Mommy Makeover

Becoming a mother can be one of the greatest joys in a woman’s life. With this in mind, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and raising children can put significant stress on the body and cause a number of changes to the body. For those who seek to achieve their pre-pregnancy figure, Dr. Neil J. Zemmel can design a customized mommy makeover for comprehensive rejuvenation.

• What Is a Mommy Makeover?
• Mommy Makeover Benefits
• Mommy Makeover Candidates
• Best Time for Mommy Makeover
• Mommy Makeover Procedures
• Preparing for a Mommy Makeover
• Mommy Makeover Recovery
• Mommy Makeover Results
• Mommy Makeover Scars
• Mommy Makeover Cost

What Is a Mommy Makeover?

A mommy makeover is an overarching treatment plan that involves multiple procedures designed to reverse the effects of pregnancy on the body. Common cosmetic concerns that mothers often want to address include excess skin, isolated fat deposits, abdominal muscle laxity, sagging breasts, and signs of facial aging. By working with Dr. Zemmel for their mommy makeover, women can restore their pre-baby body, diminishing the unwanted changes they have experienced after having children.

What Can a Mommy Makeover Do?

Each mommy makeover is tailored to meet the unique needs and expectations of the patient. Typically, a mommy makeover combines multiple cosmetic procedures to target the specific areas of concern. These areas can include the breasts, abdomen, flanks, thighs, and face. Dr. Zemmel takes care to create a natural-looking aesthetic and avoid an “overdone” appearance. The following goals can often be achieved through mommy makeover surgery:

• Remove and/or tighten loose skin
• Lift the breasts and restore depleted volume
• Repair stretched or torn abdominal muscles
• Smooth fine lines and wrinkles in the face
• Improve the appearance of stretch marks
• Eliminate stubborn fat deposits around the body

The specific procedures that are most appropriate for your unique concerns will be discussed with you during your consultation. During this visit, your surgeon will discuss your aesthetic goals, perform a physical examination, and go over your medical history to determine your candidacy as well as plan the details of your treatment plan.

Who Is a Good Candidate for a Mommy Makeover?

Candidates for the mommy makeover should be in generally good health and have realistic expectations about what they can achieve through surgery. Although a mommy makeover can help restore one’s pre-pregnancy figure, the procedures are intended to simply improve common concerns that women have and may not completely eliminate all changes caused by pregnancy and childbirth. Your surgeon will help you understand what you can realistically accomplish through surgery. Please keep in mind that no results can be guaranteed.

When Is the Ideal Time for a Mommy Makeover?

Whether it has been a couple years or even decades since you had children, you may be able to benefit from a mommy makeover. Women wanting to restore their pre-baby body sooner rather than later should wait at least six months after their delivery to undergo mommy makeover surgery. It is also common for women to wait several years before committing to their mommy makeover, as they may still be considering having more children or do not feel ready yet.

Although there is no ideal time to undergo a mommy makeover, Dr. Zemmel recommends that patients wait until they have completed their families before seeking the surgery. While mommy makeovers should not have any impact on your ability to get pregnant in the future, having more children after you have undergone a mommy makeover can compromise the positive results you have achieved.

What Procedures Are Involved in a Mommy Makeover?

Breast Rejuvenation

While some women may find their breasts increase in volume during pregnancy, this fullness is often lost after childbirth and breastfeeding, in addition to other common changes such as enlarged areolas, sagging breasts, or a change in nipple position.

Breast augmentation with silicone or saline implant options is the most common method of reversing the appearance of “deflated” breasts. Patients who also have excess skin or breasts that hang low on the chest wall may require a breast lift to achieve the results they desire. These two procedures are often combined to achieve a more complete rejuvenation.

Body Rejuvenation

The abdomen often remains a troublesome spot for women after pregnancy and childbirth – even for women who exercise regularly and maintain a healthy diet. Exercise is essential for preserving good muscle tone. However, excess skin, stretch marks, and stretched or torn abdominal muscles cannot typically be addressed with diet and exercise alone.

