Top Plastic Surgeries for Mothers

Post pregnancy plastic surgery is something many women look to after the joys of motherhood have worn off. In fact, cosmetic surgery can be a big deal for many women, as surgeons can reshape the appearance of pretty much any part of the body. According to the US National Library of Medicine, the body parts that people most commonly want to improve through cosmetic surgery include:

• Eyes — Remove puffy bags under eyes or drooping upper eyelids
• Breasts — Reshape sagging breasts or increase or reduce breast size
• Tummy — Flatten your abdomen
• Face — Remove acne scars and facial creases or wrinkles
• Ears — Set distending ears back closer to your head or reduce their size
• Nose — Alter the shape of your nose
• Hair — Fill balding spots in using your own hair

Having a child can be both an exciting time and fulfilling experience for many women. Giving birth to a new baby not only brings joy to the mother, but to everyone around her as well.

The effects that pregnancy has on a woman’s body, however, can make many women feel self-conscious. During pregnancy, different areas of a woman’s body stretch, such as her breasts, thighs, abdomen and stomach, which leads to stretch marks, sagging skin and isolated fat deposits.

Instead of traditional plastic surgery, you might consider having a ‘Mommy Makeover’. This can counteract these issues using a combination of post-pregnancy skin treatment, plastic surgery and cellulite removal. The Mommy Makeover addresses the unwanted physical pregnancy effects that exercise and diet alone can’t reverse.

What are Mommy Makeovers?

A Mommy Makeover combines various surgical and cosmetic procedures designed to improve and restore your body following pregnancy and childbirth. Typically, professionals perform all the procedures at the same time. The overall goal of a Mommy Makeover is to pay attention to the areas affected the most by pregnancy and childbearing. These include the tummy, breasts and waistline.

Different Mommy Makeover Procedures

The post-baby plastic surgery options vary among patients and depend on what your individual goals are. Some popular mommy makeover procedures include:

Breast Lift

It’s not uncommon to get sagging and stretched breasts after you have a baby, particularly if you have breast fed your child. But this doesn’t mean you have to keep them that way. You do have a choice to get your perky, beautiful breasts back and it is quite simple with the breast lift surgery.

A breast lift (mastopexy) removes extra skin and tightens the surrounding tissue to raise your breasts, reshape them and support a new breast contour. American Society of Plastic Surgeons statistics show that there has been a 70 percent growth in breast lift surgery since 2000, and has actually outpaced breast implants by two to one.

In some cases, the areola becomes enlarged over time, and having a breast lift can reduce this. This procedure can give you a figure that looks more uplifted and youthful, while eliminating your droopy breasts. You can also combine the breast lift with breast implants if you are worried about sagging and a loss in breast volume. Combined augmentation and lift will improve your breast position and increase your size.

Why Consider Breast Lift Surgery?

The Mommy Makeover breast lift surgery uses advanced techniques that re-create your breasts and gives you the perky firmness you had before pregnancy by rearranging, and possibly excising excess tissue.   Breast implants may also be considered depending on what your goals are.

 How Breast Lift Surgery Works

Professionals can perform this procedure under general anesthesia on an outpatient basis. There are different methods of breast lifting to create perkier, firmer breasts. Your volume of breast tissue, skin laxity and desired outcome will be the determining factor as to which technique is used. You should be aware that the lift involves making external incisions, which can lead to scarring. However, the improvement in breast shape is typically worth it for most women.

Follow-up

Your surgeon will ask you to come back to the office over the next several months during your healing for routine visits.

Implant Options

If you go the implant route, you do have some options.

1. Saline

This is a harmless saltwater solution that offers smaller incisions. It is, however, more prone to aesthetic issues such as rippling.

2. Cohesive Silicone Gel

You’ll get a more natural feel and look with silicone gel. It requires inconspicuous incisions that are well hidden.

3. “Gummy Bears”

You get the same benefits you get with other types of silicone implants, but this high-strength gel provides you with outstanding shape retention.

Liposuction

Although you most likely are running around your home chasing after a little one, caring for your new infant or working around the clock, keeping weight off after a birth can still be difficult. This is even if you eat properly and exercise regularly.

The problem, however, is that your body’s fat distribution after childbirth can shift. This fat, which found on your hips, thighs and abdomen, seems resistant to dieting and exercise, and can be quite the challenge to get rid of.

Post pregnancy liposuction could be just what you need to improve these areas with very little scarring. You can reclaim your figure after pregnancy with this state of the art, power-assisted or VASER/ultrasonic-assisted liposuction body sculpting procedure.

Why Consider Post Pregnancy Liposuction?

