body contouring Archives | La Jolla, San Diego

Four Medical Benefits of a Tummy Tuck

A flat tummy and tight abs are the by far most appealing benefits of a tummy tuck, but there are other perks to this procedure that you might want to discover. We all know this cosmetic intervention removes the excess skin and fat on your belly to obtain a slim and toned figure, but are you aware of the health benefits of a tummy tuck?

Besides improving your appearance, our board-certified surgeon Dr. Tim Sayed, MD, can contribute to your overall well-being with a tummy tuck. Find out how as we share 4 of the main medical benefits of this popular procedure!

1. Reduces Stress Urinary Incontinence

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a bladder control issue that usually affects women that have given vaginal birth. Patients with this condition have too much pressure on their bladder and urethra, so any sudden pressure shift that might come from coughing, sneezing, or even laughter causes uncontrolled urine leakage.

SUI affects the daily life of both men and women, but, fortunately, it can be treated while the patient receives a tummy tuck. During the procedure, Dr. Sayed relieves the pressure on your bladder by eliminating soft tissues from the belly area. At the same time, he can also use these tissues to obstruct your bladder to minimize urine leakage.

2. Strengthens Your Core

When flattening your abdomen, Dr. Sayed also tightens your belly muscles. These firmed-up abdominal muscles add support to your spine, keeping it straight and erect. A strong core and straight spine bring multiple health benefits, including improved posture, back pain relief, and improved balance and stability, and it also boosts your performance in the gym and other physical activities.

3. Corrects Ventral Hernia

A ventral hernia is a medical condition where part of your abdominal tissues is pushed through your abdominal muscles, creating a bulge or pouch. This type of hernia is common in patients with a weakened abdominal wall, which can result from pregnancy, abdominal surgeries like C-section or appendectomy, or extreme weight loss.

Dr. Sayed can correct this issue during the procedure by restoring the abdominal wall, composed of both the muscles and the connective tissue between them. It is essential to treat ventral hernias as they can result in severe pain.

4. Eliminates Skin Folds

Skin folds can easily become infected or irritated, so eliminating them with a tummy tuck prevents rashes, pain, and infections in the area. In addition, these folds make exercising and running much harder. Loose skin interferes with your mobility, especially after a significant weight loss, and being active after surgery is essential to maintain results.

Interested in Learning What a Tummy Tuck Can Do for You?

Are you ready to take the next step on your tummy tuck journey? If you are considering this cosmetic procedure, please do not hesitate to contact Tim Sayed, MD, Plastic Surgery, in any of our two locations. Your body figure will be in expert hands!

Recovering from a Brazilian Butt Lift

Brazilian butt lifts are one of the trendiest plastic surgical procedures these days. This treatment, technically known as fat transfer gluteal augmentation, improves the proportions of your entire lower body. It enhances the shape and contour of your buttocks, hips, abdomen, waistline, and love handles to obtain the desirable hourglass body shape and a scooped-out and rounded gluteal shelf.

Unlike other similar alternatives, this treatment doesn’t use foreign substances or implant devices. The Brazilian butt lift (BBL) is an autologous fat transfer, which means that the doctor uses your own body fat to remodel your contours. Through liposuction techniques, a board-certified plastic surgeon like Dr. Tim Sayed harvests fat tissue from areas that might be in excess (typically lower belly, hips, and love handles) and injects it into your buttocks to improve the shape, texture, and overall appearance.

This cosmetic procedure transforms patients’ lives, so we can assure you are not the only one thinking of making a consultation. However, you should consider that BBL requires some downtime, and you will have some restrictions during recovery time – just like after any other surgical procedure.

Brazilian Buttock Lift – Surgery Day

This type of gluteal augmentation is an outpatient procedure, which means that you can leave the facilities the same day you undergo surgery. The surgical intervention takes up to four hours, and then you will need to stay an hour or so more in the post-op room as you are closely monitored by the nursing staff. When you meet criteria in recovery, you will be discharged and taken home by a friend, family member, or companion.

Can I Get in Touch with Dr. Sayed After the Procedure?

Absolutely. You will be given a 24-hour phone number to reach Dr. Sayed in case of emergencies. We also invite our patients or caregivers to download a patient engagement app that allows you to send messages, photos, and videos so that we can ensure you are doing fine during recovery.

