How about that tummy tuck!

What is a tummy tuck, anyway?  Sounds a little scary. 

For the jargon inclined, the term ‘abdominoplasty’ will do just fine.  A tummy tuck involves removing fat and skin from the lower part of the belly in order to improve the overall shape and contour.

Smartlipo liposuction of the belly and love handles is often a great choice if you want to slim down the problem areas that resist your best efforts in the diet and exercise department.  If you have a lot of loose lower skin, with stretch marks, maybe a scar or two, and a pouchy overhang though, you may want to consider a tummy tuck.

While Smartlipo liposuction works great for reducing fat, it has little effect on stretch marks, scars, and excessive overhanging skin.  Sometimes, there is no substitution for taking those areas out.

What’s the best way to do that?  There are a number of ways to do a tummy tuck, and there is no one size fits all answer.  In general, the procedure involves removing skin and fat from the lower part of the belly and pulling the upper skin down to join the lower edge.  The belly button stays put, but is usually brought out through a small hole in the upper skin.  Occasionally, the stomach muscles may need to be tightened a bit. 

In the end, you have a flatter belly (picture a bedsheet pulled nice and tight), a sharper waist, and a horizontal incision low down on your stomach.  This heals like any other incision and becomes less noticeable over time.

What’s the downtime?  Most of our patients are back to work in less than a week. You do need to wear a special garment and avoid heavy lifting or stretching, but we’re always pleasantly surprised at how quickly our tummy tuck patients bounce back. 

At GLOW, we love providing the shape and contour you’re looking for.  Feel free to call or visit to learn more about the tummy tuck procedure, and whether it’s right for you.

  

Botox and Friends

We’re all familiar with the term ‘Botox.’  In fact, it’s earned a well-recognized place in our pop culture, with frequent mentions in movies, magazines, and other media.  So when we think about getting a few small injections to erase those subtle signs of aging, we think of Botox.

BOTOX® Cosmetic (from Allergan) reigns supreme amongst neuromodulators, an injectable drug class used for the temporary relief of frown lines.

Botox was the first product to market for cosmetic indications (frown lines, forehead lines, and crow’s feet).  Safe and effective, we have used Botox at GLOW for years, and it forms the mainstay of our injectable practice.

Dysport® (Medicis) was the second botulinum derivative to gain approval in the US.  While very similar to Botox, there are some molecular differences that distinguish it.  We’ve tried Dysport, but really saw no demand for this alternative, and frankly did not see any difference in pricing.

Now it appears that another alternative to Botox looms:  Xeomin®, from Merz.  Stay tuned for more on this one.  We look forward to trying this here at GLOW.

So how do you choose?  If you have been using a particular product (Botox or Dysport), and are happy with the results, then stay with it.  If you are looking to have your very first treatment, do some research.  Ask your friends, visit a doctor or two, read reviews on line.  Get treated by someone you like and trust, and most likely you will be satisfied.

A quick note to beginners:  get in the habit of tracking the number of units for a given area that works for you.  This is the best way to compare apples to apples; no more vague notions of treating a given area for a set price.  You really don’t know what works unless you understand how many units of Botox or Dysport were used.  And, this is the only way to track and measure the exact cost of an effective treatment.  Handy metric if you happen to be price shopping.

We look forward to updating you on Xeomin.  In the meantime, please share your thoughts on Botox vs. Dysport.  What do you like?