demand can be attributed to the prevalence of treatments that can now be performed on an outpatient basis.

Breast augmentation, nose reshaping, liposuction, eyelid surgery and the facelift topped the charts as the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures performed over the past year. Liposuction used to be the most requested cosmetic procedure for quite a number of years but was dislodged last year by breast augmentation in terms of total procedures performed and nose reshaping in terms of the biggest jump in popularity. Regardless, the popularity of liposuction in Los Angeles is still on the upward trend, up by 1% from last year. This is likely due to the fact that no matter how hard some people exercise, some bulges and disproportions on the body never seem to resolve or disappear- hence, for some people, liposuction is a popular solution for their excess body fat issues. The facelift has made it to the top 5 most popular plastic surgeries list for the first time since 2004, indicating that those of the baby boomer generation are now on the cusp of their golden years.

Plastic surgeons are reportedly experiencing the effects of the rise in popularity of cosmetic surgery in their clinics. In the past, it had been mostly women seeking cosmetic surgery services to improve their appearances, but lately, both genders seem to be of equal presence in plastic surgeons’ offices. Also, gone are the days when plastic surgery was only for the rich and famous as Americans from all walks of life are now able to financially afford the wonders of plastic surgery.

Despite the current economic situation, plastic surgery is still very much on the rise- it seems as though it is an indication that many Americans consider cosmetic surgery as something they can’t live without. Some things may need to be stricken of the budget list these days, but people are finding a way to add a cosmetic procedure or two into their budgets.

Before undergoing a breast augmentation procedure, patients will look through before and after pictures of implants to see which size and type of implant will give them the most pleasing results based on the body types in the pictures that most resemble the patient’s. In order to bring about breasts that look most like the “after” pictures of patients with successful breast augmentations, patients need to take care to follow the recovery procedures given by their plastic surgeons as closely as possible.

Even though each cosmetic surgeon is likely to give each patient a different set of directions based on the extent of their breast augmentations, all patients recovering from a breast augmentation procedure should take heed of the following general tips on breast augmentation recovery in order to make it go by as smoothly and quickly as possible:

• One of the main concerns with patients who are recovering from a breast augmentation procedure is the amount of swelling to the breasts that naturally takes place after a breast augmentation. While a great deal of swelling should dissipate after about a week, slight swelling may persist as long as six weeks-three months after the procedure for some patients. In order to help speed along the dissipation of swelling, patients should take the time and care to:
  • Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated
  • Limit your intake of sodium
  • Gently and regularly massage your breasts- this helps to improve circulation and reduce the retention of fluids, encouraging swelling to dissipate faster
  • Wear your compression garment as directed; the purpose of the compression garment is to not only reduce the amount of swelling but to also reduce the amount of soreness and discomfort as your body will not be used to holding up the weight of implants on your chest
• Do not force your recovery. It is natural for some patients to recover rather quickly from a breast augmentation procedure and for others to take a bit longer- allow your body to take as much time as it needs to fully recover from the breast augmentation procedure.
  • Most patients will feel well enough to return to work 1-2 weeks after their breast augmentation in Beverly Hills
  • Refrain from participating in any exercises for as long as advised by your cosmetic surgeon- for most patients this will be about 2-4 weeks for light exercises and at least 6 weeks for more strenuous forms of exercise. If you do not allow your breasts sufficient recovery time before participating in exercises, you may run the risks of injuring your breasts, requiring a longer recovery time, and/or diminishing your breast augmentation results

It is because of this- the lack of implants- that recovery from the Brazilian Butt Lift is known to be much quicker and painless than recovery from the traditional butt augmentation procedure; foreign objects are not being placed inside the body, eliminating the risk of infection or rejection by the body.

Although recovery from the Brazilian Butt Lift is relatively easy compared to recovery from the traditional butt augmentation procedure, there are several steps patients can take to make their recoveries go by even smoother:

• Keep hydrated. After any surgical procedure, it is crucial that patients take care to stay hydrated but it is advised that fruit juices and plain water be avoided as they can exacerbate any post- op nausea. Instead, it is recommended that patients drink other beverages such as Gatorade or ginger ale.
• Massage your buttocks. Patients should gently massage their buttocks at least three times a day for the first six weeks after their Brazilian Butt Lift procedures. Massaging the area will help to prevent any dimpling of the skin from occurring by keeping the injected fat evenly around surgical sites.
• Sleep on your back. Patients should take care to sleep on their backs for at least the first two weeks after their procedures. If during this time patients need sit on their buttocks, they should use soft, comfortable cushions when doing so.
• Take regular showers. It is very important that patients take the time to carefully clean their surgical sites, especially after any bowel movements. Patients should take thorough showers at least once per day for the first two weeks after their Brazilian Butt Lift procedures.
• Move around. While getting enough rest is absolutely critical during recovery from any type of surgical procedure, it is also equally important that patients take care to move/walk around a bit every so often in order to keep their blood flowing. This will help prevent the development of any post-op blood clots.
• Do not force your recovery. Some patients will take longer to recover than others- this is expected as each patient is unique and their bodies will respond to recovery in unique ways. Remember to follow any and all post-op recovery instructions as given by your cosmetic surgeon in Los Angeles so that your recovery will go as smoothly as possible.

