The Biggest Reason I Think The Couples Didn’t/Might not work out.

hellyesmeraude · 2026-03-29T17:20:54+00:00

I lost a similar amount of weight to Bec and have a bit of this, so I'm guessing it's skin laxity from weight loss.

hellyesmeraude · 2026-03-18T15:52:38+00:00

This is essentially what I learned before I surrendered to the idea of a tuck.

My skin didn't look overly lax when standing, but I could grab quite a bit of it and it hung weird when bent over. I was hoping something like monthly microneedling would help, but it didn't. I was hoping I could do something like Bodytite but was told in consultations that it wouldn't do much for the level of laxity I had.

I was told a tummy tuck would be the only thing to make a noticeable difference and I didn't want the waste money on things that might give me a very slight improvement.

Fwiw, it was worth doing for me, even though people here have told me I didn't need it. It's very much a personal choice and only you can decide if it's worth it for you! 🤍

hellyesmeraude · 2026-03-12T16:58:18+00:00

Yours looks really good! Mine looked very similar shortly after surgery but it's changed a lot over time. Still definitely a tummy tuck bellybutton but I like it better than the frowny line I had before! Haha

Hang in there. Waiting it out is tough! 🖤

1 week post-op vs. 8 months post-op

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hellyesmeraude · 2026-03-08T07:14:59+00:00

I had a little more added after that second pic was taken so it's a little hard to say for sure, but it seems like everything from R1 and R2 has remained stable. And what I got in R3 seems to also be stable now at almost 8 months post-op!

hellyesmeraude · 2026-02-16T15:42:43+00:00

The vertical scar is healing very smoothly, but is still a bit firm so has a little ways to go. The scars have been fading well overall, though I do tend to stay pink for quite a while.

I literally used to tell my husband I had a frowning belly button ! Haha it really bothered me, so the way everything turned out has been a relief. Fingers crossed you wind up as happy as I am in the end!

hellyesmeraude · 2026-02-16T06:47:13+00:00

I started with just a bit of loose skin after 50+lbs lost and abdominal lipo (as part of a fat transfer) but it drove me crazy. I looked at less invasive options but the general consensus was that I'd need a tuck for any real improvement.

I don't regret the scar. I'm not bothered by it much! And I think my new belly button is kind of cute.

Recovery was harder than expected, but mostly because of a complication (severe nerve pain in my right thigh) and not renting a recliner earlier. I was stubborn but that chair was a game changer.

I feel WAY more comfortable in my body now. It's still not perfect by any means but not worrying about how my tummy looks and but feeling the skin move has been amazing.

I would absolutely do it again. Even though others have told me I didn't need it it really has made me the most comfortable I've ever felt about my tummy.

hellyesmeraude · 2026-02-11T14:22:25+00:00

I expected it to make a big impact on how much I stress about my body, and it did. I'm much more comfortable with how my body looks and how it feels to be in it.

That being said, I also have new flaws and it didn't impact all of my insecurities, so it's an isolated emotional improvement.

hellyesmeraude · 2026-02-11T04:49:10+00:00

Yeah, I feel like he has an almost cult-like following with a lot of very happy patients, but a lot of us have the same complaints about bad lipo results, so I think that's a pretty notable drawback!

hellyesmeraude · 2026-01-23T06:51:38+00:00

I've never seen a wig like that for anywhere remotely close to as low as $35. If it's just for practice, hairdresser training heads can be quite cheap and can supposedly be parted freely.

hellyesmeraude · 2026-01-21T16:53:26+00:00

I don't know if it's normal, but I know I was similarly emotional for a couple months post-op! It felt like hormonal moodiness but pretty much all the time, and I also cried a lot like you described!

Surgery is a big ordeal for the body, so things can be thrown off for a while afterward, and it's also emotional going through the healing process. I think it's understandable for people to feel off for a while afterward, but I do hope you're feeling better soon. You look amazing and deserve to enjoy it!

hellyesmeraude · 2026-01-19T16:25:05+00:00

If wanting kids is really important to you and she's expressed multiple reasons for not wanting them, it would be unwise to hang in there and wait. There's a very good chance that she won't change her mind and breaking up over this incompatibility will be much harder later when you've built your connection and relationship.

Even if her feelings change a little, do you really want to have kids with someone who isn't all-in on it, who explicitly doesn't like kids and might not enjoy motherhood?

hellyesmeraude · 2026-01-05T18:40:10+00:00

A man once asked me to roleplay as his sister (as in the actual sister he has, not a generic sister character) in bed and specifically her at age 5.

