2440 M Street NW, Suite 318
Washington DC 20037
Botulinum Toxin is an injectable treatment commonly used in the forehead, glabella, and crows feet area to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Botox has been FDA approved since 2002, and has been successfully used by millions of patients in the United States.
Wrinkles form when you repeatedly contract a muscle, like the ones in your forehead and around your eyes. Botox works by targeting specific facial muscles to decrease contraction and stop skin wrinkling.
Botox was the most frequently administered non-surgical cosmetic treatment in the United States for 2017. 7 million people underwent Botox injections in 2017. Demand for minimally invasive aesthetic treatments continues to rise, and Botox is at the forefront.
The most common areas for Botox treatment are the forehead, glabella (between your eyebrows), and lateral crows feet. Less common areas include jawline (masseter muscle) to slim the face and reduce clenching, chin (mentalis muscle), and just below the nose to reduce the appearance of a gummy smile.
Botox involves multiple injections with a tiny needle in the treated areas. It takes a few minutes to perform and requires no anesthesia. Most patients have minimal to no bruising, though it is possible to have a mild amount of bruising. You can reduce bruising by using ice after the procedure.
You will begin to notice the effects of your Botox injection within just a few days, but full results are visible at 1-2 weeks. Botox lasts 4-6 months, depending how fast your body degrades the product.
We believe that injectable treatments require an artistic touch as well as a thorough medical knowledge of anatomy. Facial anatomy is complex, and whoever does your injections should be an experienced provider who is intimately familiar with the “danger zones” in facial injection.
“Filler” is a generic term for gel products that are used to fill wrinkles or add volume to your face (and sometimes body). Most of these are made of Hyaluronic Acid (HA), which is a naturally occuring substance.
Common areas for filler are nasolabial folds (between your nose and the corner or your mouth), tear troughs (under eye), lips, cheeks, chin, and jawline.
What should I expect during a filler injection?
Prior to your filler appointment, you should avoid ibuprofen, aspirin, aleve, and any other medications that increase bleeding and bruising. Fillers are placed with tiny needles or micro-cannulas around your face. Bruising is more common in some areas where the skin is thin, such as under the eyes.
The filled area may swell, and you may look “overfilled” and bruised for a few days until the swelling subsides. You can reduce swelling faster by keeping your head of bed elevated while you sleep and icing the area. Avoid strenuous exercise the day of treatment. You will have your final result about a week after treatment
You will see results immediately after filler treatment. Once the swelling is gone about a week later, you will have your final result. Fillers last anywhere from 6 months to 2 years depending which filler is used.
Bruising and swelling are common but go away quickly. Lumpiness, visible nodules, and a blue discoloration of the skin (Tyndall sign) are less common.
There is a dissolving agent for Hyaluronic-Acid based fillers called Hyaluronidase that can be injected to dissolve any area of filler instantly.
Dear Mom,
Welcome to the No Judgement Zone.
If you’ve arrived here, you’re likely at a point where you’re considering surgery for your breasts, belly, or labia. I want to take a moment to assure you that there is no room for judgement of women’s choices in my office. The topic of post-pregnancy body contouring can be controversial, and you may have people in your life who want to pass judgement. Those people are not welcome here. DC Plastic Surgery Boutique is a place built for women, by women… where we lift women up and meet them where they are. For some of you, surgery will be the right answer, and for others, it will not. Both of those choices are valid and will be celebrated. We are here to listen to your concerns and educate you about the anatomic changes of pregnancy and all the options available to you.
I’ll be honest– I hate the term “mommy makeover.” I think it sounds cartoony and kind of condescending. Surgery is serious business, and to me, the term “makeover” implies that surgery is no different than a trip to the beauty counter or hair salon. The only reason I use those words on this site is because women looking for information about post-pregnancy body contouring frequently use “mommy makeover” as a search term. Okay, rant over, now let’s talk about post-pregnancy body contouring.
There are 3 areas that are typically affected by pregnancy and childbirth: breasts, belly, and vagina. Post-pregnancy body contouring addresses these areas in whichever combination is required for each individual patient.
Your breasts are made up of a series of passageways called ducts and lobules that are designed to produce and store breastmilk. The system of ducts comes together at your nipple where the milk exits through tiny holes. During pregnancy, breast size increases in preparation for milk-making. The ducts and lobules swell, breast skin stretches, and the nipples grow. If you breastfeed, your breasts increase and decrease in size multiple times every day as they fill with milk and release the milk. Once you stop breastfeeding, your breast tissue slowly decreases in size as the ducts shrink (a process called involution). I tell women to wait at least 6 months after breastfeeding to assess the state of their breasts, as they will change significantly during that time.
Some women, especially those who started with smaller breasts, may notice little change between their pre- and post-pregnancy breasts. Medium and larger-breasted women will notice more permanent changes in the size and shape of breasts. These are a few of the ways breasts can change after pregnancy:
There are several ways to surgically address breast changes, and the appropriate operation is selected based on your individual anatomy. Shrinkage and loss of upper pole volume can be addressed with breast augmentation (with implants or fat transfer). Breasts can be decreased in size with breast reduction or lifted by removing skin and repositioning the nipples. The nipples can be reduced in size as well.
Pregnancy obviously has a dramatic effect on your belly– maybe more than any other part of you! How much permanent change your body experiences is entirely dependent on your genetics and anatomy. I recommend that you wait a full year after your last delivery before assessing the state of your belly. Your body changes so much in that first year after delivery that you really want to wait to make any assessments until then.
In the first year after pregnancy, I strongly recommend that moms focus on rebuilding the mind-body connection that can be disrupted with childbirth, and re-establishing core strength. There are several exercise and physical therapy programs designed specifically for the post-partum body. Many of them work well, but I find the MUTU System to be the most comprehensive and easiest to follow. If you are within the first year after delivery, or you are past that time and looking for specific advice on how to rebuild your core strength, check out MUTU System. (PS- I don’t get anything for recommending this, I just think it’s a good system). Other options include the Tupler technique and Dia Method.
Once a year has passed and you are at your goal weight with reasonable core strength, you can safely assess your belly. Many women will find that the combination of good nutrition, exercise, and core strengthening with a MUTU System or equivalent, gets them to a place where they are satisfied. If you have done all of the above and still feel dissatisfied with the appearance of your belly, then it may be time to start thinking about abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) with rectus plication (muscle tightening) or liposuction surgery.
Abdominoplasty involves removal of extra skin and tightening of the core muscles that are pulled apart by pregnancy (rectus plication). Liposuction is used to address stubborn pockets of fat that don’t respond to exercise and weight loss. Neither operation is a substitute for weight loss!
The effects of childbearing on your pelvis and vagina depend on a number of factors including type of delivery, size of babies, maternal age, genetics, and individual anatomy. A woman with a narrow pelvis and a 10 pound baby will have completely different long-term effects of her delivery compared to a woman with a wide pelvis and an average-sized baby. A woman with a C-section faces a different set of challenges in her recovery than a woman with vaginal deliveries. A few of the long-term effects that women face are:
Many of these effects can be treated with non-surgical therapy directed by your Ob/Gyn and a physical therapist who specializes in pelvic health. The first step is a careful physical examination and documentation of symptoms with your Ob/Gyn, followed by appropriate referral to the right place. Occasionally, women need surgical intervention for these symptoms if conservative management fails.
2440 M Street NW, Suite 318
Washington DC 20037