When it comes to cosmetic surgery procedures, the abdomen is the area I get asked the most questions about. I specialize in helping women get the right combination of procedures to get their bodies in the contour and shape that they want. Mommy Makeovers are my specialty!!
With that being said, let me add this disclaimer: I am not a doctor, I will not be performing your procedure. I am a filmmaker, writer and patient advocate for several doctors and practices in the Atlanta area.
Through my writing, filming, research and my own personal experiences, I have become knowledgable in many of the procedures available for women to feel better, look better and guide them in accomplishing those goals. I advise, hold hands and partner people up with the right procedures and the right doctors. I answer a lot of questions and bust a lot of myths about cosmetic surgery from the consumer aspect of what will and will not work. As one surgeon I worked with used to say, "It's a scalpel not a wand" you have to be realistic about your expectations when asking a doctor to change something about your appearance. If you are 5'2 and weigh 180 pounds, you are never going to have a surgery that makes you look like Heidi Klum!
One area that many women are worried about, especially after pregnancy, is the abdomen. Lets face it, pregnancy and childbirth, while miraculous, can do a number on your body. And every woman is different. Weight gain and genetics play a big factor in how we snap back after 9 months of stretching, shifting and pushing! Some women can gain 80 pounds and look like they are carrying triplets and snap right back into shape like they are made out of rubber. Some can gain 25 pounds and barely show a bump but look like they are carrying a burlap sack of excess skin around their waist after. It's all on how we are made up genetically. That also goes for those that have never had children too. You could work out 8 hours a day, have a diet that consists of a deep breath and a cube of cheese and you would still have a muffin top. It's how God (or whatever divine power you believe in) made you! This is where having a cosmetic procedure can help!
I am not so much an advocate of cosmetic surgery as I am for women to feel good about themselves. If something about your appearance bothers you it can take up a lot of space in your brain. When you look at yourself in the mirror, when you buy clothes, when you sit, they way you hold your posture, etc.. I believe that if you can alleviate that concern then you can open up that space to worry about so many other things!! :)
So, lets talk about the abdomen and what procedure is right for you! When someone comes to me about the abdomen, the first question I ask women is this: Do you want to look better in your clothes, or do you want to look good naked??........ (the periods represent the pause and stare that often accompanies that question). Haha
Here is why I ask women that. There are two really effective procedures for the abdomen: Liposuction and Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck). Lets examine what each does.