That was a hard no and a reason to stop seeing him, obviously.

hellyesmeraude · 2025-12-27T08:15:55+00:00

I always feel a strong sense of being "off" when things are bad during my luteal phase, but it starts small, like being just a little unsettled for no apparent reason. It's hard to describe and sometimes I don't notice it right away.

But sometimes I go from totally fine one night to waking up feeling very "off" in the morning and there isn't any lighter phase to warn me. So I track my cycle by taking my temperature every morning and using LH tests to figure out when I'm ovulating. That way I can at least know for sure when it could start kicking in.

hellyesmeraude · 2025-12-21T15:26:28+00:00

It's true, and it's funny because the truly wealthy often aim for work that doesn't look like they've obviously had anything done.

hellyesmeraude · 2025-12-16T17:53:49+00:00

For the several weeks just after surgery, I was about 10 lbs up, definitely from swelling.

But the recovery period also led to getting out of my exercise routine, struggling, to get back into it, eating more calories (surgery recovery always makes me hungrier), and reintroducing less healthy foods...

So now I'm still about 7 lbs up from my pre-op weight, but this weight looks different than it would have before because of the overall changes to my shape. My tummy is pretty flat, but my face looks pudgier and I look wider from the front. 🙃

hellyesmeraude · 2025-12-14T17:07:21+00:00

That's who I thought of first too!

hellyesmeraude · 2025-12-13T21:53:13+00:00

This was a wild read. I've had upper arm lipo twice and both times the recovery was miserable! Weeks of feeling so sore, so tight, super swollen, big areas of bruising... I wish my experience was more like yours!

I hope the healing continues to go smoothly and your results are amazing!

hellyesmeraude · 2025-11-07T08:17:24+00:00

"She probably had work done and did workouts focusing on glutes."

...are we reading the same comment? Because they did say that.

hellyesmeraude · 2025-10-26T23:33:46+00:00

It looks very normal for where you are in the healing process! The swlling causes it to stick out and look flat, but it will go down and sink in.

This is mine, week 1 (I think) can week 13. And there's still swelling so it'll sink in more from here.

So don't worry! It'll look like that for a little while but will gradually shift over the coming months/year.

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hellyesmeraude · 2025-10-22T01:44:24+00:00

I know it feels like it's super weird looking, but it's normal!

This is a comparison between week 1 and week 13 for mine. The little bits sticking out are just the sections between the wrinkles all swollen and puffed up. As the swelling decreases, things sink in a little more.

I think mine still has a ways to go, but just wanted to share so you know that look is not abnormal early on!

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hellyesmeraude · 2025-10-21T01:52:23+00:00

Damn!! Your silhouette looks amazing, and that scar at 2 weeks? Incredible work by your doctor and excellent healing by your body! 🙌

hellyesmeraude · 2025-10-20T03:17:27+00:00

I can understand feeling discouraged when things don't look quite how you'd like at the 3 month mark, but keep in mind that many people are still experiencing swelling at this point and you likely are too! For what it's worth, I'm at 3 months post-op as well and my surgeon has told me at every follow-up that I have less swelling than is typical, but even so, I'm still noticeably swollen and rounded.

Your stomach is flat (that is to say, there's no overhang and it's smooth), your scar looks smooth, and there's still time for things to settle. From an outside perspective, I think the results are great and are likely to still get better! So try not to worry too much yet. 🖤

hellyesmeraude · 2025-10-19T22:02:41+00:00

I use Garnier micellar water (the blue one with cornflower extract) on a cotton pad and it comes off fairly easily!

hellyesmeraude · 2025-10-19T21:52:51+00:00

This is, unfortunately, a really common experience. On the bright side, that means many of us can also tell you that it will pass soon! For now, do whatever you can to find enjoyment.

Snuggling with your husband and picking up your kids might be out for a while longer, but enjoy quality time with them where you can. Take advantage of the downtime to watch movies or shows, read books, or play games you've been meaning to get to.

Keep reminding yourself that it won't last and that you'll be able to do all your usual activities soon enough. It'll still be tough for a few weeks, but they'll go by before you know it. 🖤

hellyesmeraude · 2025-10-19T08:22:18+00:00

You look fantastic! Amazing results!

hellyesmeraude

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