No matter how hard you try through diet and exercise, there are just some body areas with fat deposits that won’t go away. The good news is that with recent innovations in liposuction, you now can have the curvy hips, shapely thighs, flat tummy, sleek calves, slim knees and heart-shaped bum you have always wanted. Liposuction is exactly what some moms need to get rid of those extra fat deposits that remain after childbirth.

 How Liposuction Works

This procedure is also performed under general anesthetic on an outpatient basis. Your doctor may utilize a power-assisted, vibrating cannula, inserted through tiny incisions, to shake your fat cells loose. This simplifies your fat removal with fewer traumas and more accuracy than other liposuction methods.

Your body doesn’t create any new fat cells after adolescence. Therefore, fat removal through this procedure is permanent. Once the doctor gets rid of the fat cells, they don’t “grow” back. The fat cells you have remaining in your body will still enlarge if you gain weight, but the treated areas don’t get any larger.

Follow-up

A week after your surgery, the doctor will remove your sutures. You have to follow-up a month or two later, once your swelling has gone down.

Tummy Tuck

Your body goes through some changes once you have had a baby. As you might know being a mom, you can do all the situps you can and still be unable to erase them. It doesn’t matter how long ago you were pregnant or delivered either, getting back into shape can seem almost impossible. If your abdomen won’t retract completely, even with a lot of hard work, it’s not your fault.

In many cases, once your muscles and skin have stretched out from being pregnant, they won’t return to their original form post-pregnancy. This is, unless you get a post-pregnancy tummy tuck, known medically as abdominoplasty. As a cosmetic surgical procedure performed in the U.S., tummy tucks were the sixth most common in 2014, according to American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

Why Consider a Tummy Tuck?

Skin laxity, belly button deformities and stretch marks are all things that can make you consider a tummy tuck and benefit from one. This is a surgical procedure removes any excess fat, skin and tightens up your abdominal muscles creating a trimmer waistline. In a nutshell, it gets your midsection back into shape. For many women, their abdominal area after a tummy tuck resembles their belly before they had a baby.

Your skin and muscles stretch after childbirth, to the point where they lose their ability to get flat again. A tummy tuck, in many cases, is the only remedy to this. Your surgeon sutures your muscle walls together to tighten and strengthen your muscle creating a smaller waist. By keeping your weight down, the results of your tummy tucks can last a long time.

How the Post Pregnancy Tummy Tuck Works

You are given a general anesthetic and the procedure is done on an outpatient basis. Although there are various types of tummy tucks, they all work to remove the excess fat and skin through a lower abdominal incision.

Your surgeon tightens your abdominal muscles and pulls down the remaining skin. He might have to reposition your belly button, which could lead to a circular scar around it. The abdominal incision he makes typically extends from each hip, but you can conceal it easily below your bikini line. Drains are used during a tummy tuck to assist the healing process, which you will have removed anywhere from one to three weeks following your surgery.

Follow-up

Following your abdominoplasty, you’ll need to take it easy and heed your surgeon’s recovery guidelines and instructions. Your doctor will want to see you for routine visits after your post pregnancy tummy tuck surgery to check on your recovery.

Scars and Stretch Marks

Stretch marks and scars are unfortunately a common thing after pregnancy and childbirth. Stretch marks are the result of tearing of the dermis, whereas scars occur with a cesarean birth. Although these don’t affect every mother after childbirth, many do have to turn to topical creams or layers of clothing to lighten or hide them. For moms who are tired of hiding their scars and stretch marks, there is hope through scar and stretch mark removal, which restores your body back to healthy-looking skin.

Why Consider Scars and Stretch Marks Treatment?

You might be able to improve the look of some stretch marks and scars by using over-the-counter medications and creams. However, they provide minimal benefits. A safe and effective way to improve the appearance of your skin is by investing in a more advanced scar and stretch mark removal treatment.

How Scars and Stretch Marks Removal Treatment Works

Your surgeon first evaluates your skin during your consultation to determine the age, depth and type of scars you have. He then recommends treatments below based on this assessment, which may include:

Silicone Sheets — These types of gel sheets are comfortable and discreet, and you can wear them underneath your clothing. If you are looking to flatten and soften hard or raised scars, this is a good option. A cesarean scar would be a good example of the type that would benefit from use of silicone sheets. Mepiform is a popular silicon sheet, and should be worn for two to six months, 24 hours a day (except while you shower), depending on your scar.

Laser Skin Resurfacing — In this procedure, your doctor will use thermal energy during laser skin resurfacing to heat the deep tissues that are under your skin. This stimulates the growth of new collagen, as well as minimizes the look of stretch marks and scars. You can normally get dramatic improvements in just one session. Sometimes, however, you might need to have multiple treatments to get optimal results.

Other Options — In some cases, steroid injections, prescription gels, creams and ointments, dermabrasion, dermal fillers and laser surgery can help to improve the appearance of certain types of scars.

