TONED, taut, and boasting a six-pack that could rival that of any Hollywood action hero, my midriff had always been my pride and joy.
But after falling pregnant at the age of 40, something happened that shattered my self-confidence – and left me desperately searching for solutions.
Writer Nilufer Atik prided herself on her abs – until having a baby left her with sagging skin
What Nilufer’s tummy looked like before
Before I became a mum, I’d always managed to maintain my , even throughout my thirties.
As friends complained of wobbly bellies once they began settling down and having , I’d proudly show off my abs in crop tops at the gym.
And despite being an older mum-to-be, I vowed not to let myself gain too much weight during my , continuing to work out well into my last trimester.
But my baby bump grew so big that people would stop me in the street and ask if I was having twins.
Still, I naively assumed that once I’d lost the 2.5st in extra weight I was carrying after my son, Milo, was born, I’d soon gain back my washboard abs . How wrong I was.
Yes, I managed to lose the weight (eventually), but the skin on my belly had stretched so much that it was left looking wrinklier than an old tortoise’s neck.
Embarrassed, I’d wear high-waisted bikini bottoms or full swimsuits on holiday and wouldn’t even dare don a tank-top at the gym, let alone a crop top – I was too worried my saggy skin would accidentally hang out of the bottom of it while I was doing press ups.
Face down was when my belly looked its worst, the hanging like an empty wet sack. The thought of a guy seeing me naked like that made me shudder.
I tried everything to tighten it up – countless ab exercises, Pilates, compression garments, slimming belts and even cool sculpting treatments that promised to ‘freeze tighten’ the area. But none of them worked.
In despair, I considered a but the huge scar it would leave behind from hip to hip, not to mention the painful recovery, put me off.
Then a friend suggested I try radio frequency therapy. She’d been having sessions to treat her at an aesthetics clinic and said it had made a huge difference. But at around £300 a pop, I couldn’t afford it.
Jumping online I began doing some research and stumbled upon an at-home device called the Sensilift intended for ‘wrinkles reduction, skin tightening and skin elasticity renewal’.
At a one-off cost of £449, it still wasn’t cheap. But it came with a risk-free trial period where you could return it within 60 days if you weren’t happy.
The reviews on the product’s website are glowing, too, with Sensilift claiming that 94 per cent of users are satisfied after just one treatment and a staggering 100 per cent showing “significant results” after eight weeks.
Encouraged, I decided to give it a go.
I ordered the kit, which arrived a few days later and comprised a handheld device that looked a bit like a lady shave, but had two chrome electrodes on the top.
When switched on, it emits radio frequency – a form of electromagnetic energy – that penetrates the skin’s layers to stimulate collagen production, helping to reduce wrinkles while also firming and smoothing the skin.
There was also a massage feature to enhance the results.
The instructions said to use the Sensilift once a week for eight weeks to get results and then have ‘top up’ treatments every four to eight weeks for maintenance.
Although designed primarily for the face and decolletage area, I was told by the manufacturers that I could use it on my tummy, too.
I wasn’t holding out much hope that it would work and the first treatment didn’t feel particularly dramatic.
I had to put a special base gel on the area I wanted to treat, then switch on the device and select my radio frequency heat level and massage speed from three heat and two massage settings.
I then placed the electrodes on my skin and drew a continuous series of small, slow circles next to each other.
The aim was to keep the status indicator light green, which meant the radio frequency current was continuously flowing.
Nilufer stumbled upon an at-home device called the Sensilift
The device is intended for ‘wrinkles reduction, skin tightening and skin elasticity renewal’
When the green went off, it meant that area had reached the target temperature of 41C and it was time to move on to the next bit of adjacent skin.
I had to repeat this for five to ten minutes per session. It was completely painless and quite a pleasant sensation. My skin felt warm, but not sore at all, and other than some slight pinkness for a few minutes post-treatment, there were no side effects.
After four weeks I was amazed to see some improvement. The skin above my belly button looked a lot smoother and plumper.
But it was at the eight week mark that I could really tell the difference.
My once Shar Pei-like folds had completely disappeared and I could see some of the muscle beneath the skin once again. I couldn’t believe it – my belly actually looked toned.
After four weeks I was amazed to see some improvement. The skin above my belly button looked a lot smoother and plumper
With 1.5million Brits now on so-called fat jabs, I reckon this miracle gadget could even work well at tackling belly, which occurs when people lose weight too quickly and are left with loose, hanging skin because the rapid fat loss outpaces the skin’s ability to retract.
Earlier this month, I proudly showed off my new midriff in a new bikini on holiday in Turkey and I’m delighted to say I no longer have to sport baggy tops at the gym.
I’ve dusted off my old crop tops and am not ashamed to wear them anymore.
GOT MY FIGURE BACK
I’ll happily throw on a tight, slinky dress for an evening out too, not worrying like I used to that my skin folds might show through the material.
Even my son Milo, eight, has noticed.
“Mummy your belly doesn’t look crinkly anymore,” he tells me cheekily.
I still use the Sensilift every four weeks to make sure my tummy stays tight and will carry on doing so for as long as I need to.
It works out at just over £37 a month over the course of a year, which is a bargain in my book. And I am now proud to say that, after eight years of hiding away my mum tum, I finally have my figure back.
- The Sensilift is available for £449 at sensica.co.uk
