Liposuction is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures in the world. It can be used to treat a wide variety of problems, including the appearance of gynecomastia in overweight men and excess abdominal and arm fat in women who were pregnant. It’s offered at the office of Dr. Bruce Kadz in Beverly Hills, CA, and we get a lot of questions about the results of this procedure. Here’s what you need to know about losing weight with lipo. How Much Weight Can You Lose From Liposuction?  You can generally expect to lose up to 10 pounds from liposuction. However, the amount of fat that can be removed safely during this procedure depends on your body mass index. If you’re already at your goal weight, we may only be able to remove one to five pounds (roughly an inch) of fat from you. On the other hand, if you are far from your ideal weight, we may be able to remove up to 11 pounds of fat from your body. Note, if you have already lost a significant amount of weight, there is a chance that you have excess skin. If you have a significant amount of excess skin, you may qualify for a body lift. For example, you may be a good candidate for upper arm lipo and an arm lift. If you qualify for a lift, we can remove excess skin, meaning you can lose even more weight safely. How Much Weight Can I Lose After Lipo?  Once your procedure is complete, you are free to lose as much weight as you want to. However, there is a limit to how quickly you should lose weight post-op. It is not advisable to lose over two pounds per week. You should also keep in mind that you should make an effort to lose no more than 1% of your body mass weekly. Therefore, if you weigh only 130 pounds, you should lose no more than roughly 1.3 pounds per week post-op. There is a good reason it is a good rule of thumb to lose no more than 1% of your body mass weekly. The faster you lose weight, the more likely you are to have loose skin when you reach your ideal weight. Note that there are other factors that affect your risk of developing loose skin if you lose weight rapidly. Among these factors are the quality of your diet, how well you care for your skin health, and your age. Can I Work Out After My Lipo Session Is Complete?  Yes, it is possible to work out after your lipo session is complete. In fact, regular moderate exercise is strongly recommended during the early stages of your recovery. You shouldn’t expect to feel up to working out during the first 24 hours post-op due to the way sedation or general anesthesia affects your body. If you are administered general anesthesia, there is a good chance that you will feel unusually tired for three days after your procedure. Once you’re feeling up to it, you should get moderate exercise as often as you can. It is crucial that you do not overexert yourself, so you can’t do vigorous exercise. You also shouldn’t exercise for too long. Ideally, you should aim for 10- to 30-minute long moderate cardio sessions. If you still have quite a bit of weight to lose, it is okay to get up to 60 minutes of moderate exercise daily five days per week. Just make sure you’re getting plenty of rest, too. Can I Do Resistance Training?  During the first several weeks following your fat removal procedure, you should avoid resistance training as a way to burn calories. Even if you only lift weights at a moderate intensity, you can lengthen your recovery process. We will advise you on the weight lifting restrictions you will have during your initial consultation, and you may be able to start lifting sooner if you recover quickly. As a general rule, you should refrain from lifting anything weighing 10 pounds or more during the first couple of weeks post-op. It will be approximately six to eight weeks before you can safely resume lifting heavy weights and engaging in other vigorous physical activity. What Should I Eat During My Recovery Period?  Most of your diet during your recovery period should comprise high-quality protein and soluble fiber. It is particularly important to make sure you’re eating enough soluble fiber during your recovery period because you do not want to have uncomfortable constipation symptoms while you’re recovering from surgery. It is very important to eat plenty of protein during your recovery period because protein is made up of amino acids. Everyone needs to consume an adequate amount of nine essential amino acids to stay relatively healthy. If an insufficient amount of essential amino acids is consumed, your body’s ability to build things made up of protein, like muscle tissue and collagen, is impaired. To recover from your procedure as quickly as possible, it is essential that you get enough amino acids to build plenty of collagen. Collagen plays a crucial role in helping the skin heal itself. What Foods Should I Incorporate Into My Post-Op Diet?  Dark green vegetables are great to incorporate into your post-op diet because they are high in protein, soluble fiber, and vitamin C. Both protein and vitamin C are key ingredients in collagen. If possible, eat dark green veggies with every meal. For example, you may have a kale smoothie and scrambled eggs with spinach for breakfast. For lunch, you may have a broccoli salad, and you may have Brussels sprouts with dinner. Am I a Good Candidate for This Procedure?  