Tummy Tuck Recovery Timeframe:

• The first few hours: During the first few hours after a tummy tuck, patients are kept in a recovery room so that their vitals and health status can be monitored until they are well enough to return home; some patients may choose or need to go to an aftercare facility.
  • While in the recovery room, patients will receive any necessary antibiotics, pain medications, and intravenous fluids and be kept warm with special warming blankets. Since keeping your blood circulation going after surgery is crucial in preventing the development of blood clots, patients will be given special stockings that massage the calves in encourage blood flow starting at the lower extremities.
  • Your first few steps after your tummy tuck may be assisted by a nurse.
  • Personalized tummy tuck recovery instructions will be given during this time.
• Week 1: It is very important to make sure that you have total care during this initial week when doing pretty much everything: getting around, using the rest room, taking medications, taking a shower, eating, etc.
  • During this week, you should wear a post-operative body girdle as instructed by your cosmetic surgeon, regularly check and empty out any drain tubes, and take care to not sit or lay down completely straight so as to take tension and pressure away from your abdominals. Patients may sleep on their sides as long as they keep their bodies in a semi-bent state.
  • Ice and hot packs are not recommended for surgical sites as heat may cause burns and ice will reduce blood circulation.
  • If you can, have a friend, family member, or significant other massage your back muscles to reduce instances of back spasms and to encourage blood circulation.
• Week 2: Patients tend to feel well enough to move around on their own during the second week, with some even feeling well enough to drive short distances. Even though patients may feel well enough to move around independently, they may likely still require pain medications and should refrain from over-exerting themselves by doing housework or exercising.
  • Post-op tummy tuck drains are usually removed during this week, but some patients may need to keep the drains in place for another week.
  • Patients should begin applying scar creams on their tummy tuck surgical scars beginning this week.
• Week 3: Most patients will feel well enough to rest to work and their regular routines by the third week of their tummy tuck recovery. Patients may start light exercises this week, but should refrain from participating in any exercise involving bending or the abdominals and from more strenuous exercises and activities.
  • Although patients may feel well enough to return to work, they should continue to wear their compression girdles.
  • Patients may resume having sexual intercourse during this week, but it is highly advised that they take it easy.
• Week 4: All patients should feel well enough to resume all their normal activities by the fourth week, although any heavy lifting should be put off for at least two months after their tummy tucks.
  • Patients may begin to leave their compression garments off while sleeping.
  • If all tummy tuck incisions have healed, patients who would like to do so may resume swimming.
• Weeks 5-6: Although most post-op swelling and bruising will have subsided by this time, patients will likely still have some moderate swelling on the abdomen and may not feel quite at 100% yet.
  • Patients should stop wearing their compression garments after their incisions have healed and the feeling to their abdominal skin has become more normal.
  • There is a good chance that patients will feel slight sharp pains as the feeling to their abdominals and abdominal skin begins to return to normal; this is expected and should not be of worry to the patient.
• Weeks 7-12: Most tummy tuck patients will be at least 75% healed within these weeks, with permanent results becoming more and more apparent with each passing day.
  • Patients can now participate in any form of exercise or activity, with no restrictions based on their tummy tucks.
  • It is recommended that patients follow a well-balanced diet and exercise regularly as gaining weight will have detrimental effects on the results of tummy tuck procedures.
• Weeks 13-52: Any post-op conditions from a tummy tuck will have resolved during this time and full, permanent results will be realized within six months to a year of a tummy tuck procedure.
  • As long as patients take care to not gain weight after their tummy tucks- through proper diet and exercise- they should be able to maintain the results of their tummy tucks.

Here are some tips that can make recovery from tummy tucks fast and easy:

1. Stay hydrated: After any surgery, it is important that you take care to drink water and other beverages in order to prevent dehydration from taking place. However, you should limit your intake of fruit juices and carbonated beverages as these can make you feel nauseated. Drinking too much plain water can make some patients feel nauseated as well. It is recommended that you drink ginger ale, tea, and/or Gatorade to stay hydrated.
2. Move around: Although it is important to get your rest after your tummy tuck procedure, it is also important that you do not become sedentary. In order to prevent the development of post-op blood clots, which is the leading cause of death patients should walk around the room at least 5 times a day to keep their blood moving. However, do not over-exert yourself as too much activity many increase swelling.
3. Wear a compression garment: Compression garments will help minimize swelling after tummy tucks; make sure the compression garment fits tightly, but comfortably.
4. Take any pain medication as prescribed: Pain medication will not only keep any discomfort and pain after a tummy tuck at bay, but it will also lessen the amount of swelling and muscle spasms. It can also help regulate blood circulation as well as your breathing.
5. Do not apply ice or hot packs: Placing hot packs on surgical sites can potentially cause burns since numbness at the surgical sites will not be able to properly relay the physical effects of burns and even though ice can reduce the amount of swelling that is experienced, it can also reduce blood circulation and the rate at which your incisions will heal.
6. Take Arnica Montana: Taking a regimen of Arnica Montana supplement tablets before undergoing your tummy tuck procedure will reduce the amount of post-op bruising and swelling.
7. Take iron: Iron is a supplemental mineral that helps make recovery easier and faster. It is especially important that you begin an iron regimen at least a month prior to a tummy tuck procedure if you are anemic or have recently lost a large amount of weight so that you tummy tuck recovery will be kept on track.
8. Take it easy: Although most patients will feel well enough to go back to work and resume their regular routines about two weeks after their tummy tucks, it’s completely normal if you do not feel well enough to return to work in as little as two weeks- it can take up to 6 weeks to feel more or less normal for some patients! It typically takes about six months for full results to be realized.
9. Massage surgical sites gently: You should try to gently massage surgical sites as well as your overall abdomen to encourage blood circulation and healing.
10. Get help and support from friends and family: During the first week of your recovery, you should have a friend or family member to check in on you on at least an hourly basis

Of course, your cosmetic surgeon will have a personalized recovery course and recommendations for you after your tummy tuck procedure. You should follow any specific directions your cosmetic surgeon gives you for your tummy tuck recovery and to let him or her know right away if you develop any complications or conditions.

Please read through our questions and answers about tummy tuck recovery or contact Dr. Younai at the California Center for Plastic Surgery at (818)386-1222 if you have any questions or would like to know more about the tummy tuck procedure and recovery.

For those of us who need a little help when it comes to shedding those extra, stubborn pockets of fat around the waist that have resisted your futile dieting and exercising efforts, there is great news! The tummy tuck- or abdominoplasty, as it is formally known- can help you get rid of those problems around your abdominal area for good!

The tummy tuck was the third most sought-after plastic surgery in the United States during 2011, with over 149,000 procedures performed during that year alone. The popularity of the tummy tuck in Los Angeles can be explained by the fact that the tummy tuck is highly efficient at removing excess fat and skin tissue that exist around the abdominal region, giving patients the contoured, aesthetically-pleasing abdominals that they desire.

The tummy tuck procedure involves several steps. First, an incision that extends from hip-to-hip just above the pubic area but just below the area where undergarments sit will be made, although the actual extent of the incision will be determined by the overall amount of skin and fat that is to be removed. Then, through this incision, the abdominal muscles that make up the abdominal wall will be tightened in order to give the patient abdominals that are more toned. If necessary, liposuction may also be performed through this incision in order to remove any excess fat from the abdominals.

For patients who have extra fat and skin tissue on their upper abdominals will likely need to have a second incision made around their belly buttons so that the excess skin and fat from this area may be removed as well.

After the necessary amount of fat has been removed, the plastic surgeon will surgically excise any excess skin that hangs over incision areas. The final step of the tummy tuck procedure is to close the incision or incisions that were made during the surgery.

Although the first couple of weeks after a tummy tuck may involve some swelling and discomfort, for which painkillers and antibiotics are prescribed, most patients feel well enough after this period to go back to work and return to their normal, daily routines.

Most people can now afford plastic surgery in Beverly Hills & Los Angeles. There are several reasons for this including:

1. Availability of Financing for Cosmetic Surgery. In the old days no financial company would loan money without collateral, especially if it was for cosmetic surgery. Now, some of the major financial institutions are marketing primarily to the plastic surgery crowd. Realizing that those with a steady income can make payments for cosmetic surgery, just as if they were making it for a new car. In fact, some loan companies are becoming even more creative. They are willing to give patients a cosmetic surgery home equity loan, with the payments added to patient’s monthly mortgage payment.
2. Cost of Cosmetic Surgery. Whether the relative cost of cosmetic surgery procedures has come down, or the price of most things has gone up, the prices of plastic surgery procedures is now within people’s spending budget.
3.  Plastic Surgeons offer financing. While it used to be that one had to pay cash for plastic surgery, now plastic surgeons accept credit card payments, financing, or even offer cosmetic surgery savings plans.

Therefore, Plastic Surgery in no longer exclusive to Beverly Hills & Los Angles but women from the suburbs of Los Angeles can afford plastic surgery even if they live in cities such as Sherman Oaks, Encino, Calabasas, Woodland Hills, Thousand Oaks, Westlake, Beverly Hills, Westwood, Santa Monica, Los Angeles, Hollywood, Burbank, Pasadena, Glendale, Valencia, Palmdale, Fresno, Bakersfield, and Oxnard.