i have never worn a bikini. and having twins has pretty much ensured that i never will. and while i am okay with that consequence of child-bearing, there are parts of it i struggle with daily. i have heard mothers call their stretch marks "love marks" and state that with every additional mark they "earned," they loved their unborn child that much more. i have a hard time joining in with that sort of mentality. not that i don't love my offspring. i do. deeply. but i cannot say, for me, there is any connection between my love for them and the devastated remains of my abdominal region.
last week, i went to visit a high end medi-spa on the east side. the doctor there had been recommended to me by my brother due to his skill using smart lipo. my brother should know; he sells the lasers used in the procedure. i won't bore you will the details of "laser lipo," as it is called...but suffice to say it involves melting and sucking out excess fat while stimulating collagen production that causes tightening in the affected area to occur. yumm-o, right? so the fat loss is not my goal...i can do that on my own with diet and exercise (at some point in the future when i want to watch my diet and i have time to exercise, ha ha) and some dedication. but the tightening angle was worth checking out and learning more about.
i arrived at the medi-spa right on time. it is located inside of a high-end sports club i have never been to and i wasn't sure where to go. the girl working the front desk was young, perky and helpful. as such, i found her a little annoying. nonetheless, she directed me to the spa and said someone would escort me to the medi-spa. escort me? what was this, the fbi? so i headed to the spa where a clone of the girl at the front desk took my name and informed me that hugo "would be right down" to show me the way. hugo arrived as promised and, while flirting with every employee on the way, took me up to the medi-spa. it was quite tucked away and i was not at all sure i could find my way there again. i was starting to feel a bit like alice, just in a much posher rabbit hole.
upon arrival, i was ushered into a highly decorated room with a comfy chair, textured-wallpapered walls and what looked like a facial chair in the middle of the room. the lights were slightly dimmed. the girl who showed me in was also young and thin...but not quite as perky. she seemed pretty down to earth and i liked her. i told her what i was after - tightening in the tummy region and she took a look. we chatted and then the doctor came in.
now, i know i am in denial about getting older. i still wear hoodies and all-stars and pig tails. i rarely wear makeup and don't mind getting dirty. in short, i still feel like a kid most of the time. when the doctor walked in i knew i was old. he was trim, fit and sporting a burberry sweater and black emo glasses. he truly did not look old enough to shave. clearly, he has been sampling some of the botox he offers in his clinic. his bedside manner was just right for the majority of his clientele. he was quiet, tactful and spoke with a slight valium-induced accent. he efficiently informed me that i could benefit from a tummy tuck, although the smart lipo would make me look a lot better in my clothes. it was all a little surreal.
it got me thinking. what is beauty? who defines it? how do we respond to that definition? and, honestly, it made me glad to have three sons and no daughters.
i have never considered myself a plastic surgery person. i still don't think that a tummy tuck is in my future. i am on the fence about the lipo. i am on the fence about my ideas that surround my body.
of course, if i go with the lipo...i'll look a lot better in my clothes on that fence. hmmmmm.
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