Recent Blog Posts from Rowley Plastic Surgery

Flatten Your Belly With a Tummy Tuck in Lubbock

As women, we often dedicate our lives to our families. As mothers, this also means we give our bodies. Do you remember the you before you had kids? Back before you ever referred to your stomach as your “belly?” Even before your bra came with extra clips and hooks to accommodate someone else’s eating schedule? It may be a bit foggy (let’s not even get started on all those sleepless nights), but try for a moment to remember how you felt about your body before any of the changes that came with having a baby—the things you took for granted. While you may not be able to do anything about those lost nights of sleep, and life chooses a lot of things for you, you also have choices. You CAN reclaim your body with a tummy tuck in Lubbock. 

Women who have had children sometimes struggle in their efforts to restore the body they enjoyed before motherhood. It often takes more than a new diet and exercise routine to reverse the effects of pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding. Of course those habits are highly beneficial and should be part of your healthy lifestyle, but the reality is, they often cannot solve the problem of flabby skin leftover from childbearing. A tummy tuck easily gets rid of loose skin that won’t disappear even after you reach your pre-pregnancy weight, no matter how much you diet or exercise. 

Options for a “Mommy Makeover”

Many women choose to combine procedures in a “mommy makeover” to cover several areas of concern at once. In addition to trimming your waist with a tummy tuck in Lubbock, you can consider breast and body contouring procedures to regain a youthful look. Rejuvenate your bustline with a breast lift, breast augmentation, or maybe a breast reduction, if that’s right for you. You can also opt to have liposuction to target those troublesome fat pocket areas that have developed over time. Being able to pick and choose your procedures enables you to have a personalized plastic surgery plan that meets your needs. 

Maybe the makeover won’t turn back the clock entirely, but it sure can help bring back the look and confidence you once had. Plastic surgery enables many women to build upon their self-esteem as they enhance the features that make them feel the most beautiful. Having children doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your body or live forever with the physical changes that took place. You can be you again, the you that you remember.

What is a Tummy Tuck?

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, a “[t]ummy tuck surgery, also known as abdominoplasty, removes excess fat and skin and, in most cases, restores weakened or separated muscles creating an abdominal profile that is smoother and firmer.” Simply put, a tummy tuck gets rid of flabby skin and tightens abdominal muscles to give you the flat tummy you want. If you have unsightly stretch marks on your lower abdomen, a tummy tuck in Lubbock can also make those disappear. Abdominoplasty is for patients who are unhappy with sagging skin and fat on their midsection, which is often caused by events such as massive weight loss or pregnancy. It is a procedure that can have dramatic results that benefit your appearance, body image, and even your health.

What Happens During Tummy Tuck Surgery?

Abdominoplasty is typically an outpatient procedure, taking about two hours under general anesthetic. The surgery is performed through a low horizontal abdominal incision. The length of the incision depends on the amount of skin that needs to be removed. Patients who have had a C-section may be able to have their tummy tuck incision incorporated into their existing scar. Next, the skin is elevated off of the abdominal muscles, and it is redraped and excised. Abdominal muscles are tightened at the same time with permanent sutures in multiple layers. To achieve a symmetrical, natural look, a standard tummy tuck in Lubbock also involves the repositioning of the navel and the skin around it. 

If you have excess fat on the hips or thighs, your plastic surgeon can perform liposuction for additional contouring at the same time as your abdominoplasty. Every body is unique and every patient has different expectations, and a tummy tuck can be personalized to fit your individual needs. Talk to your doctor about your goals so your plastic surgery can be tailored specifically for you.

Why Choose to Have a Tummy Tuck in Lubbock

When you feel healthy, eat right, and get regular exercise, it can be frustrating to see loose skin and belly flab persist despite your efforts. Don’t give up on those important habits; instead, consider how a tummy tuck could complement your healthy lifestyle. 

Abdominoplasty has a very high rate of satisfaction among Dr. Jane Rowley’s patients. The procedure flattens and firms the tummy while repairing weakened abdominal muscles simultaneously. For more information on what to expect from your tummy tuck in Lubbock, check out the informative video below.

Diastasis Recti Correction

Before you had children, you probably understood that pregnancy would cause your feet to swell and your waist to expand. But, did you know about the potential for diastasis recti? Many mothers and people who have lost a significant amount of weight experience a separation of the abdominal muscles, called diastasis recti. A 2016 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that 60 percent of women experienced diastasis recti during or after pregnancy. The condition often results in a belly pooch and can make a woman appear as though she is still pregnant even after the baby has arrived. Diastasis recti is mostly cosmetic in nature, but it can also cause discomfort such as bloating, constipation, lower back pain, and poor posture. 

