Mommy Makeover with Dr. Effie Politis

Childbearing can bring significant changes to a woman’s body. After experiencing the beauty and struggles of raising a child, many women try to improve their bodies after their pregnancies. They do various workouts and try different diets to get back into shape.

However, the effects of pregnancy and breastfeeding—sagging breasts, lax tummy muscles, abdominal stretch marks, and the increased fat in the upper arms and thighs—are still all over the body. Plus, working out consistently while managing the household or keeping a career can prove challenging and increasingly frustrating.

However, there may be a way to help you get back your pre-pregnancy body.

At Politis Plastic Surgery, we offer a safe and effective mommy makeover that restores the shape and appearance of a woman’s body after childbearing.

What is a mommy makeover?

Mommy makeover is a broad term for total body rejuvenation after having children. It is a personalized series of surgical procedures designed to revitalize the body after the stress of pregnancy and breastfeeding. It involves addressing any problem areas of the breast, the abdomen, and the body as a whole. For the breast, you may either require a breast reduction, breast augmentation, or mammoplasty. When it comes to the abdomen, it usually requires a full abdominoplasty or tummy tuck.

A delicate blend of procedures

If you qualify for a mommy makeover, your treatment is tailored to suit your unique needs. Since your breasts and abdomen are the primary areas that change with motherhood, your procedure will begin with breast and abdomen contouring before adding the other elements.

For breasts that are disproportionately large and uncomfortable, you can get a breast reduction to bring them to your ideal size and appearance. You may also get a breast lift to raise your breast and nipple position. It can help eliminate sagging skin, restore volume, shape, perkiness, and give a more youthful look. Breast implants may also be used in this process.

For pockets of fat, sagging skin or stretch marks, a tummy tuck will be considered for your mommy makeover. A tummy tuck (also called abdominoplasty) repairs separated muscles and removes excess, sagging skin, creating a smooth, taut tummy.

When you have stubborn fat accumulated on your midsection, particularly on the lower stomach or around the hips—that won’t go away no matter how often you go to the gym or how good your diet is, liposuction will be included in your mommy makeover. Liposuction will improve the contours of your hips, balance your body proportions, and enhance the results of the other procedures.

How soon will you get back to routine activities?

Your mommy makeover may be conducted in a single operation or spread out over multiple surgical sessions. You will have the surgery on an outpatient basis, allowing you to recover at home.

After your surgery, you may be recovering at home for 1 or 2 weeks, depending on your specific procedures. It would be best if you made prior arrangements for your recovery period by ensuring that you have a caregiver at home who can help you with chores, childcare or other tasks.

Early in the recovery period, you will feel sore, swollen, and bruised. Pain can usually be managed effectively with pain-relieving medication. By the second week, the pain and soreness should have subsided and your drains should be out, but the swelling may have only partially subsided.

You will be back to your routine and regular daily activities within a week. And in the following weeks, you should see steady healing culminating in full recovery by the sixth week.

Why Politis Plastic Surgery?

At Politis Plastic Surgery, we prioritize your comfort, safety, and privacy. We allow you to work with a reputable, board-certified plastic surgeon with a track record for excellent results.

Dr. Effie Politis is a skilled, compassionate, and experienced surgeon who has performed many mommy makeovers. Rest assured that your procedure will be physically and emotionally transforming and give you more confidence and zest for life.

If you are struggling with sagging breasts, stubborn fat deposits, and a protruding abdomen even when you eat healthily and exercise regularly, trust Dr. Effie Politis to help you bring your post-baby body back to its pre-pregnancy shape.

For more information on mommy makeovers and other plastic surgery procedures, visit the Politis Plastic Surgery website.

Before and After: Mini Facelift

This lovely patient underwent a mini-facelift in-office under local anesthesia, as well as hyperdilute Radiesse injected into cheeks and central face for composite facial restoration and skin tightening.

Her goal was to address her excess skin and jowls of the lower face The procedure involved elevating the skin and identifying the SMAS layer, which is a thin layer of muscle and fibrous bands that cover the muscles and deep fat pads of the face.

When the SMAS becomes loose and sags with age, it creates laxity along the lower face and jawline, creating jowls, marionette lines, nasolabial folds, and neck bands.

A mini facelift is a corrective cosmetic procedure that targets sagging skin around the lower face and jawline. The incision is still placed in front of the earlobe and curves gently under the earlobe, depending on the amount of skin to be excised. The neck and lower face are carefully evaluated in order to see if one is a candidate.

Please note the patient also had hyperdilute Radiesse for skin tightening and also for volumization.

Procedure: Mini Facelift
Area of Concern: lower face and jowls
Anesthesia: Local
Downtime: patient can drive home, may not engage in vigorous exercise for 7-10 days
Recovery: 2 weeks
Pain Control: Tylenol and NSAIDS
Expect long-lasting results given this is not a skin procedure but addresses the SMAS or strength layer. Can be complemented by composite fat grafting or hyperdilute Radiesse for skin tightening as well as microneedling with topical dilute botox and exosomes.

What happens when implants too large for your chest/thorax are placed?

 

 
 
 
 
 
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What happens when implants too large for your chest/thorax are placed?

Implant displacement, stretched-out thin breast tissue, and asymmetry.

This can only be fixed with revision, implant exchange, implant place change, and tissue scaffold for support.

Patients, do your homework. Implants need to be sized through tissue-based planning techniques by a board-certified plastic surgeon.

The 14-step plan is then initiated in OR to prevent contamination of implants leading to capsular contracture. Otherwise, tissue distortion and collapse as well as device malposition and capsular contracture are guaranteed down the road. This ultimately leads to more surgeries and low patient satisfaction.

