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When I look back on my pregnancy, I consider myself lucky. Apart from the bout of morning sickness in the first trimester, I was pretty much enjoying it. Every visit to the gynaecologist was exciting as I got to see how the baby was growing. I even relished the weight gain (which was moderate), knowing that the baby was developing well and hitting his milestones.
What no one prepared me for nor did I expect was how I would look like after birth. Naively, I had assumed my belly would automatically shrink back to its pre-pregnancy state. On the contrary, I looked as if I was 6 months pregnant. What’s worse, stretch marks appeared on the back of my thighs where they weren’t there before, and pigmentation spread across my cheeks. To be honest, I wasn’t sure how to accept all my bodily changes, on top of learning to care for a newborn.
It was a lot to deal with.
But I remembered Dr Low Chai Ling, who now runs SW1 Clinic, and made an appointment to see her, and to see what can be done to get myself back into pre-pregnancy state. I didn’t expect to fit into a slinky black dress, I just wanted to retrieve a sense of who I was before, sans pigmentation, stretchmarks and flabby tummy.
She assured me all is not lost and there are treatments to treat and minimise these nagging concerns.
Pigmentation
For my pigmentation, Dr Low recommended the Porcelain Skin Program. This program is based on a revolutionary Japanese research into ultimate skin whitening and pigment removal, and it focuses on erasing stubborn dark patches on the skin as well as increasing skin fairness in under 2 months. The laser used is FDA approved for treating skin discoloration, while the LED RED therapy included in this program helps to erase signs of aging and photo-damage. Aquadermabrasion is also used and is teamed up with Pearl Éclat to improve skin health, radiance and overall glow.
Flabby tummy
Over the course of a few months, my tummy shrank naturally, but there was still saggy skin and I wanted to achieve a tighter appearance. Dr Low suggested Thermage, which uses a unique radiofrequency technology to cause deep volumetric heating of the dermis and subcutaneous tissue, while the surface skin is simultaneously cooled for protection and comfort. Deep tissue heating helps to tighten existing collagen and stimulate the skin’s natural renewal of new collagen. No injections, incisions or recovery time are involved – perfect for me.
She added that this treatment can be used to firm and lift saggy abdomen, thighs, buttocks and arms, and additionally tone and contour loose bulgy tummies, exactly what I had after pregnancy.
A few sessions may be needed but immediate improvement to the skin can already be seen after the treatment.
