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Mommy makeovers are just what the name implies: restoring your body to what it was before you became a mom. Every woman may need something different, but generally, Dr. Mason tries to incorporate everything into one procedure. The main procedures in a mommy makeover are:

Tummy tuck
Liposuction
Breast augmentation
Breast lift
Vaginal rejuvenation

After an in-depth consultation with Dr. Mason, you will walk out feeling confident about your cosmetic goals. She will prescribe a surgery plan designed with your health, physical, and mental well-being in mind. There are no one-size-fits-all plans at PPS. Each plan is customized, so rest assured that what is designed for you, is designed to deliver you your best results.

Many women qualify for a mommy makeover and to be honest, it’s a great surgery for those who have had children and want their pre-mommy body back. A lot of us can relate to this. You find that no matter how much you work out, watch what you eat or how much weight you lose after the baby is born, your body is simply not the same. Once the skin is stretched out that much it just never goes back to what it was. The truth is what you may already suspect: there is no magic pill to fix this on your own. The good news is that we can fix these problems with a mommy makeover. Say hello to the new you, mommy!

It is obvious that the tummy undergoes a lot of changes with pregnancy since it holds a whole new human! After the baby is born, you may find yourself with extra skin, a pooching belly, stretch marks, and pesky areas of fat that won’t go away

Tummy tuck – Many women who have gone through pregnancy will need a tummy tuck. In this procedure, the stretched out extra skin is removed and the tummy is made flat again. Any stretch marks below the belly button will be gone. If your muscles have been stretched apart, they will be brought back and sewn together in the middle where they once were, creating a tighter waist. A tummy tuck can be combined with liposuction if needed.

Liposuction – if you have some areas that seem like they just want to hold on to fat, you may benefit from liposuction. Liposuction is not a weight-loss procedure, but it is a fat-reducing procedure. We remove fat from pesky areas like the love handles or thighs and contour your body to what it was before the baby, or better!

Breasts go through a lot of changes during the childbearing process. They can go up several cup sizes during pregnancy and breastfeeding. What happens afterward differs amongst women.

Deflation – After the pregnancy and lactation hormones go away, you lose all the extra breast volume you had gained. However, the stretched skin may not shrink back to pre-baby. This can leave you feeling like your breasts have been emptied or deflated. Women have reported that their breasts become smaller than they were before having a baby.

Sagging – For some women, the breast skin has been expanded so much from all the breast growth that the breasts begin to sag. You may notice that your nipples are lower and may even point down. This is called “ptosis.”

Large breasts – Once pregnancy hormones subside, some women find that their breasts enlarged permanently. This can be bothersome especially to women who were large-breasted, to begin with. This can lead to other medical conditions such as back pain or rashes.

The procedures you need will depend on the problems you’re experiencing and what you’re unhappy with.

If you have deflation – If your main problem is that your breasts just appear to have lost volume, you may be able to fix this with a breast augmentation. There are so many good reasons to think about breast augmentation and having a baby is one of them. This procedure uses an implant to fill up the empty space and give your breasts that plump look.

If you have sagging – If you find that your breasts have been stretched out and your nipples are too low, a breast lift may be the solution. A breast lift can be done with or without breast augmentation. If your breasts have enough volume, you may only need a breast lift. If your breasts are smaller than you wish them to be, or if all the volume seems to be in the bottom and none in the top of your breast, you may benefit from breast augmentation along with a breast lift. Breast augmentation uses an implant to restore volume to the breast to create the size you wish. Then the breast tissue is then “lifted” to the correct place over the top of the implant.

If you have large breasts – If you feel your breasts are too large, you may consider having a breast reduction. Sometimes if you have tight skin and no sagging this can be done with simply liposuction. However, most of the time women will need to have some skin removed as well to tighten and lift the breast.

Although it’s not something we talk about freely, after having a baby things may not look the same “down there.” You might notice that your labia are larger than you care for. You may not like the appearance, and even find it uncomfortable as they can “get in the way” during activities like intercourse or bike riding. This can be addressed with labiaplasty which involves removing the extra labia skin.

