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    Skin and Exercise

    Tag Archives: tummy tuck

    I see lots of women, most of them Moms, who are completely frustrated because their skin won’t tighten up despite their working out like crazy. So they come to inquire about a Louisville Tummy Tuck or Louisville Liposuction. The bad news I have to deliver is that skin will not tighten up in response to exercise.

    With exercise, especially resistance training (lifting weights), you can certainly loose fat and add muscle which is a great thing. As this process occurs, your skin will tighten up to some degree. Skin does have elasticity and so it will snap back. We see this all of the time with significant weight loss and after pregnancy. The skin is actually pretty amazing and tones itself back up rather nicely. But there is a limit and there isn’t much you can do to affect the process.

    So, if you have lost a lot of weight and have been at a stable plateau for 6 months or more or if your last baby is more than 6 months old and you have lost your baby weight, what you see skin wise is probably what you are going to be left with. For some women with thicker more resilient skin, this can be taught, stretch mark free skin. For most though, there will be some residual laxity.

    Age is also a huge factor. Our skin is more capable of snapping back the younger we are. Not much more explantion needed here.

    So all you have to do is never age, never gain weight, and never have kids and your skin will be perfect! Just kidding 🙂

    Lee Corbett, MD

    www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

    502.721.0330

    All posts on this blog are presented by Louisville Tummy Tuck surgeon, Dr. Lee Corbett.

    There are Tummy Tucks and there  Mini-Tummy tucks.

    Big picture: the difference is that a Mini addresses the lower part of the tummy only. A full tummy tuck treats the front of your torso from rib cage down to your pubic area. A mini treats from the umbilicus down.

    When we do a full tummy tuck the incision is from hip to hip, we lift the skin/fat layer up to just below the breast bone, tighten the muscles from top to bottom, and then remove the loose skin between your belly button and pubic line.

    With a Mini, we shorten the incision so that it’s just a bit longer than a C-section incision. The undermining goes just up to the belly button and the muscle tightening is from the belly buttton down.

    So, Mini tucks are intended for a woman who has a typical bulge of the lower abdomen and a little loose skin from pregnancy. Full tummy tucks are better suited for those who have more generalized laxity of their abdominal wall, more loose skin, and generally more fatty tissue. The best way to figure out which one is best for you is to let a Plastic Surgeon take a look at your tummy. A quick look and your input on what you’d like to improve and your surgeon ought to be able to tell you if a Mini is enough .

    Lee Corbett, MD

    www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

    502.721.0330

    All posts on this blog are authored by Kentucky Cosmetic Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Lee Corbett. Dr. Corbett specializes in cosmetic plastic surgery including facelifts, browlifts, blepharoplasy, Botox, Juvederm, Restylane, breast augmentation, breast lifts, breast reductions, body lifts, liposuction,  and tummy tucks.

    A “Mommy Makeover” is a cutesy name someone came up with for the operations we typically perform on women who have had kids. I am preaching to the choir, but pregnancy obviously takes a pretty big hit on your breasts and tummy. A Mommy Makeover represents some combination of breast and tummy procedure.

    For the breasts, a lot of women have just lost the upper breast fullness and only will need an implant. Others have maintained size but now the breast droops (see my previous blog on droop) and they need a lift. Many women opt for an implant with  lift combination to reverse the changes we see from pregnancy, aging, and breastfeeding.

    On the torso, one of the biggest complaints I hear are a changed distribution of fat. You weigh the same as before your kids but your shape has changed. Most commonly I see fat in the waist & hip areas that need liposuction. Skin and muscular laxity are also common complaints. If your skin and muscles took a big hit we can address this with a tummy tuck. If your skin is good but you can’t get rid of that last little fatty pooch, we can also treat that with lipo.

    So, a Mommy Makeover isn’t anything new, just a good marketing idea to catch your eye.

    Lee Corbett, MD

    www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

    502.721.0330

    All posts on this blog are authored by Louisville mommy makeover surgeon Dr. Lee Corbett.

    This is a very common question that I deal with almost on a daily basis. In general, it is perfectly fine to combine procedures and I do it all of the time. The advantages are one anesthetic, one recovery, and you will save some money. Facial procedures are often combined, like eyelids and facelifts. Breast and body procedures are commonly coupled as well.

    But there are things I consider before I give a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’.

    First is the time it all takes. Most surgeons will agree that about 6 or 7 hours is long enough to have someone asleep for an elective cosmetic procedure. After this time period your risks for post operative complications start to go up. So I will combine procedures if I can do my best work in less than about 6 hours.

