At Athena Plastic Surgery in Stuart, FL, we offer several procedures to help women restore self-confidence they haven’t felt in years. Today, our experts are talking about a mommy makeover, a service we provide to mothers to help them restore their prenatal figure, and who is a good candidate. Let’s get started.
Which Procedures Are Included in a Mommy Makeover?
The great thing about a mommy makeover is that it is completely customizable. If you are concerned about the appearance of your lower abdomen and breasts, we have you covered. If you have a postpartum pooch caused by muscle tearing and upper arm fat that won’t go away with diet and exercise, this service can take care of that. What follows is a closer look at what you can expect to happen based on your personal preferences.
Tummy Tuck
The most commonly performed procedure performed during a mommy makeover is a tummy tuck. Also known as abdominoplasty, a tummy tuck involves excising excess fat, removing excess skin, and tightening the remaining skin. Take a look at what you can expect during each of the three types of abdominoplasty, partial abdominoplasty, full abdominoplasty, and extended abdominoplasty.
Partial Tummy Tuck
A partial tummy tuck involves improving the appearance of the lower abdomen. A small amount of excess fat is removed as the excess skin is removed, but it is not a fat removal procedure. If you are concerned about a lot of fat stored in your lower abdominal region, you should strongly consider combining this procedure with liposuction. We will go into further detail about liposuction in a minute.
In the meantime, you should understand what a partial tummy tuck doesn’t involve. A tummy tuck doesn’t involve the tightening of the abdominal wall. If you have loose or injured abdominal muscles, a full tummy tuck would be more appropriate for you, particularly if you have been diagnosed with a ventral hernia that has not yet been corrected or you have incontinence due to childbirth.
Full Tummy Tuck
A full tummy tuck is similar to a partial tummy tuck but it also excises excess fat from the upper abdomen and tightens upper abdominal skin. Furthermore, the abdominal wall is often tightened during this procedure, improving posture, treating pain caused by lordosis, and more. During a full tummy tuck, the navel is repositioned so it does not look out of place after the excess skin is removed and the remaining skin is tightened.
Extended Tummy Tuck
An extended tummy tuck is similar to a full tummy tuck in that it corrects cosmetic concerns above and below the navel. What sets it apart, though, is that it also involves correcting other problems in and near the core region. This includes but is not limited to the removal of excess hip fat, the removal of excess thigh fat, and the removal of excess flank skin. Nevertheless, just like other types of tucks, fat removal is limited.
Liposuction
Liposuction is also commonly performed on mothers. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 50% of expecting women gain too much weight during their pregnancy. Some weight gain during pregnancy is perfectly healthy and to be expected, particularly when the expecting mother is underweight or a healthy weight. However, not all weight gained during pregnancy can be attributed to the fetus and extra blood in the body.
Sometimes, weight gain occurs because too many calories are consumed. Some excess energy is stored in the liver and muscles in the form of glycogen, but the rest of the excess energy is stored in fat cells. Although breastfeeding burns a lot of calories, sometimes some of the “baby weight” remains. Liposuction can remove fat cells from your areas of concern so you can improve your contours and restore your self-confidence.
What Happens During Liposuction
During liposuction, a small incision is made in the area targeted for fat removal. Through that small incision, a cannula (tiny tube) is inserted. A liquid solution that includes lidocaine and water is injected into the area and the fat cells and solution are suctioned out. This process rarely takes longer than an hour.
The great thing about liposuction is it can be performed virtually anywhere. It was originally used to remove unwanted fat from large areas, like the abdomen, back, or chest. Thanks to incredible advances in technology, it can now be used to remove unwanted fat from smaller areas, like the thighs, buttocks, and upper arms.
Breast Lift
It is also common for mothers to want a breast lift, known in the medical community as mastopexy. This procedure involves excising excess fat and removing excess skin tissue. Once the excess skin tissue is removed, the underlying breast tissue is reshaped if necessary to give the breasts a firmer, rounder appearance without the need for implants or fat injections. The size of the areola can also be reduced and the nipple can be repositioned.