What to Expect During the Brazilian Butt Lift Recovery

Once you are back home, BBL recovery time starts. During the first few days, you will experience discomfort in the surgical areas, muscle cramping, bruising, swelling, and numbness in the skin. Some patients have also reported mild nausea. Dr. Sayed will prescribe medications to ease those symptoms, which will eventually resolve on their own. During this week, you may also have drains which will later be removed in the office. You will need to start walking immediately and frequently, and might have special boots put on your legs to enhance circulation in the early recovery. Hydration, protein intake, Vitamin C and other nutritional choices may accelerate your healing. Lymphatic massage treatments are often recommended to try to improve skin retraction, reduce swelling, mobilize fluids, and improve the overall shaping. We ask that you offload the buttocks from pressure in the first 10-14 days, which means using special “booty pillows” and standing frequently, and avoiding sitting for lengthy periods.

After about two weeks, you will be able to be in a seated position and resume your social life, work, and driving. A week after (3 weeks from surgery), you will gradually start exercising again. You will also be asked to wear a surgical garment for about 2-3 months to help reduce swelling.

Enhance Your Body Shape with BBL at Dr. Sayed MD Plastic Surgery

Please contact our offices in Newport Beach, CA, and La Jolla, CA, with any BBL questions and to schedule a consultation with Dr. Sayed. He will be happy to assess you and explain the procedure and post-op recovery in detail during your personalized consultation!

Finding the Right Time for a Mommy Makeover

Motherhood is an exciting and challenging time in any woman’s life. It’s a total lifestyle change, from your priorities and goals to your body’s appearance.

Many new mothers find the physical changes associated with pregnancy and breastfeeding are overwhelming, which is why mommy makeover numbers are on the rise in the U.S. – as this procedure can help restore your figure to a pre-motherhood shape.

But patients must get their mommy makeover at the right time. Several factors go into deciding this, which leading plastic surgeon Dr. Tim Sayed discusses here.

Mommy Makeover Timing

There are several critical considerations for patients wanting a mommy makeover. Identifying the best time for your mommy makeover depends on variables like these.

Future Family Plans

The results from a mommy makeover can be long lasting, but they don’t alter the laws of nature.

If you undergo a mommy makeover and later decide to have another child, new changes will occur to your body, potentialing impacting the prior results from your surgery. The best time to undergo a mommy makeover procedure is once you’re fairly certain you will not have any more children, and when your weight is at a stable plateau. If you are still targeting more weight loss from pregnancy, try to reach a goal weight that is stable for at least 6 months.

Immediate Responsibilities and Obligations

When thinking about your mommy makeover timing, you must also consider your current responsibilities and obligations, and be sure you will have adequate help with your own care as well as the care of small children and pets. You must also consider time off from work and other activities, which can range from 2 weeks to over 6 weeks depending on the combination of procedures you have done.

The first factor is breastfeeding. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends new mothers breastfeed exclusively for the infant’s first six months, then continue nursing mixed with supplementary foods for the next six to eight months.

We recommend waiting at least a year after giving birth before getting a mommy makeover, so you have time to nurse your new child, if you are intending to breastfeed.

Another consideration is the recovery period required for mommy makeover surgery. Full healing takes around two months and depends on the procedures you choose to include, but the first one to three weeks after the surgery require rest and activity modifications.

For example, if you opt to have a tummy tuck as part of your surgical plan, you may have to walk and stand with a bend in your waist for the first week or so as your body adapts to the tightened muscles. If you don’t adopt a semi-bent position, your incisions can come open.

Commitment to Maintaining Results

While an experienced plastic surgeon like Dr. Sayed can create dramatic changes with your customized mommy makeover surgical plan, you must be willing to maintain those results by committing to a fitness and nutritional regimen.

You can achieve the longest-lasting results by getting your surgery when you’re already at or near your target body weight.

Get Ready for Your Mommy Makeover in Newport Beach, CA

To recap, the ideal time to get a mommy makeover is:

After you’re no longer having children
At least one year after childbirth, once you’ve weaned your baby off your breastmilk
Once you’ve achieved or gotten close to your ideal weight

Having realistic expectations and partnering with a qualified plastic surgeon can ensure outstanding results from any plastic surgery procedure. The ideal mommy makeover timing is when you have enough time to take care of your body’s needs and after you are no longer planning to add to your family.

To learn more, reach out to Dr. Tim Sayed in Newport Beach or La Jolla, CA, at (858) 247-2933 or via our online form to arrange a quick virtual consultation.

What Kind of Scar Can You Expect After a Tummy Tuck?

Are you thinking of getting a tummy tuck but are worried about the scars? Unfortunately, scarring is a natural result of your body’s healing process, so if you get a surgical procedure, you will undoubtedly see the consequences on your skin.

