 Today is the day, at least one of the days, I guess. Today is my pre-op appointment for my breast reduction surgery. If you guys didn't watch my first video, kind of explaining like why I'm getting this surgery, you can click the link in the description because that kind of goes through everything. Today we decide how small I wanna go. So currently I'm a size triple D, double D. I don't know if that's very accurate, so I'm gonna ask them to size me. But I wanna go down to like a C, maybe a small C. I don't know. For people that have gotten breast reductions before, they like don't love their results because they think they're still too big and I don't want that to happen to me. So I feel like going smaller would be better just because I have heard that they do grow back, you know, like maybe if you're, if you get pregnant or you're on your period, I don't know. So I'm just gonna ask him like all the myths that I hear online and see if they're true. Also a couple of people on Instagram DMed me with their questions, so I'll have him answer that. Hopefully, I don't know if like he'll be in a rush or anything, so hopefully I'll be able to film. The place I went with was Westlake Dermatology. If you guys are in Austin, you already know who Westlake Dermatology is. I feel like they are so well known. I was honestly shocked by their pricing because I called around to a bunch of different plastic surgeons here in Austin and some of them could have gone up to like $14,000. Westlake Dermatology was honestly one of the more affordable ones, which was very shocking to me because they're Westlake Dermatology. It is 847 a.m. right now and my appointment is at nine, so I think I'm just gonna go in. I might have to do some paperwork, I don't know. So let's do this, I'm so excited. If you're in the process of losing weight and like getting healthy, should you wait until after you get it done? Like how much will it affect your weight loss? And all that stuff. Yeah, so ideally, as well as with breast reduction, also with lower liposuction cases as well, is that you do wanna be at your ideal weight, like of course weight fluctuation, fluctuates all the time, but ultimately that would be the goal because then your breasts can kind of accommodate to that and kind of be at that ideal shape you want them to be. Going off of that, let's say I get my period, are they gonna get bigger like you know, during pregnancy I've heard that they get like a lot bigger and what do you think? Yeah, so I mean of course everything that typically functions with your hormones with your breasts after breast reduction or an augmentation, anything like that will still remain intact. And so ultimately, yes they will fluctuate as well with your period or pregnancy and everything. So does that mean like I should go on the smaller side when getting them done because I've heard a lot of people getting them done and they say that like they wish they went smaller like you know it's still too big. Not necessarily, I mean ideally for example, for you like what is your current process right now? Honestly, would you be on a size me, do you? We don't do that unfortunately. I don't know, I think it's like a triple D, double A, I don't know. I want to be like your dream, like C. Is it more so like you're set on a C or are you saying like you want just something to kind of fit your body? Yeah, yeah. I like that I have like in tops, in certain tops like I like that it fills it up but sometimes it's just like too much it's like spillage or like they don't even fit in the cup so like something that like just fits better, you know? Like I like having boobs but it just like doesn't. It's just a lot of boobs. It's just a lot, it's just a little too much. Yeah, I understand that. So I mean, I wouldn't say to just like go for the smaller just because of normal body habits of period and pregnancy and stuff like that. I think really the key is getting it to fit your shape and your body frame and something that you're comfortable with ultimately. Cause then I see things like with your period, like I mean, they might get bigger but just it's not a lot. Yeah, other things and pregnancy wise that is a bigger fluctuation compared to your period but it's not forever to know. It's really just for that time. Okay, going on for pregnancy then, what about like breastfeeding? That was like my mom's biggest like issue concern. Like just like you have to be able to breastfeed. Nowadays, like, because before there was a lot of, especially with like breast augmentation is getting implant, a lot of patients were super stressed about that kind of thing. But now there's the technique of placing it under the muscle has helped make it where people with augmentations can have breastfeeding. And of course with any surgery, we can't 100% guarantee but we try to make sure that you will have that opportunity. So in regards to breast reduction, yes, you should be able to. But as with, like I said, any surgery, we want you to know that there could be a risk that that might not be. Yeah. And I just found out that apparently not even everyone can breastfeed. So like, I didn't know that. I mean, it's of course everyone, like they want to take that initial step too and then now I said, it might just not be in their cards and ultimately have to do bottle feeding. And I mean, there's nothing wrong with that. Right. And then so like a lot of people have been like, oh, I'm just gonna wait till I have kids to do this. And my issue is like, I don't know when that, I'm gonna have kids. It's just like getting later and later. Right. So do a lot of people with breast reductions like come back like 10 years later to get another one or like, what does that? I