As the new year approaches, are you tired of looking in the mirror and deciding on yet another outfit that will camouflage your belly? Are your push-up bras struggling to do their job? Have pockets of fat migrated to spots that make it difficult to find clothes that fit correctly? It sounds like it might be time to consider a Mommy Makeover.
A Mommy Makeover most often combines a tummy tuck, liposuction, and breast enhancement (breast augmentation, breast lift, or breast reduction). In fact, the top five most popular cosmetic surgeries are procedures included in a Mommy Makeover. But as common as Mommy Makeovers have become, there is still a lot of misinformation about the surgery. Below, we discuss some of the most common myths about Mommy Makeovers.
What Does a Mommy Makeover Consist of?
A “traditional” Mommy Makeover typically includes a tummy tuck, liposuction, and breast procedures.
Tummy Tuck
A tummy tuck eliminates excess skin and tissue resulting from weight gain and loss due to pregnancy or other factors. In cases of women whose abdominal muscles have been damaged because of pregnancy, a tummy tuck also includes muscle repair.
Liposuction
As you’ve gained and lost weight over the years, you may notice that fat doesn’t always return to the same place. You might have a muffin top, flab along your bra line, unsightly fat rolls under your buttocks, or any number of annoying fat deposits. Liposuction renders these non-existent and gives you a smoother, slimmer shape.
Breast Enhancement
Pregnancy and breastfeeding both involve weight fluctuations that affect your breasts. For many moms, once your baby is done breastfeeding, your breasts are shaped completely differently. Even if you have never breastfed, changes in your weight still affect your breasts. They might look deflated or sag where they didn’t before. Or maybe you’ve lost weight in other places, but your breasts remain larger than you’re comfortable with. No matter your issue, there is a breast enhancement procedure to help. Breast augmentation restores volume and shape to your breasts. A breast lift elevates your breasts back to where they used to be and removes excess tissue to give you back your shapely bust. And breast reduction takes away some of the volume of too-large breasts, lifting and shaping them in the process.
Now that you know what the typical Mommy Makeover offers, let’s explore some myths about the surgery.
1. You Have to Undergo Multiple Procedures
While a “traditional” Mommy Makeover usually consists of a tummy tuck, breast enhancement, and liposuction, that doesn’t mean you must choose all three. The purpose of a Mommy Makeover is to address the problem spots that bother YOU, so if you just want a tummy tuck and breast enhancement, that’s what you can do. It’s not a one-size-fits-all proposition, and Dr. Bridges will work with you to create an individualized plan for your treatment.
2. Mommy Makeovers Are Just For Moms
Despite the name, a Mommy Makeover isn’t just for moms. It’s for any woman who wishes to enhance their figure. Weight fluctuations over time and significant weight loss via diet or semiglutide weight loss medication, can have the same effects on your body as pregnancy, leaving you with excess skin and sagging in areas that make you self-conscious. Also, a Mommy Makeover isn’t just for young women. Many women in their fifties and above choose to undergo a Mommy Makeover to boost their confidence as they age. There are no limits to who can get a Mommy Makeover and when–it’s entirely up to you.
3. Diet and Exercise Offer the Same Results as a Mommy Makeover
Yes, some women bounce back from pregnancy with minimal effect on their physique. But just because diet and exercise alone has worked for some, doesn’t mean they work for all. No matter how diligent you are about diet and exercise, some bodies simply retain excess fat in certain areas due to genetics, hormones, or other factors.
But the truth is, no amount of chest exercises will give you back volume in your breasts, and no amount of ab crunches will flatten that tummy pooch. You can’t exercise away extra skin, and in the case of that pesky tummy pooch, there may be an underlying cause. Diastasis recti is a condition typically caused by pregnancy where your ab muscles separate down the midline. Damaged abs may be the problem behind that tummy pooch; more importantly, specific ab exercises can worsen the condition. The only thing that solves diastasis recti is abdominal surgery, so no, it’s not your fault that your abs aren’t as flat as you’d like.
Learn More About Mommy Makeovers in Shreveport
If you’ve been thinking about getting a Mommy Makeover but have questions or want more information, it’s time to schedule a consultation with board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. McIntyre Bridges. His training, experience, and commitment to patient care make him the ideal choice for your Mommy Makeover surgery. Call Bridges to Beauty today at (318)219-8555 or complete the online contact form.