At Tim Sayed, MD, Plastic Surgery, we understand that you might feel nervous about the scarring. That’s why we want to share all you need to know about this topic. Although scars are inevitable, the good news is that they eventually fade away, different treatments are available to smooth their appearance and texture, and a skilled plastic surgeon can minimize their appearance with optimal placement and incision techniques.

What Will the Tummy Tuck Scar Look Like?

Tummy tuck surgery will leave you with a gently curving horizontal scar along your lower belly, slightly above the pubic bone. Its extension depends on the specific technique used, but it usually spans from hip to hip or is somewhat shorter.

Your scar will start to fade away approximately six months after the procedure, acquiring a soft brown or pink shade. You can expect an average time of eight to twelve months for the wound to heal entirely. However, this time and the severity of the scar varies from patient to patient, as several factors influence this physiological process, including:

Your skin type
The surgical technique
Whether you follow your post-op instructions
Post-operative complications

Is There Anything I Can Do to Make My Tummy Tuck Scars Less Noticeable?

Although scarring is an inevitable consequence of this procedure, there are some aspects you can consider before and after a tummy tuck to improve its appearance dramatically:

Choose an expert plastic surgeon. Modern approaches are more conservative and tend to obtain better post-op results, so it is crucial to choose a surgeon who stays on top of the latest surgical trends.
Avoid cigarettes and alcohol in excess. This instruction is common to all surgical procedures. Cigarettes interfere in the healing process, and excessive drinking can dry out your skin – two factors that contribute to permanent scarring.
Keep your incisions clean and dressed. Taking care of your wounds is vital to prevent infection and post-op complications.
Avoid direct sun exposure to the scar tissue. Sun is one of your worst enemies when healing from surgical procedures. Intense sun exposure can discolor scar tissue and make it even more noticeable over time.
Follow aftercare instructions. Dr. Sayed will give you specific recommendations, like massaging the area with a cream or applying a prescribed topical gel in the wound, that are crucial to speeding up the healing process.
Consider localized treatments post-surgery. If you are still unhappy with how your scar looks after some time, you can always ask about treatment alternatives. Many non or minimally-invasive procedures can improve your scar’s appearance.

Still Have Some Doubts About Tummy Tuck Scarring?

If you have any questions about scarring or any other aspect of this treatment, you can visit Dr. Sayed in either of his two locations: Newport Beach & La Jolla, CA. Please call us at (858) 247-2933 or fill out the online form, and our front-office team will schedule a consultation at your earliest convenience!

How Long Until You Can Sit Again After A BBL?

We have no doubts that a Brazilian Butt Lift is a life-changing cosmetic procedure. In this surgery, your plastic surgeon removes fat tissue from areas that tend to be in excess (like love handles, lower abdomen, and hips) and injects it into your buttocks to obtain a curvy figure. Doesn’t it sound like a dream come true?

BBL involves two procedures that are carried out in the same session. First, you have the fat tissue removed with liposuction techniques. Then, you receive the autologous fat transfer through a number of injections. Although it may sound simple, it is still an invasive procedure that requires some downtime, and you will need to follow post-op instructions for a few weeks.

Of all the after-care instructions, the most specific one is being unable to sit down after the BBL. This indication should be considered carefully before going through the procedure, as you will need to plan in which positions you will spend your recovery time and how you deal with activities as simple as working or commuting.

Why Can’t I Sit After a Brazilian Butt Lift?

As incredible as it may sound, sitting too soon after a Brazilian Butt Lift can alter your new figure. The fat graft injected is delicate during the first few weeks, as the brand-new fat cells need to settle to receive blood supply from the vessels of the area. Too much pressure can affect this process and modify the final results by destroying the fat cells before they are

How Long Do I Need to Wait to Sit After BBL?

In most cases, you will be able to sit down after 2 to 3 weeks. Still, many surgeons agree that waiting at least 4 weeks is better to ensure optimal results.

What Can I Do in the Meantime?

If you need to sit down for any reason, you can do it for 10 or 15 minutes, but ideally, you will try to either lie on your belly or remain standing until the graft is completely healed. However, we understand that this might represent an inconvenience, so we propose three alternative sitting positions that you might find helpful:

Use a pillow: you can keep pressure off your buttocks by placing a pillow on the chair or seat. Cylindrical pillows are the best alternative when you need to sit down for specific activities like driving.
Sit on your thighs: you can also try sitting on your thighs while leaving your butt suspended in the air. You can try using a bench or simply placing a cushion under your thighs.
Sit backward: the third alternative is to sit in a backward chair position. You only need a chair with no armchairs for this technique – just sit down, face the chair’s back, and place your legs on either side. In the final position, your butt will also stay off the chair, and the pressure will once again be on your thighs.