A gentle reminder that there’s no magic here so there are some preparations required. A mommy makeover is not a weight loss surgery making it very important that you are at your goal weight at the time of your surgery. If you feel that you need to lose weight, make sure you do it before surgery and do it in a healthy way. The more weight you lose, the better your results, and the lower your complications will be. And we know you want the best results! We want them for you too. Third, if you lose a lot more fat after you have already had surgery, it will leave extra deflated skin behind again meaning you could need another surgery. That is avoidable by preparing in advance, so please don’t be in such a rush that you jeopardize your results. Ensure you are eating a balanced diet, get enough protein, and plenty of rest. This helps with healing. Do not smoke and avoid being around people who are smoking.

During the initial consultation, you will be asked about your medical history to make sure you are in good health and a candidate for the mommy makeover surgery. You will then discuss a mommy makeover specifically, and what your goals are. Dr. Mason will examine you and discuss the right surgery for your body. Remember, there are no one-size-fits-all, Dr. Mason will customize a plan just for you.

Expect a mixture of anxiety and excitement, both are normal. Remember, you’re doing something for yourself and you should feel excited! You will have a scheduled arrival time on the day of surgery. The Surgery Center team will be expecting you and check you in upon arrival. Please do not eat the morning of surgery. Dr. Mason will come to talk to you before surgery and mark your skin where the incisions will be, these will be as discussed in your treatment plan. You will be able to talk about this, ask questions, and agree on it together. She will make sure there have been no changes to the original plan you agreed to. You will also meet your anesthesiologist. From there you will go back to the operating room and the anesthesiologist will put you to sleep. This is where you say goodbye to your post-baby body and await your incredible results. The surgery can take anywhere from 2 to 5 hours depending on your customized surgery plan. After the surgery is completed, you’ll be taken to the recovery area, and once you are released, you will be ready and able to go home the same day. While you are taking narcotics pain medication, you will not be able to drive so you will need to arrange for someone to pick you up from the surgery center. This is a good time to switch your mindset to “let them look after me for a while,” as you will need your rest.

A breast lift, also called a “mastopexy.” is a surgery that corrects sagging breasts. This is done by removing the extra skin to tighten the breast and move the nipple up higher to its proper position.

Women of all ages are great candidates for a breast lift. A breast lift may be right for you if you feel that

• your breasts sag or have excessive skin
• your nipples are too low
• your areolas are too large
• you have one breast that hangs lower than the other

If you feel that your breasts are not full enough, particularly on the top of the breast, you may need breast augmentation in addition to your breast lift. On the other hand, if you feel that your breasts are too large, you may wish to have a breast reduction by removing some of the breast tissue at the same time. Dr. Mason can help you make these decisions.

A breast lift is done by making incisions on your breasts to remove the extra skin, which is typically the skin from the bottom part of your breast. If you have stretch marks in this area, they will be removed too! The nipple is moved upwards, and the remaining skin is pulled tighter around the breast. The size of your incisions and resulting scars depend on how much extra skin you have.

There are three different incision patterns based on the amount of excessive skin.

1. Periareolar lift – this incision removes skin around your areola only. It is well disguised since it is at the natural junction of areola and breast skin
2. Lollipop or vertical lift – this incision removes skin from around your areola and bottom of your breast leaving a scar that goes around your areola and a vertical line down the bottom part of your breast
3. Anchor or wise pattern lift – This incision removes the most skin. It is taken from around the areola, the bottom, and the sides of the breast. It leaves incisions that go around your areola, one vertical below the areola, and one horizontal in the fold under your breast. This is the most commonly performed lift procedure.

There are a few preparations that are important before a breast lift. If you are over 40, you should have your mammogram before surgery. Your breasts can fluctuate with weight change, so it is recommended that you be at a stable weight prior to surgery. Make sure you are eating a balanced diet, get enough protein, and plenty of rest. This helps with healing. Do not smoke and avoid being around people who are smoking.

During the initial consultation, you will be asked about your medical history to make sure you are in good health and a candidate for breast lift surgery. You will then discuss breast lifts specifically, and your cosmetic goals. Dr. Mason will examine you so you can decide together on the right surgery for your body. Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all, Dr. Mason will customize a plan just for you.