The only way to determine whether you are a good fit for this procedure is to attend an initial evaluation. This procedure is extremely effective in some cases, but it is not effective in every case. To ensure that you will achieve your desired results with lipo, we need to evaluate your areas of concern and verify that there is the right amount of fat in your areas of concern. If you’re considering lipo, it is important to understand that this fat removal technique is not the most effective when there is little fat in an area of concern. You also must understand that this procedure may not be able to provide you with your desired results if there is a very large amount of excess fat in an area of concern. How Does My Health Affect My Candidacy for Lipo?  It is of the utmost importance that you are healthy to qualify for lipo. Most people who undergo this procedure are given general anesthesia due to its ability to put you to sleep, ensuring you’re calm, and numb your entire body, ensuring that you feel no pain or discomfort. To be a good candidate for general anesthesia, your heart and lungs must be healthy. Also, it is important that you can regulate your blood sugar effectively. Effective blood sugar regulation is important because you will need to fast for eight hours prior to the administration of the general anesthesia. Fasting is a critical preparation step because if your stomach is not empty when you are intubated, how your body reacts to the medication can be affected. Therefore, to qualify for general anesthesia, you cannot have uncontrolled diabetes. Other health factors that affect your candidacy include: Your pregnancy status A history of cancer Liver failure Renal failure   Find Out Today Whether Lipo Is Right for You The amount of fat you can lose from lipo depends on your body mass. We can’t tell you how much weight you can expect to lose without evaluating your cosmetic goals, subcutaneous fat distribution, and body mass. What we can tell you is that you shouldn’t expect to lose more than 10 pounds from this procedure unless you have a lot of weight to lose before you reach your goal weight. We can also tell you that you can lose even more weight if you opt for a body lift if you have excess skin following your weight loss. If you think lipo could improve your self-confidence, we’re here for you. Contact us today at the office of Dr. Bruce Kadz in Beverly Hills, CA to schedule your initial liposuction consultation. We can’t wait to create a customized treatment plan that will help you solve all of your body contouring problems.

Have you tried every diet under the sun to budge stubborn pockets of excess fat? Have you been exercising diligently for years without sculpting your ideal contours? If so, you may be an excellent candidate for liposuction, a body contouring procedure offered at the office of Dr. Bruce Kadz in Beverly Hills, CA. However, people have a lot of questions about this cosmetic procedure. In this comprehensive guide, we answer them. How Long Is Recovery After Liposuction?  The liposuction recovery process can take a couple of months, but you shouldn’t need to take more than a few weeks off from work to dedicate to your recovery. As a general rule, you can expect to take a week off from work if you have a sedentary job. You can expect to take two weeks off from work if you have a physically demanding job. However, if you can work from home, you shouldn’t need to schedule more than three days off to recover. Note, even though you won’t need to take a lot of time off from work to dedicate to your recovery, it is of the utmost importance that you make rest, hydration, and nutrition your top priorities for the first couple of weeks post-op. The reason why you shouldn’t have to take more than a few days off from work if you can work remotely is that it is very important that you nap whenever you feel particularly tired during the first week or two of your recovery. What Restrictions Will I Need To Adhere to During My Recovery?  Don’t Smoke For the smoothest possible recovery, it is crucial that you do not smoke or consume any other product containing nicotine. Nicotine elevates your blood pressure, making it harder for your heart to circulate crucial, healing nutrients throughout your body. In other words, if you smoke or consume other forms of nicotine during your recovery, your body will take longer to heal than it should. Excessive caffeine consumption also elevates your blood pressure. Don’t Drink Alcohol Drinking alcohol, like consuming nicotine, elevates your blood pressure. However, alcohol can be seen as worse than smoking for your recovery, because it doesn’t just make it harder for your heart to circulate blood. It also dehydrates you and causes your body to flush out essential nutrients. Additionally, alcohol impedes your ability to get deep sleep. Unfortunately, plenty of deep sleep, adequate hydration, and optimal nutrition are all required post-op. Don’t Forget To Eat Your Vegetables Remember, it is very important to not smoke because nicotine consumption makes it harder for your skin to get the nutrients it needs. If you fail to eat nutritiously, however, it doesn’t matter much whether you consume nicotine or not. Just like you can’t draw blood from a stone, your skin can’t create the collagen