Hourglass procedures: Tips and tricks
Introduction
Hourglass procedures are the new and cutting-edge plastic surgery methods that are performed nowadays to help patients get the beautiful hourglass shape. The characteristics of the hourglass shape are the small dimensions of the waist compared to the hips. The hourglass silhouette stands for femininity and sex appeal and is one of the most sought after body shapes ever. However, not many women are fortunate enough to be born with this shape. Research shows that less than 10% of all women are born with this shape, and not even the ones blessed at birth can enjoy the benefits of it during their lifetimes. There are many factors that can ruin the beautiful shape of the body and transform it into an oval or square shape.
There are different hourglass procedures that can be performed nowadays. In this article, we will discuss a few details about them and also a few tips and tricks that can help patients interested in these procedures.
1. Hourglass tummy tuck
The hourglass tummy tuck is the procedure recommended for patients with small, narrow hips, unwanted fat deposits on the tummy and the flanks, and imperfections of the abdominal wall such as umbilical hernia, weak abdominal muscles, and saggy skin. The procedure combines liposuction with a fat transfer to the hips and the classic abdominoplasty to deliver spectacular results on patients with a strong medical indication for it. The hourglass tummy tuck can take up to four hours to be performed, depending on the anatomy of each patient and the amount of skin excess and fat surplus.
What is important to keep in mind about the hourglass tummy tuck is that it can completely change the appearance of the patient’s body by redistributing the fat from the flanks to the hips and making the abdominal area firm and flat.
2. Hourglass butt augmentation
Hourglass butt augmentation is a procedure that combines multiple plastic surgery procedures together in one sitting to help the patient get an impressive-looking buttock and also an improved shaped of the body. The hourglass figure is achieved by performing liposuction to sculpt the midline area (mainly the flanks) and reinjecting this fat into the buttocks and hips. Hourglass butt augmentation also entails the use of implants to increase the projection of the buttocks and make the results more spectacular. When the hourglass butt augmentation is performed, the plastic surgeon will start with lipo on the flanks and sometimes even the lower part of the back or the thighs. Afterwards, implants will be inserted into pockets created inside the gluteal muscles, in the upper part of the buttocks. This will significantly increase the projection of the buttocks and add more volume to them. In the last stage, the fat collected with lipo that has been purified is now injected into the buttocks and the hips. In this manner, we add more volume to the hips and make the body more curvaceous and also provide better coverage for the implants that were inserted into the buttocks.
3. Hourglass hip procedure
The basic hourglass surgery is the hourglass hip procedure. It entails just liposuction and fat transfer to the hips without targeting the other areas of the body more specifically. It can boast impressive results when performed on patients with good skin quality. The skin tonus needs to be good; otherwise, the skin won’t be able to retract on the new contours of the body after liposuction. At the same time, patients undergoing this procedure should be very careful during the recovery period so as not to alter the results. To help them with this, here are some tips and tricks.
– Don’t smoke
Smoking is one of the factors that can make you ineligible to undergo an hourglass procedure in the first place. A responsible and experienced plastic surgeon will avoid operating on a patient who can’t stop smoking or at least reduce the number of cigarettes they have per day. Studies show that it is optimal to quit smoking about three to six weeks prior to the surgery and to remain a non-smoker for the same amount of time post-op.
What happens when you smoke before and after the surgery? For one thing, the blood won’t get enough oxygen and this will delay or complicate the healing process. This means that for patients who smoke, the incisions might take longer to heal and might also look worse than in the case of patients who don’t smoke. This is because of the lack of proper oxygenation of the tissues. In other words, if you keep smoking, you might have bad scarring as well as a longer recovery process.
When it comes to the hourglass procedures, there is another aspect related to smoking that needs to be considered. The fat cells that are transferred to the hips and the buttocks in the case of an hourglass butt augmentation need to develop a new blood network to survive in their new environment. Smoking can interfere with the development of this blood network and lead to the death of the fat cells transferred. In other words, the results of your fat transfer might be altered even before the results are final if you smoke.
– Don’t lie on the areas operated on
The fat cells transferred are very delicate and can easily die and be reabsorbed in the body until they develop a new blood network that will ensure their survival in the area. One thing that patients should do to avoid the death of the fat cells grafted is not sitting or lying on the operated area. This means that after an hourglass tummy tuck, you shouldn’t lie on the sides of the body and tummy. After an hourglass butt augmentation you shouldn’t lie on the back and the sides, and after an hourglass hip procedure you shouldn’t lie on the hips. To avoid the excessive pressure on the areas that might cause fat cells necrosis, it is recommended to get special pillows and always act with care.
– Wear compression garments
Compression garments are recommended after certain plastic surgery procedures as they can improve and refine the results. Compression garments can also reduce the swelling that can naturally occur, so a good tip that you can get from an experienced plastic surgeon is to wear the compression garments for as long as indicated. Generally speaking, most patients should wear the compression garments for about three to four weeks non-stop and after this for another month or so, but only during the day.
Choosing the right size for the compression garments or girdle is mandatory, so make sure to ask your plastic surgeon for advice before ordering. Also, make sure to have at least two sets of compression garments so you can get a clean pair after having a shower.
– Take medication
Each patient feels pain differently. However, there is no doubt about the fact that the hourglass butt augmentation is associated with a more intense level of pain compared to the hourglass hip procedure. However, the tip is to take the medication as prescribed by the plastic surgeon, whatever procedure you had. This is important as it won’t allow infections to occur and it will keep the pain in check. The pills that are usually recommended after the hourglass procedures are pain medication and antibiotics.
– Give it time
Just like any other plastic surgery procedure, it is important to give it time when it comes to the results of the hourglass procedures. A good tip is to be patient and don’t try to make the results show up faster as this is not possible or recommended. It can take up to three months for the final results to be present, so wait until then before evaluating.
Conclusion
Hourglass procedures are very much in demand nowadays as they are the only option for patients who want to enhance the shape of their bodies considerably. With the help of hourglass procedures, patients can not only achieve the hourglass silhouette but also correct certain imperfections in different areas of the body. Among the most important tips and tricks that patients should remember about the hourglass procedure is not to smoke, not to lie or rest on the operated areas, and to make sure to wear the compression garments. A talented and experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon will be able to guide you towards getting the best results possible with the least amount of complications.
