Medical FAQ

We think you’re great just the way you are. But if you’re curious about going under the knife for a cosmetic surgery, we want you to feel comfortable with that, too! That’s why we caught up with Dr. Deirdre Rhoad of Rhoad to Beauty and asked what a fit and active patient should know about getting a procedure done.

After a breast augmentation, does the surgery affect chest or arm exercises in any way?

After sub-muscular breast augmentation, it will be uncomfortable to move the arms and chest. However, exercises that involve movement of the arms and chest are encouraged to help stretch the muscles and allow the implant to move in all directions like a natural breast. The overlying muscle will be tight and need stretching to accommodate the implant. A breast lift helps make the breast look more youthful by removing stretched skin, keeping the volume of the breast, and relocating the nipple/areola complex to a higher position. A breast reduction also removes breast tissue. Any exercise that would pull on the incisions would be discouraged for six weeks—including running, yoga, weightlifting over the head, and rowing. For the best looking scars, incisions need time to become strong enough to resist any stretching across the incisions. This takes six weeks. While supportive bandages and a compression vest similar to a jog bra are worn for six weeks, patients are allowed to do isolated exercises of the arms and legs.

What are some of the most commonly chosen cosmetic or restorative surgeries athletes and active patients tend to choose?

The most common procedures athletes and active people choose is lifting of the face, eyes, neck, arms or breasts. Tummy tucks are common as the loose skin from pregnancy or weight loss will not go away with exercise. Injectables like Botox, Restylane, Juvederm and Sculptra are helpful to maintain a smooth and voluminous youthful face. Photofacials are important to remove dark spots that will occur anywhere on the body that has been left exposed to the sun without sun block. Skin cancer caused by overexposure to the sun or tanning beds also occurs in the active person or athlete.

Do you find that a tummy tuck or liposuctions serves as a kick-start for patients to lead a healthy and more active lifestyle?

Everyone is different, but for many, liposuction is often used to jumpstart a healthier lifestyle. Looking in the mirror and wearing clothes that fit nicely are likely to help you feel better about yourself. Compliments on the way you look don’t hurt either. A tummy tuck is great for the person who has tried to exercise and cannot lose that saggy skin no matter how hard they try.

In your opinion, what is the future of cosmetic and restorative surgery?

The future of cosmetic and restorative surgery will continue to include many new modalities. Injectables, minimally invasive procedures, and non-invasive procedures are usually not as long lasting as their surgical counterparts, but many people will continue to look for them. The generation of quick fixes and less recovery time will always be appealing. The one thing most of us are trying to get rid of these days can be used to improve our appearances—Yes, fat. Turning something ugly into something beautiful is being done more and more often. Primarily, removing fat from where you don't want it and putting it where you do! Fat from your neck, thighs, arms, and torso is being placed in the face, breasts and buttocks. Reduce, reuse, recycle.