HealthWatch: Getting Your Pre-Baby Body Back
NEW YORK (CBS) ―Many women describe the experience of having a baby as one of the happiest and most rewarding of their lives – but like with many good things, there is some bad.
As a lot of new moms will tell you, having a child can do a number on your body, but there are new ways to restore your body after giving birth.
According to Wendy Olin, her baby Alexa brought her an incredible amount of joy – and stretch marks.
"It was red, it was ugly," said Olin. "I couldn't really show my belly."
The marks bothered her enough to turn to Dr. Lori Brightman, who decided to use a device called the Syneron E2-2 to treat them.
"What we're trying to do is create new collagen and elastin to help repair what's been damaged deeper in the skin," said Brightman.
The new collagen and elastin comes from the body's healing response to controlled inflammation – it's just one of a new generation of devices that have been scientifically proven to help new mothers look like they used to.
"It's not just losing weight with diet and exercise," said Brightman. "It's about getting that shape back, that taughtness."
It's that tightening that Jan Strack is after. She lost all her baby weight with diet and exercise, but her second pregnancy left a lasting impression.
"After the second pregnancy, I could no longer wear a bikini," she said. "My stomach was out of shape even though there really was no fat."
To deal with the loose skin, Dr. Brightman uses Velashape-2, which actually sucks a little of the loose skin in, then hits it with infrared energy followed by radio frequency. The combination allows deeper heating, which tightens more than previous devices.
For Strack, it did the trick.
"I'm very happy, she said. "I can wear a bikini again."
Olin's stretch marks are gradually disappearing, too. These techniques usually take multiple treatments, and while they can't work miracles, they do give a helping hand when diet and exercise aren't enough.
The key is to find an experience doctor who knows which technique can help you get your body back.
There are lasers, skin heating devices and some that freeze fat. Your symptoms will determine which device is best for you. It is important to keep in mind that these are not weight loss techniques, but for body contouring.
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