by Dr. H. Michael Roark
The name makes it clear that a Mommy Makeover is especially for women who have had children. Its name provides no clue, however, whether it can be done before you are done having children. Ideally, a Mommy Makeover should be performed after you are done having children—but some women don’t want to wait or are not sure if they will have more kids. Let’s examine the issues.
Self-transformation takes confidence and courage. Many people know they want to look better, yet hesitate when it comes to plastic surgery.
But if you ask LJCSC patient Bette what she recommends, she’ll tell you: “Don’t walk—run … and get it done!”
Initially, Bette wasn’t sure it was time to have surgery. She still had personal weight loss goals, and she was worried she might have to lose the weight before having a neck lift. She decided to come in for a complimentary personal consultation with Dr. Michael Roark about the sagging skin on her neck.
by Dr. H. Michael Roark
Most new moms in San Diego want to get their pre-baby bodies back. It can be done, but it requires some effort. Diet and exercise are the first steps to get your body back in shape.
Before you start a diet, though, check with your doctor to make sure you’re ready. Going on an extreme diet can be detrimental to your health. If you’re breastfeeding, ask your doctor about a healthy diet to ensure that both you and your baby get what you need.
Living in the California desert has its perks. Pool season lasts for 9 months. Unfortunately, for some, pool season can be anything but fabulous. LJCSC patient Lisa recalls her “exhausting” battle to keep covered up… when she preferred to be basking in the sun.
Giving birth to two children within 15 months of each other changed Lisa’s shape. She recalls “living in a sports bra 24/7” and feeling out of place at the pool. Her biggest challenge was the significant transformation in the shape and size of her breasts, causing her to “feel self-conscious and embarrassed.” She finally decided to do something about it.
Susie had wanted cosmetic facial surgery for a number of years. “My mirror was no longer a friend of mine,” Susie said. “I didn’t like looking at loose skin, especially under my chin. Also, I have lots of energy and I didn’t want to continue to look older than I felt.”
Her son was getting married. What mother of the groom doesn’t want to look better in pictures? After making the decision to explore her options for looking younger, Susie’s challenge was that many things were going on in her life all at the same time. There was a vacation, a new grandson, quitting her job to be the “Granny Nanny” for him, and time to heal before the wedding.
Ginny had a facelift ten years ago. She enjoyed her more youthful look for many years, but time and gravity took their toll. She wanted a “refresher” but her doctor had retired. As luck would have it, she ran into her surgeon, Dr. Merrel Olesen, at a duplicate bridge game. Ginny immediately asked Dr. Olesen what to do. He agreed that she was ready for a touch-up and recommended her return to LJCSC.
South Africa-born Susan’s life is never dull. While maintaining a web design business and sailing on the competitive circuit, she is also a single mom. In the last 15 years of living in the U.S., Susan has developed a passion for sailing. She has done everything from LEMWOD to Newport to Ensenada (twice!) in the Long Beach Yacht club, an all-women’s match race on the Catalina 37s.
Susan promised she would have cosmetic surgery done before her fiftieth birthday. When the time came, she kept her promise and decided on a facelift and breast augmentation. Choosing the right surgeon was of utmost importance to her.
by H. Michael Roark, MD
Dr. Michael Roark
If there are aspects of your appearance that you are considering altering, you may have considered plastic surgery. The first step in finding a plastic surgeon is deciding what changes you want to make to your appearance. Choosing the right plastic surgeon is dependent on what procedure you are considering. Identifying what results you want is far easier than finding the best surgeon to perform the task.
Although Taunya leads a very busy life, she always tries to find a little time each day to exercise. Her three children, two boys and one girl ranging in ages from 2½ to 7 years old, all have one thing in common—they were very large babies. “My first two children were 9.5 and 10 lbs. My third child had to be delivered by caesarean two weeks early because of how big my babies grew, and he was already 8 lbs.” The children brighten Taunya’s life in so many ways, but carrying such large babies wreaked havoc on her fit body. “The skin just kept stretching with each pregnancy, and no matter how much I worked out, it never bounced back.”
Wendy never had a strong feeling either way about plastic surgery until one night she was watching a movie with her husband and became interested in breast augmentation. Ultimately, she was happy with her body, but felt it could be more balanced. After speaking to her husband about the operation, he was against it, so she let the idea drop.
Years went by and Wendy was starting over after a divorce, and her thoughts for a breast enhancement returned. “It was something that I had given a lot of thought to, but I finally reached a point where I was ready to stop just thinking about it, and take action.”
Getting a breast augmentation for Brittni wasn’t about wanting to increase her breast size, it was about getting her feminine shape she always wanted. “I had the type of body that matured very early. By the time I was in my early twenties, my breasts had already changed shape and I didn’t like what I was seeing.” Now facing what women typically face after children or later in life, Brittni’s breast were less than perky.
