Spring is in full swing and summer is just around the corner! If you’re anything like us, you’re counting down the days until you can slip into your favorite bathing suit, slather on the sunscreen, and sit poolside with large sunglasses and a cold drink. But, if baring skin in a swimsuit sounds intimidating, or your body confidence could use a boost, not to worry—there’s still time to refine your shape before beach season.
Here are my patients’ top 5 body contouring procedures, all of which can be depended on to provide a huge positive impact in a relatively short amount of time:
1. Liposuction
Why add it to your summer prep checklist
To this day, liposuction remains the gold standard for surgical body contouring. This safe and effective outpatient procedure sculpts your body by removing excess deposits of fat. While it is often performed as a standalone procedure, it can also be paired with other popular procedures (i.e. tummy tuck & mommy makeover) to provide additional transformative results.
Liposuction is effective almost anywhere on the body where stubborn fat is stored, including the abdomen, hips, thighs, buttocks, and even the upper arms, chin, and neck—and best of all, the treated fat doesn’t come back, meaning you will have permanently improved proportions, provided you keep your weight stable. If your pre-summer diet and exercise regimen isn’t quite giving you the results you want, liposuction might be a great fit for you.
When you can see liposuction results
Liposuction provides visible shaping results within a few weeks, and your shape will keep getting better as swelling resolves over the coming months. Wearing your compression garment as instructed after surgery will ensure you get the most out of your results in time for summer.
2. Breast Augmentation
Why add it to your summer prep checklist
Breast augmentation is a great way to get a natural-looking cleavage boost and is the top choice for those who dream of amply filling out a bikini top. It’s also a wonderful way to refine your breast shape, whether you want more upper pole fullness or wish to repair tuberous breasts. With today’s advanced breast implant options, we can provide customized results catered to your specific body type and aesthetic goals, thus giving you the breast size, shape, cleavage, and symmetry you desire.
When you can see breast augmentation results
Don’t expect to hit the beach immediately following your breast augmentation, as the surgery will result in some bruising and swelling and you must protect healing incisions. That said, recovery is fairly easy, and with the right non-underwire swimsuit top (to protect healing tissues), you can start lounging poolside about a week after surgery—just be sure you wait until incisions are healed and you have your surgeon’s clearance before taking a dip in any water!
Major swelling should subside within six weeks, and your ideal results will develop over the coming several months as your implants “drop and fluff,” i.e. settle into their final, natural-looking position. Keep in mind with pre-summer breast augmentation that it will limit your upper body movement during initial healing, you will need to wear a special support bra for several weeks, and underwire garments must be avoided for some time.
A note about scarring: Breast augmentation uses thin, carefully-placed incisions to limit visible scarring. However, scars take nine to twelve months to fully heal, and scar recovery may involve avoiding the sun (translation: no topless beaches for six to nine months!), in addition to scar cream, massage, and/or laser treatments to help the scars fade as beautifully as possible.
3. Tummy Tuck
Why add it to your summer prep checklist
A tummy tuck (aka abdominoplasty) shapes the midsection by tightening your abdominal muscles and removing excess skin, thus revealing a more contoured figure. This procedure is often performed on patients who find their stomachs have lost shape and definition after having kids or losing a significant amount of weight. Tummy tucks also correct diastasis recti, a common condition that occurs when the muscles in the abdomen have been separated from being stretched during pregnancy.
If you are mainly concerned with your lower abs, Dr. Gallus also offers a mini tummy tuck (also called a limited scar tummy tuck or mini-abdominoplasty), which may be sufficient to reach your goals.
When you can see tummy tuck results
Tummy tuck is one of the most rewarding procedures, but it requires a longer recovery, so to ensure you see optimal results in time for summer, schedule your tummy tuck consultation as soon as possible. Recovery following a tummy tuck should be taken very seriously, as most complications occur from being too active, too early—so be sure to select a surgical date that allows an appropriate amount of time to heal.
Following your tummy tuck procedure, you will immediately see a significant difference in your abdominal shape, but you will have healing incisions, swelling, and movement restrictions for about 6 weeks. To support ideal results and promote healing, you will also need to wear your compression garment for 4-6 weeks after surgery.
A note about scar placement: Your unique body type and goals will affect your surgical plan and the placement of your incisions. At Restore SD, we will work closely with you before surgery to determine where best to conceal scars based on your preferred bikini-bottom cuts! We’ll also be sure to guide you through ideal scar care from start to finish, to help ensure they fade to near-invisibility with time.
4. Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL)
Why add it to your summer prep checklist
Who doesn’t want their rear to look round and tight in their bathing suit? Brazilian Butt Lifts are all the rage right now, and for good reason. Our San Diego BBL patients love how this procedure can remove fat from where you don’t want it to enhance the places that you do—like your bum! If you’re looking to achieve a rounder derrière in time for summer, then a Brazilian Butt Lift can help you get the results you want.
Note: If you’re considering a BBL, be sure to choose a highly qualified surgeon, as this procedure comes with some risk. Board-certified female plastic surgeon Dr. Katerina Gallus performs BBL surgery as an outpatient procedure exclusively in our Quad A-accredited San Diego surgical facility. Learn more about our patient safety measures »
When you can see Brazilian butt lift results
You’ll see your results start developing soon after surgery, as initial swelling subsides and starts revealing your improved contours both at the liposuction sites and where the fat was newly transplanted. Although it’ll be tempting to lay out by the pool with your new bum, you will need to stay off your backside for 10-14 days following your Brazilian butt lift. Luckily, incisions are very small and heal quickly, meaning you can get back in the water fairly soon. Just be sure to protect scars from the sun, which can permanently darken them. During your initial consultation, Dr. Gallus will help you choose the best date for your BBL surgery so as to allow enough time for recovery, but still hit the beach this summer!
Want to learn more about Brazilian Butt Lifts? Check out this episode of Carpools & Cannulas: Modern Motherhood and Plastic Surgery – Episode 6 – Brazilian Butt Lifts (BBLs) featuring Dr. Gallus and Dr. Greer.
5. Renuvion
Why add it to your summer prep checklist
For those wanting a more tight, sculpted figure this summer, Renuvion® is an impressive newer technology to consider. This innovative treatment uses a combination of helium plasma and radiofrequency energy to contour your face, neck, arms, abdomen, or thighs. Our San Diego patients love Renuvion because it’s a minimally invasive procedure that provides significant results without the need for extensive surgery or large, noticeable scars—it’s especially perfect for those who dream of having firmer arms or thighs to show off in summer without the lengthy scars required with other procedures!
When you can see Renuvion results
Swelling will initially be apparent and it takes time for new collagen to form, but you’ll see noticeable skin firming results soon after your Renuvion procedure, and they will only get better with time. Recovery after Renuvion requires 3-5 days of downtime followed by limiting intensive activities for a few weeks. Ideally, we recommend patients undergo their Renuvion treatment about a month before hitting the beach this summer.
Get summer-ready with San Diego plastic surgeon Dr. Katerina GallusBonus tip: Renuvion can also be combined with liposuction to address particularly stubborn fat and further sculpt the body within a single operation.
San Diego plastic surgeon Dr. Katerina Gallus is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons and is a member of the ASPS. Originally a Navy plastic surgeon, Dr. Gallus has over a decade of experience performing body contouring procedures. Dr. Gallus is here to help you meet your aesthetic goals in time for the summer—schedule your personal consultation online or call (858) 224-2281 today.
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