This procedure is sometimes combined with a breast augmentation because roughly half a cup size is lost when the excess skin is removed. However, it is more commonly combined with a breast reduction as many women feel their breasts grew too large over the course of their pregnancy. During your initial consultation, we will discuss your aesthetic goals to determine whether you could benefit from augmentation or reduction in conjunction with a lift.
What Happens During a Breast Reduction?
A breast reduction is similar to a breast lift in that unwanted tissue is removed to enhance the appearance of the breast. The procedures even use the same incisions to remove unwanted tissue. The primary difference between the two procedures is a breast reduction focuses primarily on removing unwanted breast tissue and fat tissue. A breast lift can also involve the removal of fat tissue but was designed for the primary purpose of lifting the breast.
Am I a Good Candidate for a Mommy Makeover?
We will determine during your initial consultation if you are a good candidate for a mommy makeover. If you are fairly healthy and have several features you would like to change, you will probably be considered a good candidate.
However, we need to go over your medical history and talk to you about your current health to determine if you are healthy enough currently to undergo aesthetic procedures. Here are some things we look at for various procedures:
What We Look for in Tummy Tuck Candidates
To be considered a good candidate for a tummy tuck, you should have fairly elastic skin that is a little lax. Elasticity is important because once the fat is removed from your lower abdomen, you want your skin to snap quickly. A small amount of laxity is important because a little laxity allows for a smaller incision to be made.
We will assess your abdominal musculature and the surrounding tissues to determine if this procedure could benefit you. If you are healthy enough and have concerns about your abdominal region that could be corrected with this procedure, we will identify the appropriate scope of the procedure. For example, if you are satisfied with your abdominal musculature, we will deem you a good candidate for a partial tummy tuck.
What We Look for in Liposuction Candidates
In liposuction candidates, we look for healthy women who are at or near their ideal weight. We recommend waiting at least three months after breastfeeding to consider this procedure due to the incredible amount of energy required to breastfeed and the lack of research regarding the consequences of liposuction while nursing.
You should be at or near your ideal weight to be considered a good liposuction candidate because you can only lose eight to 10 pounds of fat during a single liposuction session. It was designed to remove fat from areas resistant to a healthy diet and regular exercise. If you have over 30 pounds to lose, talk to your primary care physician about referrals to qualified experts who can help you lose weight safely and keep it off.
What We Look for in Breast Lift Candidates
In breast lift candidates, we look for women who have drooping breasts. To determine whether this procedure could benefit you, administer the pencil test on yourself. To take the pencil test, stand in front of a mirror, lift your left breast and place a pencil in the inframammary fold where your breast meets your chest. Allow your breast to settle atop the pencil. If your nipple falls below the pencil, your breast is ptotic and you could benefit from a lift.
You can also perform the pinch test on yourself to discover if a breast lift may be beneficial to you. To perform the pinch test, place the tips of your ring and middle fingers in the middle of the inframammary fold. With your thumb over the front of your breast, bring your thumb towards the tip of your middle finger and lightly pinch your breast. If the tip of your thumb pinches your breast below the nipple, you may benefit from a breast lift.
What We Look for in Breast Reduction Candidates
In breast reduction candidates, we look for healthy women who do not smoke and do not plan to have any more children. We look for women who don’t smoke because abstaining from nicotine consumption is required for several weeks in preparation for the procedure to facilitate blood pressure that falls within a healthy range. It is also required for several weeks following the procedure to maintain blood pressure within a healthy range and speed recovery.
The best candidate for a breast reduction is a woman who does not plan on having any more children because the ability to breastfeed may be affected depending on the technique used. If you are not sure if you want to have more children in the future but you want a breast reduction now, let us know during your initial consultation. We are more than happy to use a technique that does not involve nipple separation so your ability to breastfeed is not affected.
Discover How to Sculpt Your Ideal Body Today
If pregnancy and breastfeeding have led to changes in your appearance that you’re not comfortable with, a mommy makeover can help. The most commonly performed procedures are abdominoplasty, liposuction, and mastopexy. To determine which procedures can help you restore your self-confidence safely and effectively, contact us now at Athena Plastic Surgery in Stuart, FL to schedule your initial consultation. We can’t wait to meet you!