    Secondly, I take into consideration the type of procedures being performed. Though the incisions are very small, a large volume liposuction is a bigger shock to your system than combining an eyelid tuck and breast augmentation for instance. So we have to consider what we are planning and what kind of a toll this is going to take on you immediately after surgery and during your recovery.

    Lastly, we have to look at your medical history. A 30 year old woman with no medical problems can safely have more surgery than a 60 year old over weight diabetic patient.  And it’s not even the age that  matters that much. My mother is 80 and other than some aches and pains, she is completely healthy. I could safely operate on her all day long. The bottom line is we need to step back and look at your whole picture before we develop some grand plan that  may be too risky. So more often than not the answer I give is “Sure, that’s fine”. I even recommend it most of the time.

    Lee Corbett, MD

     https://www.corbettcosmeticsurgery.com/

    502-721-0330

    All posts on this blog are authored by Louisville cosmetic plastic surgeon Dr. Lee Corbett. Dr. Corbett specializes in cosmetic plastic surgery including facelifts, browlifts, and blepharoplasy in Louisville, Kentucky. 

    Here comes a smoking lecture that is a little different than any you’ve endured before. There will be no mention of lung disease. The culprits are vasospasm and carbon monoxide.

    I realize you probably don’t know what Vasospasm is, so I will explain what it is and why it affects plastic surgery procedures. When you smoke a cigarette the nicotine absorbs into your bloodstream. When it hits the very small vessels just under your skin, it makes them spasm closed. Well,  the problem is, for a lot of our operations, like facelifts and tummy tucks, we depend on those vessels for you to heal and for your skin not to die. So if you are smoking, you run the risk of segments of your skin dying. I don’t mean being numb, I mean dying and falling off! Trust me, this is not a good thing. Especially if it is on your face or breasts!

    Carbon monoxide plays into things because when this gets into your lungs it gets distributed to your tissues instead of oxygen. The problem is, your tissues don’t need carbon monoxide to heal, they need oxygen. So when you smoke you are effectively starving your tissues and this can lead to your wound falling apart. Smoking is horrible for wound healing. Period. That is why Plastic Surgeons are so adamant you quit. I don’t want your result to be ruined and I know you don’t either.

    Lee Corbett, MD

    www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

    502.721.0330

    All posts on this blog are authored by Louisville Plastic Surgery physician, Dr. Lee Corbett.

    This is a good question that I discuss with prospective cosmetic surgery patients almost daily.

    The answer depends on a few things and is highly dependent on your starting point. Let me explain.

    First, if you are within 5 to 10 pounds of where you would like to ideally be, I think you are fine. There is no reason to delay your procedure. The reason is because when we lose weight we do it from fat stores all over our body. So it’s not as though you are going to lose all 5 pounds from your breasts or tummy or thighs or whatever we are working on. You will lose it from all over and so this amount of weight loss isn’t going to change the shape of one particular area that dramatically.

    Now, if you think that you are going to loose 15 to 20 pounds you should probably wait. It is safe to have surgery at this point but 20 pounds of fat is a LOT of fat. Fat as a tissue is not very dense, so 20 pounds of fat is a lot of bulk. For instance, when I do tummy tucks and take off that hand full of skin and fat  that lives from your belly button down to your pubic area, from hip to hip, that typically weighs 3 to 4 pounds, max! People are shocked to hear that, but it’s true. So, 20 pounds of fat coming off is like 5 of the lower tummy rolls being removed. That’s a lot, so folks in this category are better off dropping the weight. The weight loss probably won’t change the procedure we choose to do, it will change the specifics of what I do and you will look better after at a lower weight.

    If you are 50-100 pounds overweight, we need to talk. Significant weight loss in this category is not common so you need to be honest with yourself as to whether you are really going to loose this weight or not. Weight loss of this magnatude requires a total change in how you eat, what you eat, and a regimented exercise routine. If that’s not realistic, we can proceed with surgery, if it is we need to wait.

    If you are 100 pounds over weight Cosmetic Surgery is usually not an option. At this point, your risks for anesthetic and surgical complications start to really increase. In general, I think it is safer to delay until you are able to lower your body weight in order to maximize your safety and results.

    Lee Corbett, MD

    www. CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

    502.721.0330

    All posts on this blog are authored by Louisville, Kentucky body contouring surgeon Dr. Lee Corbett. Dr. Corbett specializes in cosmetic plastic surgery including facelifts, browlifts, blepharoplasy, Botox, Juvederm, Restylane, breast augmentation, breast lifts, breast reductions, body lifts, liposuction,  and tummy tucks.

    Unfortunately, no.

    I see several new patients a year who are 50, 75 even 100 pounds over weight and were told Liposuction is their answer. This is just not true.