Fillers: Before and After Look

 
 
 
 
 
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Here’s a sped-up video of another one of our lovely patients getting fillers! ⁣

Fillers not only smooth out wrinkles and fine lines but also gives the face a more defined look! ⁣

Swipe for the before and after! ⁣

Dietary Effects on Skin Aging

https://www.dermboston.com/

 
 
 
 
 
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According to Emmy Graber, M.D., MBA., president and founder of The Dermatology Institute of Boston, PC, Boston, there are some studies that suggest ways we can change our diet and how it impacts skin aging.

Also, avoiding these methods of cooking may help in preventing aging skin: grilling, frying, and roasting.⁣ Poaching, boiling, or steaming foods may be safer instead.⁣

For Dr. Graber, if patients want to alter their diet for antiaging advantages, she recommends the Mediterranean diet because it has the most evidence in this regard. “Mediterranean diets are rich in fruits, vegetables, fish and olive oil, low in sugars and lower in meats and refined carbohydrates,” she says.⁣

She also advises caution regarding nutritional supplements, unless a patient is deficient in a certain vitamin.

How Much Botox do I Need?

 
 
 
 
 
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A common question asked by most Botox patients: “𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘉𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘹 𝘥𝘰 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥?” ⁣

Understandably so, since this is an important consideration before going through the treatment, as the amount of Botox you need determines the overall cost of the procedure.⁣

Every patient is unique in terms of both facial characteristics and desired result. ⁣

Individual facial muscle requires different amounts of Botox in order to fully relax & prevent wrinkle formation. ⁣

There are also other characteristics that influence how your body reacts to Botox injections: your gender, size and strength of your facial muscles, and your metabolism.⁣

It’s important to make sure that you receive the proper amount of Botox units required for your individual needs and goals. Dr. Effie will make sure you meet your needs and desired results. ⁣

The goal is always to achieve balance on the needs of what the patient wants, and what the plastic surgeon advises to give as the best result. ⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
Attempting to save money by undertreating an area will not create a satisfying result and could end up costing you more money if a fix is needed. An experienced Botox injector will determine the right amount of Botox needed to deliver the results you are looking for.⁣

If you want to know more, consult with @dreffiepolitis today! ⁣

Call us: (813) 542 – 2587⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
Check our website: politisplasticsurgery.com⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
Visit us: 5016 West Cypress Street, Suite 200, Tampa, FL 33607⁣⁣

What is midface augmentation?

 
 
 
 
 
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Maintaining the golden ratio or phi in this patient by mid-face augmentation. ⁣

This hyaluronic acid filler has inherently high lift capacity (Vycross technology) which helps maintain the inverted triangle of youth. ⁣

This will maintain fullness by expanding the midface centrally while using the bony support of the zygoma (bony arch of the cheek) laterally as a scaffold to detract from forming deep central wrinkles like the nasolabial folds (commonly known as smile/laugh lines). ⁣

She had 1 cc Voluma to right and left mid and lateral face for a total of 2 cc. ⁣


A few things to know about fillers : ⁣

–– Smooths fine lines & facial wrinkles⁣
–– Restores youthful volume to areas like the midface and jawline⁣
–– Creates balance in areas that are slightly asymmetrical⁣
–– Reverses mild skin laxity due to aging⁣
–– Fills out shallow scarring for a smoother look⁣
–– Rejuvenates the area under the eyes to produce a refreshed, awake appearance⁣
–– Requires little to no recovery time⁣
–– Results are temporary & requires repeat injections⁣
–– Results are dependent on the experience & qualifications of your injector⁣

Always consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon. ⁣

Abdominoplasty Procedure with Dr. Effie Politis

 
 
 
 
 
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Here I showed the steps of an abdominoplasty procedure which includes:⁣

1. preoperative evaluation and marking⁣
2. excision of the lower abdominal skin⁣
3. undermining of her abdominal flap to her costal margins⁣
4. recruitment of superior and lateral tissue⁣
5. excision of sub-scarpal fat ⁣

 
 
 
 
 
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6. repositioning of the umbilicus⁣
7. liposuction of the flanks ⁣
8. and finally, sewing of the superior and inferior flaps in a layered closure. ⁣

The various steps of an abdominoplasty as shown here is a methodical process that needs to be precisely executed. ⁣

Preoperative evaluation is key, as well as obtaining ideal weight with diet and exercise. ⁣

Before and After: Abdominoplasty or ‘Tummy Tuck’

 
 
 
 
 
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This lovely patient is 41 years old and has lower abdominal laxity and skin changes consistent with having two children. She was interested in abdominal rejuvenation.

During her evaluation, her diastases were evaluated as well as any previous surgeries and possible hernias. Skin tone and skin laxity were also assessed. With diet and exercise, she was able to get down to her ideal weight. This allowed us to remove more skin during the abdominoplasty and perform a tighter plication. With our enhanced recovery protocols, the patient was back to work within 7 days. ⁣Typically these procedures require drain but there are some patients who are a candidate for drainless abdominoplasty. Please come see me, and find your best option!⁣ Watch out for upcoming posts this week on some behind-the-scenes for this procedure! ⁣

What is the 14 Point Plan?

 
 
 
 
 
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During your consultation, an important question that you need to ask your surgeon is whether or not they follow the 14-Point-Plan. ⁣

What is the 14-Point Plan

The 14-Point-Plan is designed to minimize the number of bacteria that can contaminate breast implants at the time of surgery. It was first published in 2013 and has since been widely adopted all around the world. Bacterial contamination of breast implants at the time of surgery has been shown to cause capsular contracture – hardening, pain, and deformity following breast implant surgery. ⁣

The 14-Point-Plan outlines strategies that can be incorporated into breast implant surgery that reduce the number of bacteria that can contaminate the breast implant surface. ⁣

Here you can see a funnel is being used to place the breast implant into the dissected pocket.⁣