mean, everyone's so different with it, truly. And I mean, like you said, like people do want to wait and everyone has that timeframe with it. Like with augmentation, getting implants, there's people that about 100% are like, I'm not getting them until I have kids. People can't come back. You can get an implant change. And I didn't want to wait that long. I didn't. And everyone, that's their personal decision. And really I think you're at kind of the age where it's really the optimal time with recovery and everything. And you want to enjoy them too. You want to like have the time to feel like you're not having like this huge weight on your shoulders and like be able to wear the clothes that you want to because you're in the age of 24 to do those things, not just, but it's everyone's personal decision. And for those that do get it earlier, like, I mean, you might come back like 10, 15 years, but also you might be super content with it and go, don't have to come back. Let's go for that. That's okay for sure. I know there was like a kid that you can buy for like scarring, but are there any like, you know, like laser sessions that you recommend for scarring or like, like, do, I mean, I guess I have to take like real good care of them to like make them go away. Will they go away like completely if I do all of that? Or like, will there still be like some kind of. So do you know what the scar? The anchor. Yeah, so it's an anchor. And a lot of, I've realized with patients who have kind of more darker skin tone, there's not a risk of joining, which is usually what we recommend or like hyperpigmentation of those scars. And we recommend for you, maybe before, starting what's called even tone correcting serum. We have it here in our clinic, starting at just a moisturizer tone. Even tone. Yeah. It also really has seven like melanin blockers that are going to help prevent that hyperpigmentation. Scar care is really, really important, especially with this procedure, just because it's a little bit more of an invisible scar. It's a lot. It's a lot of YouTube videos. Yeah. And a lot, and there are some patients who just don't want to do this procedure because of that scar. But I've seen a lot of patients who do the scar care that we recommend and really it does wonders on them. If there does come a time, typically it's usually like two to three month mark where you feel like they're still like gray, so they're just not settling because everyone scars differently. I know there are people that have like huge scars that just step away. Some take away after a couple months or so. We do have laser treatments for that. Typically we'll usually recommend what's called Fraxel. It's a great procedure really just for overall skin correcting. What is the cost of that? So, and typically for Dr. Chiki Obi-Vee because it's for a procedure he did on you. It usually costs like $50 a session. But how many sessions? We usually recommend like three sessions of it. Yeah, it's not crazy. Okay, I'm gonna do that. No, it's great. I mean, you might not need it, but if there comes a time where you're just like still like, I just want these to kind of go way faster. Do you not recommend, like do you recommend like waiting like that three months or like when you get done like, wait like two months to at least just to first start the scar care. Yeah, process with that. Then I can take it from there. Cool. I feel like when I was doing like research, there wasn't like everyone was so vague about it. You know, so I want to be like super in detail and like those were like the whole process because I've been thinking about getting the surgery for like a year or so, I'm just really excited. And I mean, the thing is like I've grown up with big boobs this whole time. So like I didn't, I don't know what the difference could be, but I'm just like, since I do videography and photography, like I'm always like standing up, holding a big chunky thing and like then my back's hurting, you know, so much. So now I've like realized like, okay, it could be the boobs, you know. Also, tell me if one boob is bigger than the other because I'm very curious. I feel like it is, but it's normal to have that. If you took like 10 women and looked at the breasts, you'd notice that like nine of them probably would have one side if they're gonna be other and more commonly it's the left side. We're getting the right. So let's see if you're kind of in that. I think this is the case. Yeah, your left breast has more volume, kind of sits a little wider on the right side and there's more volume on the bottom, so. Weird. There was a bit of a trade-off with breast reduction surgery in that your new shape will be awesome but also probably some scars. Yeah, I don't know. And there was a typical scar pattern that I have to create so you know about your research so you know how good. I think that scars can be a bit more of a concern for so-called ethnic skin. So some of that, you know, Asian heritage, Hispanic heritage, African American heritage, those patients, I tend to be very obsessive about their scars because they're a bit higher with some scar issues. Cool. Yeah, the downtime from breast reduction surgery is not bad compared to most plastic surgeries. For the areolas, like, do you decide on the size? I typically will make them roughly 34 millimeters. The real name is areola tone, but who call them quicky cutters? Yeah. So we're talking about quicky cutters, I'm taking a bit of it. Yeah. Take it off. So we have these areola markers, areola tones, and this is how I determine areola size during breast surgery. In the past, we would use one that's even bigger, but over time, we realized that that wasn't super aesthetically present. Any