    Don’t think of Liposuction as a way to loose weight. Liposuction is a sculpting tool. It is intended for those who are at or very close to their ideal body weight. The analogy I make when I meet with new patients is to compare Liposuction with a nail file. We use it much the same way you would use the file in that we are smoothing “rough” edges to give the area a better shape and to make the problem area blend better with the areas around it.

    Let me give you more of an explanation though. A large volume liposuction would be the removal of 7 to 10 liters of fat. By the way, if you had this volume removed your surgeon would likley keep you over night in a hospital and monitor your fluid status. Now, understand that when we do liposuction, the first step in the process is to pump a saline/lidocaine/epinephrine solution into the area. Then we suction out a combination of fat and the solution. So if we take out 10 liters, a lot of this volume is the water we just put in. 10 liters weighs 20 pounds but remember that a lot of this weight is the water. So, you might actually lose say 7 0r 8 pounds of fat, max. Basically, we just can’t safely remove huge volumes of fat because of safety issues.

    Another issue is skin laxity. If you are carrying an extra 50 pounds your skin has stretched to accomodate the weight. Liposuction results in some skin retraction, but it cannot tighten loose hanging skin. This problem has to be treated with direct excision, usually in the form of  a tummy tuck or body lift.

    So, while a Liposuction cannula is a great tool to help shape and smooth your curves, it is not a magic wand we can use to shrink you.

    Lee Corbett, MD

    www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

    502.721.0330

    All posts on this blog are authored by Louisville liposuction surgeon Dr. Lee Corbett.

    There are two parts to this answer when it comes to Louisville, Kentucky liposuction.

    First is comfort. From my experience, most patients wait at least a week or more before they start exercising again. I recommend starting with a light version of your typical routine. Guage how you feel, and then ease back into things as your comfort allows.

    Second, is swelling. When we do surgery on you, what happens is that the blood vessels in that area get leaky. The purpose is for the cells that heal us need to be able to leak out of the blood steam and get in there to do their thing. So, in effect, think of the blood vessels as leaky piping, much like a soaker hose. Well, if you exercise you increase your blood pressure and pulse rate. So, you are driving the blood through a leaky system faster and with more pressure. The end result is the watery part of the blood leaks into the tissues and you swell. From this point of view, I typically recommend waiting 2 weeks before doing cardio. At that point, you can get going again and see how you do. If you swell up like the Michelin Man we need to hold off a little longer. But it’s important to understand that the swelling wont hurt you, it just temporarily affects your weight and appearance.

    In the end, there are no hard and fast rules. You have to stick your toe in and see how you do!

    Lee Corbett, MD
    http://www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com
    502.721.0330

    All posts on this blog are authored by Breast Augmetnation plastic surgeon Dr. Lee Corbett. Dr. Corbett specializes in cosmetic plastic surgery including liposuction  and tummy tucks.

    The reason is because exercise only affects your muscles, it doesn’t do anything for loose skin or more importantly your fascia. I know, you have no idea what fascia is. So, I’m gonna tell ya. Every muscle in the human body is enveloped in fascia. Fascia is a whitish colored tissue that has the consistency of one of the white legal envelopes you can never tear open. It is a tough, sinewy tissue. In the picture, the fascia is the white stuff surrounding the 6 pack muscles.  So, when you get pregnant, that fascia gets stretched out making your abdominal wall lax. Along your midline, the fascia from the right and left 6-pack muscles fuses in a line called the linea alba. Before kids, the linea alba is about 4 or 5 mm wide. But after, that line is stretched and thinned and can be a inch or two wide, so you get a midline bulge that looks like Alien is trying to escape! Here’s the bad news…fascia doesn’t respond to exercise and neither does skin. So all the situps in the world will tone the muscles but it can’t do a thing for the other two. But, there is still hope in the form of a Tummy Tuck or Abdominoplasty. A tummy tuck allows for fascial tightening thus muscle tightening, fat removal, and loose skin removal. In fact, it is part of a “Mommy Makeover”. It is usually coupled with Liposuction and is the procedure of choice for maximal abdominal wall rejuvenation.

    Dr. Lee Corbett

    http://www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

    502.721.0330

    All posts on this blog are authored by Louisville liposuction surgeon Dr. Lee Corbett. Dr. Corbett specializes in cosmetic plastic surgery including facelifts, browlifts, blepharoplasy, Botox, Juvederm, Restylane, breast augmentation, breast lifts, breast reductions, body lifts, liposuction,  and tummy tucks.

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    13125 Eastpoint Park Blvd
    Suite 102
    Louisville, KY 40223

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