it needs to heal itself if you are not eating nutritiously. Make a point to consume at least 14 ounces of fruits and veggies per day, focusing on vegetables that are high in protein, vitamin C and water. Such foods are ideal because your skin needs protein, vitamin C, and water to create the collagen it needs to heal itself. Examples of great vegetables to incorporate into your post-op meal plan include: Kale Broccoli Spinach Brussels sprouts   Don’t Skip Your Naps It is also very important that you don’t fight to stay awake when you feel tired. If you feel tired, your body is trying to tell you that it needs rest, and you should heed its plea for the sake of your recovery. Whenever you feel particularly tired, take a nap. Ideally, your brain should wake you up once your body has had enough rest. However, this isn’t always the case, especially if you have pets or small children in the house. In addition to napping whenever you need to nap, it is highly advisable to aim for nine consecutive hours of sleep nightly. Most of the time, adults can get only 7.5 hours of sleep nightly and be healthy. However, most of your body’s healing occurs during the final stage of the sleep cycle, so you want to spend as much time as possible in this stage. Typically, sleep cycles last around 90 minutes, so you should get six or seven full cycles if you nap, too. Don’t Forget To Hydrate Allowing yourself to become dehydrated during your recovery period will slow your skin’s collagen production process to a crawl. Depending on the scope of your lipo, your health, and your personal preferences, you may receive general anesthesia or local anesthesia. If you receive general anesthesia or intravenous sedation, it is highly advisable to have someone stay with you during the first 24 to 72 hours of your recovery period. During this time, you may feel so tired that you don’t feel like going to the kitchen to make yourself a glass of water. However, it is crucial that you drink water regularly throughout the whole recovery process. If you have someone stay home with you during the first few days of your recovery, you can have them bring you cold water every hour. Some people hydrate better when water is cold because they find it more palatable. More Tips for Staying Hydrated Colder water may be more palatable to you, but it can still get boring. You should aim to drink around three quarts of water per day. If you find yourself getting bored of plain water, try to tantalize your taste buds with fruit-infused water. Just have your partner fill a pitcher of water roughly three-quarters of the way to the top. Then, have them fill the rest of the pitcher with your favorite fruit, like mango chunks, orange slices, and strawberries or blueberries. You also may find it easier to stay hydrated if you snack on fruits throughout the day when you’re feeling peckish. Most fruits, like many vegetables, are rich in water. You can also meet your hydration goals by eating a bowl of broth-based soup every day. The great thing about soup is that you can vary the ingredients to prevent boredom. For instance, you can eat a chicken broth-based soup one day and a beef broth-based soup the next day. Don’t Exercise Too Much Avoiding vigorous exercise is also very important during your recovery period. Depending on the scope of your procedure and how well you care for yourself overall during your recovery period, you may need to avoid intense physical activity for six to eight weeks. Adhering to this restriction can be tricky, especially if you have a physically demanding job. If you can’t take two months off from a physically intense job, speak to your supervisor about modifying your duties temporarily. Alternatively, let them know that you will need to decrease your rate of production temporarily, but you can still get some of your work done. You may want to wear a smartwatch that monitors your pulse while you’re working to ensure you’re not exerting too much effort. Don’t Be Too Sedentary Moderation is an important part of life, but it is a particularly important part of lipo recovery. While it is important that you do not exercise intensely to the point of high blood pressure, profuse sweating, and an extremely elevated pulse, it is also important that you don’t spend your entire recovery sitting or lying down. Don’t feel any pressure to get a lot of exercise during the first 24 hours of your recovery period. However, the day after your liposuction, do your best to perform gentle exercises, like walking laps around the inside of your house. It may take a couple of weeks for you to feel like you have your old energy levels again. It’s okay to break your exercise up into 10-minute sessions if that is all you can manage before you start to feel too tired. It is highly advisable to get up for at least a couple of minutes every hour when you are not sleeping. Schedule Your Initial Consultation Today All told, lipo recovery takes several months. However, you should feel like your old self in just a couple of weeks, and if your supervisor is flexible, you will only have to take a few days off from work. Are you interested in learning more? If so, contact us today at the office of Dr. Bruce Kadz in Beverly Hills, CA to schedule your initial liposuction consultation and learn more.

