A life-changing experience.
Brooke lost almost 200 pounds through diet and exercise, and now, she's ready for a tummy tuck that will rid her of the excess skin that formed during her transformation.
The 26-year old California local and first-time Dr. 90210 patient paid a visit to Dr. Cat Begovic on tonight's all-new episode, and the plastic surgeon listened as Brooke recounted her life story in addition to what the procedure would mean to her.
"I'm a plus-size model, but as a child, I actually was ashamed of my body. I felt like I was made wrong and I was using food to cope with feeling like I'm not like everyone else," Brooke explained. "That's something I'm still healing from."
She continued, "Losing the skin is not about changing my body—I'm very proud of my body—but I am looking forward to the day where my skin is not a focus. I'm ready to just really redefine who I am now and let go of who I was."
Brooke goes on to tell Dr. Cat that she was at her heaviest in high school, weighing 400 pounds. She ended up losing nearly half of that, but the weight didn't stay off very long: "I went to college and I gained it all back."
"Then I was like, you know what, I'm sick of living like this. It was a lifestyle change at this point," Brooke added, revealing that she currently weighed 195 pounds.
"You should be super proud of yourself," Dr. Cat responded. "That's amazing!"
Now, Brooke is "done dieting" and just ready to get rid of the excess skin—especially since it's holding her back not physically, but mentally.
"I am a plus-size model so it's my job to be confident; however, in the back of my mind, I'm always like, 'Okay what is my skin looking like here?'" she expressed. "So this would help my career and I know this would help me be more confident in who I am."
Dr. Cat offered some reassuring advice, telling her patient, "We're our worst enemy, right? Our mind is telling us all these things [and] most of the time, they're not real."
"Brooke is beautiful but because she is a model, she's under more scrutiny," Dr. Cat added in a confessional. "It's not just about how beautiful you look on the outside, it's that magic that comes from within that creates that special picture."
After the two had a meaningful conversation, they started to sort of the logistics of the surgery.
Brooke stripped down, and Dr. Cat pointed out, "Women come into my office all the time asking to have the curve that you do."
She made a note that she'd want to keep Brooke's natural shape, even if it made for a more difficult procedure. After all, Brooke does make a living off of her looks!
"You know how cameras are nowadays—they see every last detail, so getting all the little details exactly perfect is the biggest challenge in this surgery," Dr. Cat added.
When it came time for surgery, Brooke was thrilled—"I'm ready not to be wearing Spanx every day of my life!"—and Dr. Cat was ready to get to work.
Here's how she broke down the procedure: "I'll make a low incision on her abdomen to lift up the skin and fat. I'll then tighten her muscles using sutures and remove as much skin as possible. I'll then perform my special contouring sutures in order to create the appearance of abs. Then I'll use my special technique to reconnect the belly button."
That last part was so special that Dr. Cat didn't even want the Dr. 90210 cameras to capture it!
Ultimately, in what seemed like the blink of an eye, the surgery was complete!
Six months later, we finally got to see Brooke's transformation.
"I've been through so much in my life and I was always so insecure but after getting rid of the skin, I just finally feel like me," she expressed. "Before, my stomach was loose, it was dragging me down...and now it's tight, I can see my beautiful curves for what they're supposed to look like and it's given me the most self-esteem I've ever had."
Brooke was clearly overcome with emotion, and as the model spoke with Dr. Cat at the follow-up appointment, so was she.
"I feel so privileged and thankful that I got to meet you and that I've been able to be a part of this," Dr. Cat told Brooke, adding in a confessional: "Brooke has been through a lot of challenges in her life—a lot of ups and downs—and because of that, it's not just about vanity or being able to book that extra job; for Brooke, it really is to be able to continue on with the rest of her life on her own terms."
Check out Brooke's incredible transformation and all of the other Dr. 90210 before and after pics by scrolling through the below gallery!