[WATCH] Maddie Gets Plasma Skin Tightening

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT.

In June, I had a baby. It was the most magical thing I've ever experienced, but pregnancy left behind some body blemishes. Once I was about two months post-partum, I realized I had saggy skin that wasn't going to go away no matter how hard I hit the gym.

A lot of women deal with hanging skin after pregnancy, but it lowered my self confidence tremendously. I knew I wanted more kids in the future, but that didn't mean I had to settle with my new "Mom bod" in the meantime. I started researching ways to tighten up my saggy skin and I came across an non-surgical procedure called Plasma Skin Tightening. It was exactly what I was looking for!

Plasma Skin Tightening is the only cosmetic treatment to use plasma to eliminate excess skin. It's a BRAND NEW thing that's only being done by one person in Evansville at the moment - Addison Edge at Revolution Ink. She was just recently certified to do this procedure and I was her first belly client. Typically, people use Plasma Skin Tightening to treat hooded eyes and crow's feet, but there's a long list of areas PST can help, including areas around the mouth where skin might be droopy, as well as saggy skin on the underneath of the arms.

According to Addison's website, this is how it works: the device used creates a tiny electrical arc using the natural gases coming off your skin, targeting the epidermis only, in a micro-sized point. A series of tiny, superficial carbon crusts (burns) are strategically placed to attain the desired result of minimizing excess skin. The skin around the spot tightens instantly, pulling the cells closer together. The tissue retraction and tightening gives results that are comparable to invasive surgery by physically reducing the volume of the skin in the surrounding area.

Pretty neat, right?

Before I start sharing my personal photos, please keep in mind that my self confidence still isn't 100%, and it might not ever be. Getting my pep back in my step takes more than just a procedure - it's just as much mental as it is physical and I am aware of that. It took a lot of courage to share this with you guys. So, with that being said, check out my pictures!

This is what I was dealing with around six weeks post-partum, BEFORE the procedure:

As you can see, I have some crepey skin and my belly button had totally collapsed. I have several stretch marks and some pudgy belly fat (Plasma Skin Tightening does not reduce fat). As I continued to lose weight, the skin on my belly became looser.

After this photo was taken, I lost an additional 10 pounds.

So, while that super attractive image is nice and fresh in your mind, let's carry on.

Here was my point of view during the whole shabang:

Although this is a super unflattering angle of my chubby belly, you can see the reaction (the reddish light) that the needle is causing, which in turn is burning my skin. Each burn is done individually, so the entire process took about two hours. The topical numbing cream that is applied beforehand takes about 45 minutes to start working, so add in that time. In total, I was in the chair for around 3 hours.

Here's the action going down:

Here's what I looked like 24 hours after the procedure:

Instantly after the procedure, my belly button started to lift. As you can see, the lines on my stomach began to flatten out, exposing the skin underneath. This was also happening during the procedure, so Addison went back into newly lifted skin and added more burns where necessary. It was super exciting to see results almost instantly - and it's only going to get better from here!

I will keep this post updated constantly as I heal. I have the option of going back for round 2 once I'm healed. The rule of thumb is to only cover an area as big as your hand for healing purposes, so Addison did what she could in one session. I will go back to cover more area in a few weeks.

So, you're probably wondering if it hurt. Yes, it hurt. You're burning your skin off. But it wasn't excruciating or intolerable. It stung like a burn stings, but the numbing cream helped a lot. The aftercare also helps soothe the area. I wash the area twice a day with antibacterial soap and use a salve that Addison gave me, which cools the area and protects against infection. It's also SUPER important to keep the area clean and dry.

I was pretty oozy on the first day. I would compare the pain to that of a sunburn. It stung when water hit it in the shower, and my clothes got stuck to the area every now and then. However, by day 2, I hardly even realized it was there. Because the burns aren't super deep, I scabbed over within a day or so.

Like I said, I will post more updated pictures as I continue to heal. In the meantime, check out all Addison's services here. She offers a variety of Plasma Skin Tightening procedures, as well as other permanent cosmetic services. She is fantastic at what she does! And right now, Plasma Skin Tightening is 30% off!