Have you seen a change in your breasts over time? Various factors can alter the way your breast tissue sits on your chest. Things like age, pregnancy, and significant weight loss can lead to a change in breast volume and skin elasticity, causing the breasts to sag and drop downwards.  When this happens, many women want to restore their breasts to a higher, more youthful position. A breast lift procedure can reposition your breasts and lift them into a higher position on the chest. Kadz Plastic Surgery in Beverly Hills offers breast lift surgery to help patients achieve the desirable figure they truly want. To learn more about breast lifts, continue reading this comprehensive guide to the procedure. What Is a Breast Lift? A breast lift is a plastic surgical procedure that aims to lift the breasts to a higher position on the chest. By altering the skin and breast tissue, the breasts can effectively be moved upwards to restore a more youthful, shapely figure. What Causes Breasts to Sag or Drop? Most of our patients seek breast lift surgery because they feel their breasts sit too low on their chests. Many women’s breasts naturally sit high when they are young and begin to drop downwards over time.  This drooping is usually due to several natural changes that occur with age. The skin experiences a decline in collagen and elastin production, which causes it to lose elasticity and firmness. This leads to sagging. There is also a natural loss in volume that occurs with age. This can cause the breasts to lose fullness and hang lower. When it comes to sagging breasts, other factors can cause younger patients to see this change in their appearance. The volume fluctuations that occur with pregnancy and breastfeeding can cause the breasts to droop downwards, even at a younger age.  Significant weight loss is another cause of sagging breasts. When the breasts lose a large amount of volume, they will appear empty and hang lower than before. How Is a Breast Lift Performed? Before having a breast lift procedure, it’s important to know all that the process involves. Below is a breakdown of what to expect before, during, and after breast lift surgery. Preparation Before you’re ready to schedule a breast lift procedure, you must book a consultation with us. We will assess your breast tissue to evaluate whether a breast lift is the best course of treatment. Some of the other treatments we offer may be more suitable to enhance your figure. If you are found to be a good candidate for breast lift surgery, you will be able to schedule your procedure and move forward with preparation.  Before your surgical date, you will need to receive complete medical clearance from your general physician. This may involve diagnostic testing, blood panels, and more. Medical clearance ensures that you are healthy enough to have a breast lift performed, as this procedure is done under general anesthesia. The night before your surgery, you will be asked to abstain from eating or drinking. This is a safety precaution for anesthesia. We will discuss any further details of precautions or preparation during your consultation. Procedure Your breast lift will be performed under general anesthesia for optimal comfort. Once you are placed under, Dr. Kadz will begin by making incisions on the breast in order to remove excess skin. There are a variety of incisions that can be used to remove skin and lift the tissue. Breast lift techniques can be any one of the following types: Crescent With a crescent incision, a small amount of skin is removed just above the areola in a half-moon shape. Donut Skin is removed from around the areola in a circular shape for a donut incision. Lollipop The lollipop incision is named for its shape: Skin is removed from around the areola and then in a vertical line down to the bottom of the breast. Inverted T For an inverted T incision, skin is removed from around the areola, then in a vertical line down to the bottom of the breast. An additional line is made horizontally across this downward line. The incision and technique used during your breast lift surgery will be discussed during your initial consult. This technique is determined based on the shape of your breasts and the amount of skin that must be removed or repositioned. Once the skin has been removed and the breast tissue has been lifted, the incisions are closed using small sutures. A breast lift procedure will usually take about three to four hours to complete. Recovery After your breast lift is complete, you may need to remain in a plastic surgery aftercare center for monitoring. Many patients are able to return home the same day as their procedure, but others may need to remain overnight.  Once you return home, we may ask you to wear a compression garment around your chest. This promotes optimal healing during the initial weeks of your recovery.  You can expect to see the final results of your procedure about three months after your surgery. This gives the skin and tissues enough time to settle into their new position. Breast Lifts at Kadz Plastic Surgery Are you ready to improve the appearance of your bustline? If aging, weight loss, or pregnancy have caused your breasts to sag and drop downwards, a breast lift could be the best solution.  Kadz Plastic Surgery in Beverly Hills, CA, offers breast lift procedures to help patients restore their breasts to a higher position on the chest. Contact us online or by phone to schedule a consultation.

