While Smartlipo liposuction, breast augmentation, and tummy tucks (abdominoplasty) remain popular as standalone procedures, we’ve seen an increased interest in combining some of these into one sitting. As such, a few lines on the fabled ‘mommy makeover.’
The term ‘mommy makeover’ usually refers to some combination of procedures meant to restore a woman’s body to the shape and dimensions enjoyed before pregnancy and breastfeeding. Natural and predictable changes on the road to motherhood may include stretch marks, sagging or lax skin, pesky, intractable fat deposits, and volume loss and sagging of the breasts.
Of course, some bodies revert to baseline in an enviable, almost magical way. We are not talking about those bodies. What if you, or someone you know, have some of these changes? You have options.
Changes in your breasts may be addressed with augmentation with implants, a lift (mastopexy), a reduction, or some combination of these options. If sagging and volume loss is present, one reasonable option may be breast augmentation along with a lift. Sometimes a straightforward augmentation with implants will suffice.
What about that fat, or sagging skin, particularly around the belly and love handles? Skin, while resilient, is sometimes stretched beyond its ability to snap back. If redundant, hanging skin is in abundance, removal during a tummy tuck may be necessary. Depending on the technique used, additional fat can be removed through liposuction, and the stomach wall can be tightened. If the skin is in good shape, Smartlipo liposuction may be all that is required.
The good news is that reshaping the stomach, love handles and breasts (ie. your torso!) can often be done at the same time. This means you can set aside the recovery and procedure time only once. Imagine that: one longish procedure and a significant transformation of your body.
At GLOW, we are excited to offer combination mommy makeovers to help our patients realize their goals. Do you want to learn more about how we can help you? Contact us to schedule your complimentary consultation.
What is a tummy tuck, anyway? Sounds a little scary.
For the jargon inclined, the term ‘abdominoplasty’ will do just fine. A tummy tuck involves removing fat and skin from the lower part of the belly in order to improve the overall shape and contour.
Smartlipo liposuction of the belly and love handles is often a great choice if you want to slim down the problem areas that resist your best efforts in the diet and exercise department. If you have a lot of loose lower skin, with stretch marks, maybe a scar or two, and a pouchy overhang, you may want to consider a tummy tuck.
While Smartlipo liposuction works great for reducing fat, it has little effect on stretch marks, scars, and excessive overhanging skin. Sometimes, there is no substitution for taking those areas out.
What’s the best way to do that? There are a number of ways to do a tummy tuck, and there is no one size fits all answer. In general, the procedure involves removing skin and fat from the lower part of the belly and pulling the upper skin down to join the lower edge. The belly button stays put, but is usually brought out through a small hole in the upper skin. Occasionally, the stomach muscles may need to be tightened a bit.
In the end, you have a flatter belly (picture a bedsheet pulled nice and tight), a sharper waist, and a horizontal incision low down on your stomach. This heals like any other incision and becomes less noticeable over time.
What’s the downtime? Most of our patients are back to work in less than a week. You do need to wear a special garment and avoid heavy lifting or stretching, but we’re always pleasantly surprised at how quickly our tummy tuck patients bounce back.
At GLOW, we love providing the shape and contour you’re looking for. Feel free to contact us to learn more about the tummy tuck procedure, and whether it’s right for you.
Before After