questions for me? No, I don't think so. Cool. All right, thank you so much. You're welcome. My pre-op went really well. It was pretty quick, honestly. I got all my questions answered. Now we're going to talk about pricing. I know everyone's very curious, but it's kind of like a more controversial thing to ask, I guess. The whole surgery was about $9,900. And what I found was really interesting was that the lift was the most expensive part. So the breast reduction was only like a thousand more. And they explained that the lift would actually remove a little bit of the tissue. So if you only got the lift, you would go down maybe around a cup size. But they said if you wanted to make them even smaller, go ahead and get the reduction while they're in there. So I obviously did, because I definitely want them to be a good bit smaller than what they are now. My first video where I explained why I want this surgery, I also explained why I'm not going through insurance. If you have ever looked into getting a breast reduction and getting it covered by insurance, you would know that it's such a process and it just didn't work out for me. So unfortunately, I am paying it out of pocket, but I already know I'm not gonna regret spending this money on the surgery. So I made a $200 deposit, and then when I went to my pre-op, I made a payment of $7,350. And then the rest of the money you actually have to pay to Austin Surgical, which is the anesthesia people, which was around $2,000. Some other things to keep in mind that might cost extra. I had to get some blood work done and that was around $80. But my mom just told me that I couldn't put that under my insurance. So I think we're gonna like submit the receipt and get that figured out. Once you go to your one week post-op, they give you the option to purchase scar kits and other things that can help you heal faster, extra pain medications, all that kind of stuff. I also had to purchase my own zip up bras. So you just need a bra that zips up in front or buttons in front. I thought the zip up would be easier. So I went ahead and ordered them on Amazon and I can link those below. You basically have to sponge bath like a week after too. So I bought some disposable like sponges that kind of like get soapy when you wet it a little bit. Another thing to note is that I will be having some drains. I don't know if they're giving me two drains or one drain or I've never had drains in my life. So I don't even know what the heck that is, but I have to buy gauze and hydrogen peroxide for that. It's basically there to just remove any excess fluid. I have the paperwork that they gave me and I'm just gonna read through like some pre-op and post-op instructions. So first, no smoking for two weeks prior or two weeks after in case you're a smoker. And then it says, please do not consume alcohol. Ask brand containing products for at least 10 days prior to your surgery and 14 days after your surgery. I was actually curious about this one because I was like, dang, can I not have like one margarita? So like I Googled it and basically it said that it needs all the body's energy to just like focus on healing your body and not to focus on like your hangover or healing your body from like dehydration from alcohol. That's what I kind of got from it. So I don't know how strict like the 10 days prior thing is, but I definitely probably won't be drinking 14 days after. It also says that it could just increase bruising, which obviously I don't want. So they said to shower with antibacterial soap, so dial and then just do not wear any moisturizers, makeups, perfumes, deodorant before your surgery. That's one thing that got me too. I was like, oh my God, I'm literally going to be so nervous. I'm going to sweat and then it's like nervous sweat that smells just like you're going to be fine. So I was like, okay. Wear loose fitting dark clothing to your procedure. They recommend button-up shirts and they also told me to wear sneakers, not any like flip-flops or anything like that. For a post-op, you're supposed to keep the incisions dry for 24 hours or two to three weeks. You're supposed to avoid bathtubs, jacuzzi's pool, anything that will have your food submerged in water, which sucks. It is the end of summer and I love to go swimming. So I'm going to have to get all of my swimming needs out before the surgery. They said to leave any tape covering on the incisions for one week, just like have them take it off at your one week post-op. It's as to wear a soft bra with no underwire for at least four weeks after surgery. Avoid strenuous physical or aerobic activity for two weeks. For four weeks, I'm supposed to avoid heavy lifting greater than 15 pounds and I'm free from all exercise restrictions six weeks post-op. I'm supposed to avoid raising my arms over my shoulders for two weeks and I should avoid laying on my stomach for six weeks. It also says to minimize sun exposure to incision areas for six months to a year, which I feel like they're always covered so I feel like I won't have a problem with that. I'm not sure if I mentioned my doctor's name but I'm going to Dr. Chiki Obi at Westlake Dermatology at the downtown office and at first I thought I would have to get the surgery done at like some random surgery center but they actually have the surgery center in their downtown office, which is kind of nice. I guess the next vlog you'll see will be my actual breast reduction vlog and the recovery and all of that. I'll be sure to make a playlist on my YouTube channel in case you are researching getting it done yourself. Feel free to follow me on Instagram where I'll be posting real time updates on my stories and I will see y'all in my next video. Bye.