Did you see significant changes in your figure after pregnancy and childbirth? While pregnancy and childbirth are among some of the most beautiful experiences you can have, they often leave a lasting impact on your body.  Many women notice a change in their breast volume, excess skin left around the midsection, and even a change in their pubic region after giving birth. If you want to enhance the way your body looks after having children, you may benefit from a mommy makeover procedure. Mommy makeovers tackle the aesthetic issues you have after pregnancy, helping restore your pre-baby body.  Kadz Plastic Surgery provides mommy makeover surgery to help women feel like the best version of themselves. Read on to learn more about mommy makeover procedures and what they include. What Is a Mommy Makeover? A mommy makeover is a plastic surgical procedure that aims to address common cosmetic concerns that appear after pregnancy and childbirth. These include excess weight, loose skin, and a change in breast tissue.  Mommy makeover procedures are customized to each patient’s unique needs, including only the surgical treatments that will address their specific concerns. What’s Included in the Mommy Makeover Procedure? The mommy makeover surgery is tailored to exactly what each patient needs. Your mommy makeover can include any combination of the following: breast lift, breast augmentation, tummy tuck, monsplasty, and more. Learn more about the most common elements of mommy makeover surgery below. Breast Lift Pregnancy and breastfeeding can lead to significant changes in breast tissue. During pregnancy, the breasts will increase in volume, and after childbirth, they will gradually lose volume until you are finished breastfeeding. These fluctuations cause changes in the skin and breast tissue that can lead the breasts to drop downwards and sag. Breast lifts are often included in mommy makeovers to reposition the breasts to a higher position on the chest. The skin and tissue can be altered in order to lift the breasts upwards and restore their pre-pregnancy position. Breast Augmentation During pregnancy and childbirth, the extreme changes in breast volume can lead to permanent changes in the way your breasts look.  After you are finished breastfeeding, you may experience a large decrease in the volume of your breasts, causing them to appear very different. The shape of the breasts may go from round and full to flattened and empty. Breast augmentation may be included in your mommy makeover procedure to add volume to the breasts. With the use of silicone, saline, or gummy bear implants, augmentation can restore fullness and give the breasts a rounder shape. Tummy Tuck The weight fluctuations that occur during pregnancy may lead to major changes in your midsection.  While diet and exercise can help you lose weight after giving birth, you may find yourself left with stretched abdominal muscles and loose skin on your stomach. No amount of exercise or dieting can address these issues, which is why tummy tucks are commonly included in a mommy makeover. Also known as an abdominoplasty, a tummy tuck removes excess loose skin from the midsection and tightens underlying abdominal muscles. A tummy tuck will help create a flatter, more toned appearance in the abdomen that can be impossible to achieve on your own after pregnancy. Monsplasty During pregnancy, many women see a change in the volume of their mons pubis. This is the upper region of the vulva where there is the most pubic hair growth. Pregnancy can cause this area to become very full and bulge outwards more than it did before. This bulging can occur due to a combination of unwanted fat and excess loose skin. While weight loss may cause a decrease in this fullness, some women are still left with a prominent bulge in this area. Many patients choose to have a monsplasty included in their mommy makeover to address pubic bulging. A monsplasty procedure removes excess skin and any unwanted fat from the area, creating a flatter, more contoured appearance. Who Is Mommy Makeover Surgery Intended for? The ideal candidate for a mommy makeover procedure is any woman who wants to resolve the changes that pregnancy and childbirth have made to their body. This includes patients with the following concerns: Loose skin around the abdomen Sagging or hanging breasts Loss of fullness in the breasts Change in breast shape or size Bulging or excess skin in the pubic area Stretched or damaged abdominal muscles Excess weight around the midsection The best way to know if a mommy makeover is the right treatment for you is by having a consultation with us. We can assess your figure and evaluate your various aesthetic concerns.  This thorough consultation will help us determine whether a mommy makeover is the best fit for you. If it is, we will decide which procedures to include in your mommy makeover. If this procedure isn’t a good choice, we’ll discuss other options and treatments. Mommy Makeovers at Kadz Plastic Surgery Are you not satisfied with the way that your body looks after pregnancy and childbirth? Have you seen a change in your breast tissue, abdomen, or pubic region? Perhaps you’re considering a cosmetic surgery procedure to reshape your figure, such as a tummy tuck or breast lift. A mommy makeover can address all of these changes in one session and help you restore your pre-baby figure.  Kadz Plastic Surgery in Beverly Hills, CA, offers mommy makeover surgery to tackle pregnancy-related cosmetic concerns. To learn more about our mommy makeover procedure, please contact us online or by phone today.