Brazilian Butt Lift in Newport Beach & La Jolla, Ca

Do you want to learn more about one of the most desired cosmetic surgeries? Please get in touch with our front desk team at Tim Sayed MD Plastic Surgeon. They will schedule a consultation with our board-certified surgeon at your earliest convenience!

Can Exercising After Mommy Makeover Affect Your Results?

Pregnancy, giving birth, nursing, and then raising a child is one of, if not the most, significant events in anybody’s life.

It’s an emotional, fascinating, scary, adventurous experience, and it takes its toll on the mind and body.

Many new mothers are understandably concerned about childbearing’s effects on their bodies. Mothers experience weight gain, stretched abdominal skin and muscle walls, less firm and shapely breasts, and aesthetic changes to the vagina and other body parts.

Fortunately, modern plastic surgery offers a solution to these concerns with a mommy makeover.

Here, Dr. Tim Sayed discusses the mommy makeover and how exercise can affect the results.

What Is a Mommy Makeover?

A mommy makeover is a series of several procedures to help mothers restore their pre-pregnancy physiques. These may be done at the same time or in stages depending on the patient and other factors.

Childbearing has a significant impact on a mother’s physique, much of which is impossible to reverse, regardless of how much exercise or healthy eating one does.

By and large, the procedures most mothers choose in a mommy makeover include:

The exact combination of procedures depends exclusively on the patient, with some selecting one or two procedures and others going for all of them.

How Does Exercise Affect Mommy Makeover Results?

The essential thing to remember when undergoing any procedure involved in a mommy makeover is that these are surgical procedures. While the procedures provide highly desirable and satisfactory results, they are invasive procedures, and the body needs plenty of time to recover.

Exercise undertaken too soon after any mommy makeover procedure will have a negative impact on the healing process and on the results from the procedure. This may include wound separation, bleeding, infection, delayed return of function, and other issues.

If the patient thoroughly follows Dr. Sayed’s instructions, rests sufficiently during recovery, and only starts exercising once the body is ready, exercise will significantly enhance the results of a mommy makeover by firming muscle tone and keeping weight well maintained.

Exercising helps burns calories, keeping fatty tissue to a minimum. It also creates muscle definition and contour, which are highly desirable aesthetic characteristics that enhance the outcome of the mommy makeover procedure. Exercise is also good for the mind, keeping mothers motivated and positive.

Mommy Makeover in Newport Beach, CA

In summary, exercise can dramatically enhance the results of a mommy makeover, but only once the patient is fully recovered from their mommy makeover procedures.

Because of this, it’s essential to consult with industry-leading expert surgeons, such as Dr. Tim Sayed, to get the best after-treatment care and advice and the best standards of procedure.

Reach out to Dr. Sayed in Newport Beach or La Jolla, CA, on (858) 247-2933 or via this online form to arrange a quick virtual consultation to discover how we can help you look and feel your best.

Pairing Surgical Body Contouring Procedures: Which Go Together?

When diet and exercise aren’t enough, many men and women turn to body contouring to finally achieve their dream figure. For some though, procedures like liposuction may only address part of the problem behind a bumpy figure. In these instances, combining body contouring with more comprehensive plastic surgery is a great way of addressing all trouble spots at once.

Tummy Tuck

Body contouring is more than simply removing unwanted fat cells. While liposuction can remove stubborn, unwanted pockets of fat, the procedure does nothing to tighten the left behind sagging skin. To help address the issue of excess skin, abdominoplasty is a popular surgical add-on for many liposuction candidates. During the tummy tuck procedure, excess sagging skin is removed while loose muscle tissue is tightened. The procedure helps complement the results of the initial body contouring procedure while also creating a trimmer looking figure.

Arm Lift

One of the reasons why body contouring treatments are so popular is that they can be combined and applied to different parts of the body that are often difficult to target with exercise or non-surgical skin tightening. For instance, liposuction and brachioplasty (arm lift) are excellent companion treatments that can be used in tandem to tackle sagging skin and stubborn fat pockets that accompany weight loss.

Breast Augmentation

While it may sound counter-intuitive, breast augmentation and liposuction go hand in hand. Breast augmentation is a great way to enhance a woman’s natural curves, helping them achieve the highly sought-after hourglass shape. To help create and accentuate newly created curves, liposuction can be used to subtly contour the waist and hips, helping women achieve their desired look.