It is important to seek your doctor’s advice if you think you may have separation between your abdominal muscles. Avoid doing traditional ab workouts like sit-ups and crunches, because they can actually worsen the condition. Some patients have found moderate success with yoga or other special exercises, but the only way to fully resolve diastasis recti is through surgery. Many of Dr. Rowley’s plastic surgery patients have found relief from the condition with a tummy tuck in Lubbock.   

What to Consider Before Your Tummy Tuck

The choice to have plastic surgery is a personal one that requires introspection, research, and planning. Just because you have a belly pooch does not mean you should dive right in to the decision to undergo a tummy tuck. If you feel strongly about enhancing your body through plastic surgery, consider taking some time to evaluate your motives, goals, and expectations. The first questions you should ask yourself if you are considering a tummy tuck in Lubbock are “Why do I want plastic surgery?” and “What am I expecting from this procedure?”

These two factors will impact how happy you’ll be with the results. It’s important to examine your motivations for plastic surgery to make sure it’s the right choice for you. From larger procedures like a mommy makeover to smaller ones like submental liposuction, all can have profound effects on your life and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Motivation

First, look at your motivations for having plastic surgery. Is it something you’ve always wanted for yourself, or is it something someone close to you has been pestering you about, but not something you’re as interested in? If it’s the latter, you should think twice before proceeding. Drastic life changes should always be done because it’s something you want for yourself, not something someone else wants you to do. Permanently changing your appearance to please someone else can lead to resentment or regret in the future. 

If you want to have a tummy tuck in Lubbock because you believe it will help you achieve your personal goals, you likely have healthy motivations for pursuing plastic surgery. Having the right mindset from the very beginning can make a big difference in the way you feel about your surgical outcome.  

Expectations

At Rowley Plastic Surgery, we want you to pursue plastic surgery for the right reasons so you’ll be happy and satisfied with your results; but that’s only half of the equation. Having proper expectations is also very important to your overall satisfaction. Surgery can’t turn you into a different person or make you look like someone in a magazine. If you expect perfection, you will be disappointed–-no one is perfect, so welcome to the club! At the same time, we can all improve, and a tummy tuck in Lubbock gives us options that diet and exercise can’t. So, focus on progress and improvement, not perfection. The latter simply doesn’t exist.

These are just a couple of reasons why the initial consultation is so important. From ear-pinning to a mommy makeover, each procedure and each patient is unique with different needs to be discussed. Dr. Rowley takes her time with her patients to discuss their expectations and answer all their questions. The more clearly you can communicate your hopes for your procedure, the more she can help you achieve your specific goals.

Benefits of Abdominoplasty

It’s easy to imagine the aesthetic benefits of a tummy tuck in Lubbock. After all, you can just look at those old photos and remember what it was like to fit into your favorite skinny jeans. What you might not know is that for women who are mothers, a tummy tuck can have multiple physical health benefits. A recent study of women who had postnatal abdominoplasty showed a marked reduction in back pain and urinary incontinence, common results of pregnancy and childbirth: 

“The study included 214 women undergoing abdominoplasty with repair of the abdominal muscles . . . . The women’s average age was about 42 years, with an average of 2.5 deliveries.

“Before and after surgery, the women completed questionnaires rating their disability from back pain and urinary incontinence . . . about 51 percent of women had moderate to severe disability from back pain, while urinary incontinence was a ‘significant concern’ for 42.5 percent.

“On follow-up questionnaires . . . only nine percent of patients still had moderate disability from back pain. Urinary incontinence remained a significant problem for less than two percent of women.”

In addition to women who have had children, people who achieve weight loss make up a significant proportion of tummy tuck candidates. These patients also experience health benefits with abdominoplasty. A 2017 study added to the literature which suggests a positive correlation between abdominoplasty and improvement in urinary incontinence. Patients with preoperative urinary incontinence symptoms reported a significant decrease in their symptoms and a positive impact on their quality of life. If you have felt embarrassed about your ability to control your bladder, abdominoplasty may be the right solution for you. A tummy tuck in Lubbock can help you take back control of both your appearance and your health.    

Tummy Tuck Recovery

Every abdominoplasty procedure is different, and so is every patient’s recovery. Most patients will need to have a drain placed for the first week or so following surgery. Dr. Rowley will prescribe medication to help control your post-operative pain. Depending on your body type and the amount of skin that is removed, you could bounce back fairly quickly or your healing period might last a little longer. Most patients can return to work in about 2 to 3 weeks. After a tummy tuck in Lubbock, full activity is typically resumed after 6 to 8 weeks. 