Do you feel self-conscious about loose skin hanging from your abdomen? Have you lost a great deal of weight but still feel unhappy because you now have excess abdominal skin? Do you wish you could lose a bit of belly fat? If so, you may be considered a good candidate for a tummy tuck, also known as abdominoplasty. Today, our aesthetic experts at the office of Dr. Bruce Kadz in Beverly Hills, CA are looking at how many sizes you can lose post-op. How Many Sizes Do You Lose With a Tummy Tuck? You can generally expect to lose between two and three pants sizes following abdominoplasty. However, if you have a great deal of excess skin and you combine this procedure with liposuction, you may be able to lose four or more pants sizes. We can give you a better idea of how many pants sizes you can expect to lose during your initial consultation. Everyone has a different amount of excess abdominal skin and fat, so individual results vary. How Much Weight Can You Lose With Abdominoplasty? Typically, people lose around five pounds if they get a complete abdominoplasty. If they opt for a partial abdominoplasty, they can expect to lose no more than three pounds. If liposuction is added to a tuck, it is possible to lose closer to 15 pounds. This is because up to 11 pounds of excess fat can be removed safely during most liposuction procedures. The exact amount of fat that can be removed safely depends on one’s starting weight. What Are the Different Types of Tummy Tuck?  A complete abdominoplasty, sometimes referred to as a full tuck, is a body contouring procedure that involves improving the appearance of the upper and lower abdomen. This is accomplished by removing excess skin and tightening loose skin below and above the navel. A small amount of excess fat may also be excised during this procedure. An extended tuck is similar, but it also improves the contours of the back and hips. A partial abdominoplasty, sometimes referred to as a mini tuck, is a body contouring procedure that involves improving the appearance of only the lower abdomen. This procedure may be ideal for you if you do not have concerns about your abdominal walls; the abdominal muscles themselves are only tightened during a full or extended tuck. A bit of excess fat can be excised, but it is not a fat removal procedure. How Long Will My Procedure Take?  It usually takes around 2.5 hours to perform a full tuck, not including the preparation time or the observation period required after the procedure. All told, if you want to improve the appearance of your upper and lower abdomen, you need to be in our office for roughly 3.5 hours. If you also need quite a bit of excess fat removed, your total appointment time may be closer to 4.5 hours. We can give you a better idea of how long your procedure will take when you come in for your initial consultation and discuss all of your aesthetic goals. Sometimes, people find that they need other procedures, like an arm lift or liposuction to remove excess chest fat, to achieve their desired aesthetic. How Long Will My Recovery Take? You can expect most of your recovery to be complete within a week or two of your procedure. This is about how long you will need to take off from work, regardless of whether you get a full tuck, an extended tuck, or a tummy tuck combined with liposuction. How long you have to take off from work depends on how physically demanding your job is and whether your duties can be modified temporarily. However, you should keep in mind that restrictions will be replaced on your usual activities for six to eight weeks. Specifically, you need to be prepared to take a couple of months off from lifting heavy weights or engaging in any other strenuous physical activity. The more you focus on your rest in the early stages of your recovery, the sooner you will be able to get back to doing what you love safely. How Much Should I Drink During My Recovery Period? A good goal to aim for is to drink at least 64 ounces of water and tea daily during your recovery period. However, you should adjust your fluid intake up or down depending on the color of your urine. It should be pale. If it is dark, try drinking more hydrating fluids or snack on a water-dense fruit or vegetable. If it is clear, you are overhydrating and should take a break from drinking for a while. Should I Exercise After My Procedure? The day after your procedure, you should start making a point to go for gentle walks. However, you should keep in mind while going on your gentle walks that your pulse should not be too elevated, and it is very important to rest whenever your body tells you that it needs rest. It may take a few days before you’re walking like you were before your procedure. Just be patient with yourself, and take as many breaks as you need to. How Much Sleep Should I Try To Get?  