The navel can also be rejuvenated during this procedure if its appearance has changed during the course of a pregnancy. In some cases, liposuction may be used to target stubborn, isolated fat deposits around the abdomen to further enhance the results of the procedure.

Face and Skin Rejuvenation

In addition to common changes in the breasts and overall body shape, many women may feel they have experienced premature facial aging due to the many demands of motherhood. With the latest facial rejuvenation techniques, Dr. Zemmel can smooth fine lines and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Non-surgical injectable treatments such as BOTOX^® Cosmetic and JUVÉDERM^® can soften lines around the eyes (“crow’s feet”), minimize lipstick lines (“smoker’s lines”), and replenish lost facial volume. For a more dramatic improvement to the area around the eyes, some patients choose to include blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) as part of their mommy makeover to fully rejuvenate the eyes for a well-rested, youthful appearance.

Our professional laser treatments and skin care products can serve as the finishing touches for a mommy makeover. Sun damage, leg veins, and even C-section scarring can all be treated with our state-of-the-art lasers. Our medical-grade skin care lines can help you maintain healthy, glowing skin by addressing common concerns such as fine lines, skin discoloration, acne, or rosacea.

How Should I Prepare for My Mommy Makeover?

To help your mommy makeover process go smoothly, there are certain steps you can take to prepare ahead of time. In addition to the pre-operative and post-operative instructions our team will provide you with before surgery, we will also recommend certain ways for you to prepare for a comfortable and relaxing recovery. Some of the general guidelines we tell our mommy makeover patients include:

• Get any recommended pre-operative tests done
• Avoid blood-thinning medications, like aspirin and herbal supplements, two weeks prior
• Stop smoking at least six weeks before surgery
• Arrange for help with children during your initial recovery
• Fill prescriptions and prepare your home in a way that allows you to relax

What Is the Mommy Makeover Recovery Time?

The recovery from a mommy makeover greatly varies from patient to patient, since each treatment plan is highly customized to their personalized needs and goals. In general, patients typically require about two weeks for their initial recovery. After this time, they can often return to work and resume their normal schedule, though vigorous exercise should usually be avoided for six weeks. It is advised for patients to arrange for help around the house and with caring for their children for the first few days of their recovery, as they may have limited mobility.

Most procedures involved in a mommy makeover result in some degree of swelling, bruising, and soreness for the initial healing period. Throughout their recovery, our surgeon and staff will see patients for multiple follow-up appointments to ensure they are healing properly.

How Soon Will I See My Mommy Makeover Results?

You should begin to notice the results from mommy makeover surgery soon after your procedure is performed. Depending on the specific surgeries performed as part of your mommy makeover, however, it can take several months to see your final results. Residual swelling can take six months to a year to full subside, though it should significantly fade within the first few weeks. Although no specific results can be guaranteed, Dr. Zemmel strives to help patients achieve their cosmetic goals, and will customize your mommy makeover to achieve optimal improvement in your aesthetic concerns.

What Will My Mommy Makeover Scars Look Like?

Over the course of the first year, your scars from mommy makeover surgery will continue to fade, lightening in color and becoming softer and flatter. If you are undergoing a surgical procedure like tummy tuck or breast lift surgery, scarring is unavoidable, but Dr. Zemmel takes great care to make incisions in inconspicuous areas that can be easily hidden in natural creases and lines, as well as underneath clothing.

How Much Does a Mommy Makeover Cost?

The cost of a mommy makeover can range from $25,000 to $30,000—it greatly varies based on which procedures are performed. This cost includes the surgeon’s fees, operating room and facilities charges, anesthesia fees, implants, post operative compression garments, and routine postoperative During your consultation, our team will provide you with a personalized quote based on your custom treatment plan. If you have any questions about your mommy makeover cost or would like to learn about our plastic surgery financing options, Dr. Zemmel and our team would be happy to help.

Contact Us

To learn more about mommy makeover procedures at Richmond Aesthetic Surgery, or to schedule a consultation, please contact our office today.