Follow-up

Typically, there is no need to follow up with your doctor if you choose silicone sheet scar treatment. With laser skin resurfacing, however, you might be required to come in and see your doctor to decide if you need more treatments.

Skin Rejuvenation

Chances are high that your new baby has become your top priority. However, if you feel you have let caring for yourself slide, it could have an effect on your confidence.

If you have damaged, blemished or wrinkled skin, it’s a sign that it’s time for you to begin thinking about yourself. Even if you don’t have a great deal of time, you can still get vibrant and radiant skin by coming in and having a skin rejuvenation treatment.

Why Consider Skin Rejuvenation?

Although you’re well aware that pregnancy can change your body, did you know it affects your skin as well? During pregnancy, mothers-to-be go through different hormonal changes that can lead to the development of acne. In some situations, they even continue to experience active acne even after childbearing, especially as the stress of being a new mom increases.

The good news is that you can get a skin rejuvenation treatment for both active acne and scars left from acne to restore your skin and have it looking blemish-free and smooth. There are laser procedures that can help you with not just acne problems, but also the onset of spider veins on your lower legs, thighs and cheeks. Spider vein sometimes develop during pregnancy.

Follow-up

After skin care treatments, there is usually no need for follow-up care. However, if you are receiving several treatment sessions through a skincare regimen, you can expect to continue come in and continue your sessions until they are complete, which is usually around a few weeks.

How Skin Rejuvenation Works

There is a wide range of skin rejuvenation procedures available to you to help keep your skin looking attractive and healthy, including injectable wrinkle and laser treatments, laser hair removal, peels and photofacials for excessive pigmentation and other treatment options. Often women complete their Mommy Makeover with medical spa treatments and creating a personalized skincare plan with the help of professional staff members.

Other Mommy Makeover Procedures.

The above procedures are just some of the top plastic surgeries for mothers. Other mommy makeover procedures include:

• • • Breast Augmentation
    • Breast Revision
    • Breast Reduction
    • Labiaplasty Procedure
    • Combined Procedures

You might even wish to combine body and breast procedures with a tummy tuck, liposuction, breast lift or breast augmentation during your Mommy Makeover. Or perhaps you are just interested in plastic surgery after baby options or a facial rejuvenation technique like eyelid surgery or a face lift. No matter what you choose, you will have a helpful, experienced surgeon there to help you pick out the best post-pregnancy treatment options for your particular needs.

What are the Qualifications for an Ideal Candidate?

Before you undergo a Mommy Makeover, some factors need consideration. These include your current lifestyle and health, how plastic surgery for mothers will affect your family life and what areas of your body you are looking to target.

For you to be a good Mommy Makeover candidate, you have to be in good health and be at least 18 years old. You shouldn’t be planning for any more children either. Moms who lost their pregnancy weight successfully, but still wish to get rid of sagging skin and stubborn fat pockets are good candidates for post baby plastic surgery options usually incorporated into Mommy Makeover plans.

This makeover is also good if you had a natural birth or a C-section. In fact, it can be the perfect way to address that sagging skin or scarring from your caesarian.

One thing to keep in mind, however, is that Mommy Makeover isn’t ideal if you are a recent mom. You should wait some time as your body changes before you receive any treatments.

What are the Signs That a Mommy Makeover Might Not be for You?

You might not be an ideal candidate for this makeover if you:

• • • Have a blood disorder, autoimmune disease or other health condition that can make surgery risky
    • Have a health problem that can lead to complications with your anesthesia
    • Are significantly overweight
    • Intend to lose a substantial amount of weight
    • Smoke or refuse to give up smoking a few weeks before or after your treatment
    • Plan on having more children

Dr. Nathan Brought Performs Plastic Surgery Procedures for Mothers at SPRSI

Dr. Nathan Brought DO, FACOS, who is board-certified in plastic surgery,
has extensive experience in the reconstructive and plastic surgery field here in our Franklin, TN Southern Plastic & Reconstructive Surgical Institute office. Along with much other face, body and skin procedures, Dr. Brought performs many mommy makeover operations.

If you are considering this treatment, set up a consultation with Dr. Bought. The consultation helps you gain a better idea of what plastic surgery can do for, and is the ideal time for you to ask Dr. Bought questions you have about your mommy makeover. He will explain all aspects of the mommy makeover and different surgical options that would benefit you. This allows you to gain a better understanding of the improvements he can make post-pregnancy.

To request a request a consultation with Dr. Nathan Brought DO, FACOS here at our SPRSI office, please complete our online form. Alternatively, you can call our office at 615-791-9090 to schedule your appointment. Either way, you can expect a personalized, holistic treatment plan crafted by our surgeon using modern techniques that will minimize your pain and recovery period.