You should try to get nine hours of consecutive sleep each night during your recovery. Usually, adults need around 7.5 hours of sleep per night, but you need a lot more rest during your recovery period because your skin needs to heal itself after the incisions are made. Most of this healing takes place during the rapid eye movement stage of the sleep cycle. Unfortunately, this is the final stage, and you have to complete all of the earlier stages to get there. If you wake up in the middle of the night, regardless of which stage you were in when you woke up, you have to start over at the first stage of the sleep cycle. If you find that you can’t sleep nine hours in a row, try to get 7.5 hours of consecutive sleep and take a 90-minute nap during the day. What Should I Eat After My Procedure? It isn’t just important that you eat fruits and veggies to stay hydrated during your recovery period. It is also important that you eat plenty of protein so your skin can produce enough collagen. Collagen is a protein that is responsible for many functions, including skin tightening and skin healing. Try to get between 50 and 60 grams of protein in your diet every day, and make sure you’re getting your recommended daily allowance of vitamin C. Protein consumption is crucial because protein is made up of amino acids. Your body can break down protein into usable components (amino acids) and use that material to build the type of protein it needs (collagen). However, you should keep in mind that your body also needs vitamin C to produce collagen. Also, you should make sure you are getting plenty of soluble fiber in your diet. Certain analgesics may affect bowel movements in some people. Am I a Good Candidate for a Tummy Tuck? If you are in fairly good health, there is a good chance that you will qualify for abdominoplasty. However, you must attend an initial evaluation to find out for sure whether this procedure is appropriate for you. If you suffer from certain medical conditions, including heart problems, lung problems, and bleeding disorders, you will not be considered a good candidate for abdominoplasty. The best candidate for this procedure is an individual who is concerned about the appearance of their abdominal region and does not plan to become pregnant in the future. Often, this procedure is used to repair and tighten the abdominal walls after they have been damaged durign pregnancy or childbirth. A follow-up procedure may be necessary in the future if you become pregnant after getting a tuck. Schedule Your Initial Consultation Today Most people lose two to three pants sizes following a tummy tuck, but it is possible to lose four or more pants sizes. The number of sizes you can expect to lose following your procedure depends on many factors, including the amount of excess skin you have, the amount of excess fat you have, and whether you combine your abdominoplasty with liposuction. Drop us a line at the office of Dr. Bruce Kadz in Beverly Hills, CA to schedule an appointment and learn more. 

Childbirth and breastfeeding can put a tremendous strain on a woman’s body. Many women find that after even one child, their body does not look the way it used to, and no amount of diet or exercise seems to help. At Kadz Plastic Surgery in Beverly Hills, CA, Dr. Bruce Kadz performs the renowned Mommy Makeover, which can be a life-changing experience for women who are no longer happy with how their body looks after having children. Women of all ages who ideally do not plan on having more children can take advantage of this amazing combination of procedures. Choosing when the time is right to schedule a surgical makeover is a very personal decision, but we do have some advice below. The Right Time To Get a Mommy Makeover Many women ask if there is an ideal age at which to have a Mommy Makeover. While our typical makeover patient tends to be in her 30’s or 40’s, there is not a specific age that we recommend for having this combination of procedures done. Some women wish to have surgery a year or two after they have given birth, while others wait until ten or more years later when their children are older. While there is no rule about when to have the makeover performed, it does make sense to wait until you are finished having children. It is also a good idea to see what fitness and weight loss goals you can achieve on your own before resorting to surgery. In some cases, it can take a woman a year or longer to get back into shape after giving birth. When Diet and Exercise Aren’t Enough If you are finding that you have stubborn pockets of fat that won’t go away despite your best efforts, this is sometimes an issue that can only be resolved with surgery. Likewise, if you have sagging skin and/or drooping breasts resulting from pregnancy, these are problems that no amount of healthy living can reverse. The Mommy Makeover is designed to resolve all these problems at once. A breast lift (with or without implants), liposuction, a tummy tuck, and a butt lift are the typical combination of procedures included in this type of surgical makeover, but it can of course be fully customized to fix whatever physical imperfections might be bothering you. The Average Age for a Mommy Makeover Women who invest in this combination of procedures tend to fall into three age groupings. We see women in their 30’s who recently had their last child and are anxious to get their figure back as soon as possible. Then we see women in their 40’s who have been thinking about surgery for some time, but wanted to wait until their children were more self sufficient. We also see women over the age