Brazilian Butt Lift

Breast augmentation accounts for the upper half of an hourglass figure. To create curves below the waist, liposuction can be used to both remove unwanted fat and add volume to other areas. Known as a Brazilian butt lift, this procedure uses liposuction to remove stubborn fat pockets that can develop around the arms, thighs, and abdomen then re-inject it into the buttocks. The result is a firmer, larger rear created your body’s own fat tissue – thereby minimize the risk of rejection that can occur with implants or other approaches to buttock augmentation.

Mommy Makeover

Having kids can be life-changing in many positive ways. For mothers, the rare minute alone is often spent on other pressing matters rather than personal care or exercise. To help busy moms regain their pre-baby bodies, mommy makeovers can be used to tighten and restore a woman’s figure. Depending on the problem areas, this multi-procedure treatment often combines multiple forms of body contouring treatments including liposuction, tummy tuck, and breast implant.

Get Started with Dr. Sayed

Everyone has unique goals for their figure. By building trusting and collaborative relationships with each individual, we’re able to help patients understand all available options and choose procedures that will help them reach their aesthetic goals. If you’re considering body contouring as a means of finally achieving your dream figure, call (858) 247-2933 and schedule your first consultation with our experienced plastic surgeon today!

Body Contouring After Extreme Weight Loss

Weight loss is a journey, not an event, especially when there’s a lot of weight to lose. Surgical weight loss procedures like gastric bypass, intragastric balloons, and gastric sleeve restriction are helping thousands to conquer lifelong weight problems and achieve a healthier body, but many of these patients are disappointed by their results. Not by the weight loss, as these procedures are very effective for helping patients to drop pounds, but by the excess skin that remains after the extra weight is gone.

Finish your weight loss journey with post-bariatric surgery in Southern California with Dr. Tim Sayed.

Excess Skin and Weight Loss- What to Expect

Skin is highly elastic, expanding as the body grows or gains weight and contracting when weight is lost. There are limits to skin contraction. Genetics, total weight loss, skin quality, age, the amount of time that a patient was overweight, and other factors determine the extent of skin contraction after weight loss. Patients that undergo bariatric surgery often lose a significant amount of weight, so much that the skin is unable to contract sufficiently. This leaves loose, sagging skin on areas like the abdomen, waist, back, arms, and legs.

This excess skin is heavy, often keeping patients from achieving their final weight loss goals. Bacteria can easily grow under the flaps of skin, creating odor, rashes, and infection. Excess skin also makes exercise difficult and uncomfortable. Many patients struggle to find clothing that fits well with their new body shape. Our patients report feeling disappointed and embarrassed by their post-weight loss appearance.

Diet and exercise will help maintain weight loss and build muscle, but they won’t significantly shrink skin. Post-bariatric surgery is one of the most effective options for body contouring after extreme weight loss. Body contouring helps patients to finish their weight loss journey, rediscover confidence, increase hygiene, and maintain their results after bariatric surgery.

Body Contouring After Weight Loss- What Are My Options?

A lower body lift is one of our most popular options for body contouring after extreme weight loss. Schedule your consultation with Dr. Sayed and learn more about the body lift and your options for post-bariatric surgery body contouring.

What is a lower body lift? We like to think of it as an extension of a conventional tummy tuck, one that addresses the entire mid-section including the front, back, and sides. Since the lower body lift provides 360 degree results, we occasionally call it a “360” lift. This procedure isn’t one-size-fits-all; we customize surgical options for each patient to carefully address their problem areas.
A lower body lift may include:

– Removing excess skin from the abdomen, thighs, waist, and other areas
– Tightening muscle and rebuilding structure in the abdominal core
– Lifting the pubic triangle
– Lifting and reshaping the buttocks
– Belly button enhancement

A lower body lift may be combined with liposuction to address stubborn areas of fat that remain after weight loss. This isn’t a weight loss treatment, but many patients lose significant weight due to the fat, skin, and tissue removal required for the procedure.

Body Contouring After Weight Loss in Southern California

We’ve built our practice on the simple belief that everyone is a VIP. As a VIP, we believe that you deserve the very best medical and aesthetic care available. From body contouring to breast augmentation to facelift surgery, we strive to ensure that each patient has a positive experience when they visit one of our beautiful Southern California offices. If you’ve considered body contouring after weight loss, come explore your options with Dr. Sayed.

The first step is a consultation, a one-on-one exploration of your options. Visit one of our offices in San Diego or Newport Beach for your personalized consultation. We provide information, but never hard sell or pressure patients into treatment. After exploring your options, we’ll create a customized body contouring plan that corrects your areas of concern.

Dr. Sayed has performed many body lift procedures, on patients from around the world. He prioritizes safety, aesthetic results, and compassionate care. Call us to schedule your consultation with Dr. Tim Sayed, double board-certified plastic surgeon.