Expect a mixture of anxiety and excitement, both are normal. Remember, you’re doing something for yourself and you should feel excited! You will have a scheduled arrival time on the day of surgery. The Surgery Center team will be expecting you and check you in upon arrival. Please do not eat the morning of surgery. Dr. Mason will come to talk to you before surgery and will make marks on your skin where your incisions will be; these will be as discussed in your treatment plan. You will be able to talk about this, ask questions, and agree on it together. She will make sure there have been no changes to the original plan you agreed to. You will also meet your anesthesiologist. From there you will go back to the operating room and the anesthesiologist will put you to sleep. This is where you say goodbye to your old breasts and await your incredible results. The surgery can take anywhere from 2 to 4 hours depending on your surgery plan. You will be brought to the recovery area, and once you are released, you will be ready and able to go home the same day. While you are taking narcotics pain medication, you will not be able to drive so you will need to arrange for someone to pick you up from the surgery center. This is a good time to switch your mindset to “let them look after me for a while,” as you will need your rest.

There are two main classes of injectables—each address separate problems. Many times women actually benefit from both!

Botulinum toxins (i.e., Botox, Dysport) are used to treat wrinkles caused by facial muscle movement. The most common wrinkles treated are the lines between your eyebrows, across your forehead, and the crows feet. Botulinum toxin works by temporarily paralyzing the muscles that make these wrinkles. This gives you a smooth, well-rested appearance.

Fillers (i.e., Juvederm, Voluma, Restylane, Sculptra) do what the name says: fill! As we age, we tend to lose volume, particularly in the upper part of our face. Fillers can restore a youthful appearance by refilling this volume. They can also be used to fill deeper hollows or lines like the “tear troughs” under the eyes or the nasolabial lines between the nose and mouth. Patients of all ages can use them to plump up areas we wish were fuller, like the lips or cheeks. Areas such as the chin and nose can be augmented, and asymmetries can be corrected.

Women of all ages are great candidates for injectables! Here are some problems that can be treated by different types of injectables.

Botulinum toxin

• Lines between the eyebrows (corrugator lines, or “11’s”)
• Lines across the forehead
• Crow’s feet
• Nose wrinkles (“bunny lines”)
• Downturned corners of the mouth
• “Gummy” smile
• Women who need a slightly more lifted brow, or an improved brow shape

Fillers

• Loss of upper face (cheek) volume
• Deep lines (nasolabial folds, “marionette lines” between mouth and jaw)
• Wrinkles around lips and mouth
• Indented scars
• Thin lips
• Small chin
• Nose deformity
• Asymmetry
• Hollow temples
• Tear troughs (hollow under the eye, often with dark circles)

During the initial consultation, you will be asked about your medical history to ensure you are in good health and a candidate for injectables. You will then discuss specific injectables and your cosmetic goals. Dr. Mason will examine you so you can decide together on the right procedures. Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all. Dr. Mason will customize a plan just for you. Normally, your injectable procedure can be done on the same day as your consultation.

Injectables are performed in the office, and no sedation or general anesthesia is required. Although they are not painless, they are very well tolerated, and most people don’t require an additional local anesthetic.

Botulinum toxin – Dr. Mason will examine your face to decide the best areas to treat. She cleans your skin and then uses tiny needles to inject the liquid into the exact spots you need. The whole procedure takes only a few minutes!

Fillers – Dr. Mason will cleanse your skin in the areas you have decided to treat. If needed, she will administer a local anesthetic. However, most of the time, this is unnecessary, and the filler itself has a local anesthetic in it. She will use small needles or a cannula, depending on your particular procedure. The filler is injected into the tissue that needs to be filled. She will “mold” it by pressing on your skin with her finger if necessary. The procedure usually takes a few minutes to half an hour, depending on how many areas you are having treated.

Most importantly, no aspirin or ibuprofen for a week before your procedure. These will increase bruising, so they should be avoided. No dental procedures for 2 weeks before or after any fillers since dental procedures increase the chance of infection. There is always a risk of bruising with these procedures, so we recommend that you do not plan any major social events for 2 weeks after your procedure to make sure any bruises have been resolved. Do not smoke and avoid being around people who are smoking.