of 50 who simply weren’t able to make enough time for themselves until all their children were out of the house. Again, there is no right or wrong age, but being able to take enough time for yourself to rest during the recovery process is essential. Some women find this very hard to do when their children are little. Can You Be Too Old for This Combination of Procedures? There is no such thing as being “too old” for any type of cosmetic procedure – the only prerequisite is that a patient be in good health. There are even some advantages to waiting until later in life to have this type of complete surgical makeover. You know with certainty that you won’t be having any more children, and your body has had plenty of time to “settle” post pregnancy so you know exactly what needs fixing and what does not. Who Makes the Best Candidate for a Surgical Makeover As we have established, there is no ideal age at which to have a Mommy Makeover, but the best candidates do fit a certain profile. They should be: In good overall health Non-smokers or willing to quit Able to follow all pre- and post-op instructions Able to take time off for recovery Realistic about what results to expect Preferably not planning to have more children   Why Being Able To Take Time off Is So Important Even if you are a stay-at-home mother who does not have a regular full-time job to take time off from, patients need to be certain that they will have enough help at home so that they can take a significant amount of time to rest and recover. Since a surgical makeover involves more than one procedure, it can take a patient several weeks to feel like themselves again. Having adequate rest and time for self care is so important for the recovery process. As any mother knows, caring for children can be exhausting, so make sure that you have some help for at least a few weeks post surgery. Strenuous activity (such as lifting children) must be avoided until your body has fully healed. If You Are Planning To Have More Children If you aren’t sure that you are done with childbearing, you may want to wait a year or two until you have more clarity about your future plans. Having more children can reverse some of the results that are achieved with surgery. There is of course no rule against getting pregnant again, but ideally it is a good idea to wait to have a more extensive surgical enhancement. How Long To Wait After Pregnancy If you have had your last baby and are wondering how soon you can safely schedule your makeover, we recommend waiting at least one year. This will give your body enough time to heal and settle following child birth. A woman must also be done breastfeeding. At the one-year mark, you should have a good idea what permanent effects child birth has had on your body, but some women feel that it’s wise to wait a bit longer to see how much more they can bounce back with rigorous diet and exercise. This is a personal choice. If you aren’t sure if the time is right, this can be discussed with your doctor during your consultation. Having Realistic Expectations It is important that mothers be realistic about what results they can achieve with this surgery. Yes, your body will look much better than it did after having children, but it might not look exactly as it did in your 20’s before you got pregnant for the first time. Some patients are very pleasantly surprised to find that they look better than ever, but this is not a result that can be guaranteed. What we can guarantee is that your figure will be lifted, tightened, and toned, and that your breasts will regain their fullness and symmetry. Stubborn pockets of fat will disappear, and loose, hanging skin will be lifted. Patients can be certain than significant, long-lasting results will be achieved. Final Results   Women undergoing a Mommy Makeover usually have both a breast augmentation and a breast lift. This will address the issues of sagging and volume loss that can result from pregnancy and breastfeeding. The breasts often take the hardest hit from the effects of childbearing. Some women choose to start with breast surgery and come back later for their other procedures. Or, you may wish to get your makeover done all at once. The second focus of this makeover is removing stubborn fat deposits that have been resistant to diet and exercise. Liposuction can effectively remove these deposits from the hips, legs, stomach, back, arms, neck, and even face. If a significant amount of fat needs to be removed, your surgeon may recommend combining liposuction with lifting and tightening procedures to remove the excess skin that will be left behind. How Long Do these Results Last? The good news is that with some basic healthy lifestyle habits, the results of a surgical makeover can last for many years. Adopting a good diet and exercise routine will go a long way towards helping you to maintain your new figure well into the future. Are You Ready To Change Your Body and Your Life? If you feel that the time is right to do something significant for yourself, contact us today at Kadz Plastic Surgery in Beverly Hills, CA. Dr. Kadz and his team can help you to transform your body so that you can feel really good about your appearance once again.