Why You Need to Lose Weight Before Your Mommy Makeover Surgery

Plastic surgeons coined the term “mommy makeover” to describe any cosmetic surgery that aims to reverse the effects of pregnancy such as hanging skin and/or fats around the abdomen, flaccid breasts, and pockets of fats that do not respond to diet and regular exercise.

The aesthetic problems stated above are primarily caused by weight gain and changes in the breast size and shape associated with pregnancy.  While these “issues” can be addressed by plastic surgery, always remember that it is not a “quick fix.”

To enjoy a long-lasting result after a mommy makeover, you should be in normal and stable weight.  And if you are seeking breast enhancement (either you want to increase your bust size or lift your sagging breasts), make sure that all signs of lactation have resolved and your baby is done weaning.

A normal weight is particularly important when you are planning to have abdominoplasty or tummytuck, a procedure that removes the hanging, loose skin and fat bulges if there were any.

While the procedure can permanently remove the excess tissue and fats, you have to realize that your problem will reappear if you gain and then lose a significant amount of weight. 

Minor tweaks are fairly common after a body contouring surgery, although requesting for tummy tuck again and again is a clear sign that what you need is a complete change in your lifestyle rather than another cosmetic procedure.  And besides, repeating means additional scar and probably more risks.

Liposuction, a cosmetic surgery that removes the unwanted fats, also requires you to be in normal, stable weight.  Take note that it only eliminates the fatty tissues close to the skin and not the deeper visceral fats which are responsible for weight-related health problems.

The good thing about the visceral fats is that they respond well to diet and exercise, by contrast, the fats underneath the skin sometimes do not react to natural weight loss.  For this reason, liposuction is helpful for healthy people who want to improve their figure.

A stable weight is also important if you want to undergo breast lift, a problem associated with natural aging, previous pregnancies, and weight fluctuations.  Because it is possible to avoid these factors (except the aging, of course), why not make a commitment so you can enjoy a long-lasting result.

But if you were considering having babies in the future, most plastic surgeons would advise postponing breast lift because repeating the procedure means additional scar.