Explore Your Tummy Tuck Options Today

At Rowley Plastic Surgery, we offer no-obligation consultations, so we can get a good feel for your needs, motivations, and expectations. We can address any questions you might have about the surgery you’re interested in, and we can talk to you about realistic options. We will help you determine if a certain procedure is a good fit for you and if it isn’t, Dr. Rowley will tell you honestly and help find other solutions. Women trust her because she doesn’t sugar coat and will tell you the truth about what you can expect, always with your best interests in mind. Call today for your no-obligation consultation to see if a tummy tuck in Lubbock is right for you.

Love Your Post-Baby Body With the Best Plastic Surgeon in Lubbock

Becoming a mother is a sacred experience that means your life will never be the same again. And while many of the changes are welcomed, some are not met with quite as much enthusiasm. One of the hardest things for a woman to accept after having children is the way her postpartum body looks. It is natural for tummies and breasts to stretch and change with pregnancy and breastfeeding, but when all of that is behind you, there is nothing wrong with wanting to regain confidence in your looks. A “mommy makeover” is when women have more than one plastic surgery procedure done at a time. Mommy makeover patients typically undergo a combination of procedures including breast surgery, a tummy tuck, and liposuction. You don’t have to live with the unwanted changes that motherhood gave your body. With the best plastic surgeon in Lubbock, Dr. Jane Rowley, you can take control of your appearance and feel confident in your own skin again. Read all about the mommy makeover so you can decide for yourself whether it is something you want to pursue. 

Why Moms Seek Plastic Surgery

Each woman has a unique set of tastes and preferences, which is why a mommy makeover is so effective for many different types of women. As the best plastic surgeon in Lubbock, Dr. Rowley can tailor breast and tummy procedures to specifically meet the needs and goals of individual patients. And just as results vary from woman to woman, so do the reasons they seek surgery in the first place. Many women just want to have their flat tummies and youthful breasts back, but others do it for the mental and emotional benefits. Women who have lost children during pregnancy are often left with a bulging belly long after the pregnancy is over, which can serve as a painful reminder of the trauma and heartbreak the mother experienced. Restoring the body with plastic surgery allows these moms to escape the constant visual reminder of the loss, and can help them heal emotionally.

Multiple Procedures for Multiplied Results

Moms are known for making constant sacrifices for others, and sometimes fall short on taking time for themselves. Between soccer practice, science fair projects, work, and family life, many moms don’t have much room in their schedules for plastic surgery recovery. Having multiple procedures done at once makes cosmetic enhancement much more convenient for busy women. In addition, addressing all of your problem areas at the same time makes for a dramatic transformation. Pregnancy and nursing do not just affect one part of the body; they can cause permanent changes in many areas. Surgically enhancing the breasts and abdominal area is an effective way to restore your figure. With a mommy makeover in Lubbock, the best plastic surgeon can help you find confidence in your body again. 

The Right Candidate for a Mommy Makeover

If you dislike the changes you see in your breasts, tummy, or other areas of your body that were brought on by pregnancy or breastfeeding, a mommy makeover could be a possibility for you. The right mommy makeover candidate will be in good overall health, finished with childbearing, have realistic expectations, and not smoke or use nicotine. If you smoke in Lubbock, the best plastic surgeon will require you to stop for several weeks before and after your surgery to ensure your safety. Nicotine can restrict blood flow, impair wound healing, and increase your chances for dangerous complications during surgery.  

Mommy Makeover Recovery

A mommy makeover can be an effective way to get your pre-baby body back, but there are some important things to keep in mind. First, the amount of risk you take on increases with the number of surgeries you have. And, while your breasts and tummy may be recovering at the same time, your overall healing period will take longer than it would if you had only one procedure done. In Lubbock, the best plastic surgeon is right in your own backyard. Dr. Rowley will and her staff are always there for their patients should they have any questions or concerns during recovery.   

Your recovery timeline will depend on the number and types of surgery you have, and how healthy you are to begin with. The average mommy makeover patient will need up to three weeks for immediate recovery, with long-term healing taking several months. It is important to be patient with your body as it heals, and to not push yourself by doing too much too soon. That means that if you have young children, you will need help to care for them for at least the first couple of weeks. Lifting little ones in and out of car seats, cribs, and high chairs will be difficult, especially after having breast surgery. If you plan well for your recovery and make your healing the top priority, your health and mommy makeover results will greatly benefit. In Lubbock, the best plastic surgeon is Dr. Rowley and she will help you create a recovery plan that works for you.     

