Cosmetic

This blog post was done in collaboration with Bella Vou. However, all views expressed here are my own.

Let’s start from the beginning…

It was the beginning of March. I was on my way to Valencia to spend a few days by the beach and celebrate the infamous Fallas Festival. *party mode onnn* The whole city of Valencia was celebrating for days and it couldn’t be a better time for me to visit this wonderful Spanish city. The weather was warm enough to wear short shorts and revealing tees. However, I wasn’t confident to show that much of my skin because it’s been rather an on-going issue of mine… I’m not happy with my body and it’s been like this since my early teens! *wait, what?!*

I’ve been trying to achieve a toned/lean body for years by consistently exercising and eating well. There were times where my body was at its best, with muscles showing on my arms and chest. Yet, still… The fat in my lower abdominal area was there like its ingrown inside my body and not intending to leave or change no matter what I do. *sad face*

Also, this may come as a little surprise for some of you but… *takes a deep breath* I have a mild case of Pectus Excavatum! *googles to find out what the heck that is* SO, Pectus Excavatum is a structural deformity of the anterior thoracic wall, which (in my case), is lightly visible but does not affect my internal organs. Meaning, my chest bones have grown slightly inwards but I didn’t need the surgery to fix it. This was a deformity that my parents noticed during my puberty.

Even though I exercise regularly and my chest muscles grow… The results are often underwhelming because of the shape of my chest!

Everything happens for a reason!

Whilst in Valencia, I received a message from my dear friend Ed Lemont. He asked me if I know anyone who would be keen to undergo a new cosmetic procedure called Vaser Liposuction at Bella Vou.

At first, I wasn’t sure about that sort of procedure because it is a full-blown surgery! *yikes* As someone who has never had a surgery of any kind, it was definitely something I didn’t want to get myself into. However, after doing a little bit of research, I quickly realised that Vaser Liposuction is THE procedure I need!

So, I asked Ed to pass on my details to Bella Vou and take it from there. A few email exchanges and I was on my way to the Royal Tunbridge Wells to have my first consultation with Amir Nakhdjevani!

A little bit about Vaser Liposculpting procedure…

Vaser Liposculpting (or Vaser Liposuction) is an advanced body sculpting procedure that eliminates fat by using targeted ultrasound technology to liquefy and then very precisely remove fat from the body.

This treatment only targets fat cells, causing significantly less damage to other tissues. In other words: less pain, bruising and recovery time! It can also sculpt and shape multiple areas in a single procedure, including those ‘hard to reach’ areas of the body.

The thing I was most drawn to Vaser Liposculpting was the precise body sculpting procedure. There was an opportunity for me to have my chest sculptured to create the shape I was always dreaming of.

When I had my consultation with Dr. Amir, he briefly explained the surgery, the technology used and things I should do to fully prepare myself for it. Amir performs most of his procedures under local anaesthetic. He told me that he’ll be performing this surgery under twilight sedation as well… Meaning that I’ll be awake during the surgery. Ermmm, what?! *shook* I would lie if I say that I wasn’t taken back by it.

However, after a while, I got into terms with it and thought to myself that it will be quite an interesting journey. *haha, literally* I am a very curious individual, so doing that one thing a day that scares me also gives me strength to move forward. So, let’s do this!

Surgery Day!

The day before my surgery, Bella Vou were kind enough to offer me a 3-night stay at One Warwick Park Hotel which is just a few minutes walk from the clinic. The hotel offers partner rates for those who are having treatment at Bella Vou. Therefore, make sure to ask them for more details. *wink wink*

I was asked to arrive at the clinic at 10 am and have no food 6 hours prior to this. As you would imagine, I didn’t set my alarm at 4 am to have a meal to feed my old body. *gurl, bye*

When I arrived at Bella Vou, my mind was going through waves of emotions. I didn’t know whether I should be excited or nervous about this whole thing.

At the theatre (where the surgery was happening), the anaesthetist hooked me up to a drip which was inserting local anaesthetic into my bloodstream. Within seconds I was completely out of it. *no joke*

There were 6 small incisions made around my abdomen area to perform the procedure. At one point during the liposuction, I was more awake than usual. I could feel things going inside my body. *omg* But fear not, it wasn’t as bad as it sounds. The twilight sedation was really great as it made me feel very relaxed at moments like this.

The surgery took about 4 hours, which in my head played out as barely an hour. Honestly, one minute I was freaking out over a needle and next thing you know, I’m stuffing my face with an avo toast post-surgery. *hashtag wild times*

After care…

When the surgery was over, I was hooked up to 3 drainage tubes for the next 24 hours. It was to ensure that all the excess liquid has left my body and I could achieve the best possible results.

Also, I had to wear a compression foam and garment for at least 4-6 weeks following the surgery. It’s definitely not the most flattering outfit in the world but it made me feel cosy at night. As a blogger, I had to give my edgy outfits a little break and focus on other kinds of campaigns.

The thing I like the most about Bella Vou is that they provide the best post-surgery therapy treatments, which are included in their aftercare, by the way! I was required to attend daily 60-minute Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MDL) messages for the whole week. These are very important as they help reduce swelling, as well as release any remaining fluid from the body. MDL therapist Nikki performed my massages. She has made my recovery feel smooth and quite enjoyable. All of this is included in the price.

Final words, for now.

So, it’s been about 8 weeks since my surgery and I can confidently say that it was all worth it. Was it scary? Yes! Was it painful? A little bit BUT my body has never looked this good!

This whole experience gave me motivation to be kind to myself and my body. I’m currently changing my diet by going mostly plant-based. I also exercise more and drink on very rare occasions. Everything just keeps getting better! *yaaas*

Pssst… Watch this space as I’ll be updating you on my Vaser Liposculpting journey, including diet and fitness. Until next time. xoxo