The Best Plastic Surgeon in Lubbock for Your Mommy Makeover

It is of the utmost importance that you select a board-certified plastic surgeon to perform your mommy makeover. Doing so will minimize risks and increase your satisfaction with your results. Beware of plastic surgery tourism or surgeons offering deals that seem too good to be true; you do not want to risk your safety, health, or appearance by going to a cut-rate physician. Dr. Jane Rowley is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and has over 2 decades of experience with the procedures women want in their mommy makeovers. Dr. Rowley takes her time with each patient to be sure they get answers to all their questions and are fully informed about their surgical options. She is the best plastic surgeon in Lubbock, and with her help, you can be happy with the way your body looks again. Schedule a no-obligation consultation with Dr. Rowley today to take the next steps toward reaching your aesthetic potential.

2020 Trends for Plastic Surgery in Lubbock

Over the course of the past several years, plastic surgery has seen a steady climb as more patients seek to reach their cosmetic goals. Many factors contribute to the growing popularity of cosmetic procedures. Advancements in technology, the influence of social media, and the social movement promoting body positivity all play a role in what drives many people to have plastic surgery in Lubbock. Any stigma that people used to associate with plastic surgery is now gone, and with lower costs and more options than ever, it’s no surprise that the interest in cosmetic procedures continues to grow. The industry is constantly evolving, and its current momentum comes with new ideas and trends for what patients want.

The Aesthetic Society recently released its projected trends for 2020, providing insight into what we can expect to see as we head into a new decade of plastic surgery. Charles H. Thorne, MD, President of the Aesthetic Society, explains, “2020 promises to be a landmark year for aesthetic plastic surgery with innovations in nonsurgical procedures, refinements in established surgical procedures and a new generation entering the market.” Here is what the Aesthetic Society predicts will be the next big things in the world of cosmetic enhancements. 

Bringing Back the Facelift

People have long known the facelift as a procedure that restores youthfulness to the face by tightening sagging skin. However, facelift surgery has not been as common in recent years because patients have been experimenting with a variety of minimally-invasive and injectable treatments that have entered the market. While these methods can have positive results, they do not compare to the outcome that Lubbock plastic surgery patients can get from a facelift. Plastic surgeons can expect to perform more facelifts in the upcoming months and years because there is no other procedure that provides such natural, long-lasting results. 

Plastic Surgery in Lubbock for Men

Although women still make up the majority of plastic surgery patients, more and more men are seeking out procedures for themselves. The mommy makeover has been a recent popular trend, but the daddy-do-over is set to be the next new fad. Preferred procedures for men will include liposuction for chest and ab contouring, magnetic muscle stimulation (MMS), and male breast reduction for gynecomastia treatment. Men are discovering the confidence and empowerment that can be gained through Lubbock plastic surgery and will likely seek it out in greater numbers than we have seen before.     

Advancements in Non-Invasive Technology

Many patients used to rule out cosmetic procedures because of the downtime that surgery often requires. But with so many non-surgical or minimally-invasive alternatives available, people can get the enhancements they want with little or no recovery and without scarring. Fillers, injectables, non-invasive body contouring, and laser techniques are just some of the ways patients can get great results without having plastic surgery in Lubbock. We have only seen the beginning of what’s possible with non-invasive technology, and 2020 promises to have many more advancements in store.

“Baby Botox”

Botox has been around for a long time, and it tops the charts year after year as the most popular minimally-invasive procedure in the U.S. Patients love to use it for wrinkle treatment because it is safe, effective, and convenient. For 2020, doctors predict that “Baby Botox”, or smaller sized injections, will be in high demand. Small injections of Botox help patients achieve wrinkle reduction without making their face appear stiff or emotionless. It also prevents facial muscles from weakening, which keeps skin looking tighter longer. The days of Lubbock plastic surgery results looking fake and obvious are over; modern patients want subtle, natural enhancements that bring out their own individual beauty.   

Welcoming Generation Z

It’s time for millennials to make room for Generation Z. People born in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s are entering the market for plastic surgery. Instead of waiting until the damage is already done, younger patients will seek out preventative treatments to try to keep the signs of aging at bay. Generation Z depends on social media for the latest beauty trends, and will continue to use it as a resource for information about plastic surgery in Lubbock. Although many plastic surgery apps are being discontinued, online communities will still heavily influence how the youngest generations decide to use cosmetic surgery.    

See Where Lubbock Plastic Surgery Can Take You 

Although trends fluctuate from year to year, some things never change. Dr. Jane Rowley has more than 20 years of experience and is the trusted name in Lubbock for all of your plastic surgery needs. Her patients look to her because she offers unmatched expertise, extensive training and experience, and ultimate satisfaction with their results. With a thorough consultation, Dr. Rowley will help you discover whether a plastic surgery trend is right for you. Call our office today to schedule a no-obligation consultation to see how you can achieve your cosmetic goals.