A Mommy Makeover is a head-to-toe body transformation that helps mothers reclaim their pre-pregnancy physique and power. This one-day combination procedure includes all the cosmetic enhancements requested by women after giving birth. You know that these procedures can change your life, but will they change your weight? Questions about weight are among the most frequently asked questions we receive at Metairie Plastic Surgeons in Metairie, LA.
How Much Weight Do You Lose With a Mommy Makeover?
A Mommy Makeover may seem like the perfect solution for all your post-pregnancy body woes, but there is one thing it is not. Although the procedure can tighten, lift, firm, and smooth your body, it isn’t a weight-loss solution.
What a Makeover Does
Your mommy makeover will sculpt problem areas of your body, and you tailor the experience to your specific goals and needs. Mothers often struggle with weakened abdominal muscles, loose skin, stubborn fat deposits, stretch marks, and breasts or buttock volume loss.
Diet and exercise alone cannot correct these concerns. We design the makeover procedures to enhance the work you’ve already invested in yourself. However, it’s essential to have realistic expectations before going into surgery.
The surgeries you add to your makeover can dictate some amount of weight loss or, in cases of augmentation or implants, weight gain. You can have any of the following surgeries included in your makeover:
- Breast lift
- Breast augmentation
- Buttocks augmentation
- Liposuction
- Stretch mark reduction treatments
- Tummy tuck
Body Sculpting vs Weight Management
Don’t expect to lose a significant amount of weight after undergoing these procedures. You might lose some weight with liposuction just to gain some weight with breast augmentation. Even if you don’t get implants, your surgery isn’t going to change the number on the scale dramatically, and removing more fat isn’t always the best solution for achieving the look you want.
Looking at this makeover in terms of weight isn’t the perspective to take. If your surgeon can remove a few pounds of fat to deliver the results you want, that’s what will happen. What’s most important to understand is that a little fat goes a long way in the overall shape of your physique. Removing small amounts of fat in strategic locations can radically transform your figure and bring the right balance and proportion to your form.
The Right Goals
Instead of aiming for a target weight loss goal with the makeover, it’s better to think in terms of reclaiming your pre-pregnancy body, no matter what it takes. You are partially responsible for achieving this goal. Ideal candidates for these procedures have already lost the bulk of their baby weight before surgery.
Think of this combo-procedure like a body sculpting treatment. Ideal candidates are already close to their ideal body weight. A Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator can help you determine what this weight is. If you have questions about your ideal weight, please schedule a consultation with us. We can help you set goals before planning your makeover.
A healthy routine filled with nutritious foods and regular exercise can help bring the weight down. Other surgeries, like gastric bypass or lap-band, can assist those who want to lose a significant amount of weight.
Your Look After The Mommy Makeover
Mothers are particularly vulnerable to accumulating fat in problem areas like the abdomen, back, bra roll, buttocks, upper arms, and thighs. These areas sometimes do not respond to diet and exercise as they did before having children. If this resonates with you, you are not alone. Many of our clients are in this position. In most cases, only surgical intervention can help them. Dr. Sands is an expert at identifying the regions of your body that will most benefit from any procedure.
His trained eye, expertise, and innovative technology help him visualize the areas of your body that will transform after removing a small amount of fat. Even though you won’t lose a lot of weight, it will look like you have. Although the fat in these regions may seem like it would weigh a lot, it doesn’t. Cosmetically removing small portions of troublesome fat from targeted areas can do wonders for the overall shape and contour of the female form.
Understanding Body Fat
Fat isn’t measured in pounds when removed through surgery. Instead, it’s measured in liquid volume or cubic centimeters (cc), which sometimes creates confusion for patients. There are legal regulations in place that limit surgeons from extracting more than around the equivalent of six to eight pounds of fat in one liposuction procedure. This number is fixed and not based on total body fat, weight, height, or any other metric.
No matter how big or small you are, only the equivalent of six to eight pounds of fat can leave your body during a liposuction procedure. Often, surgeons remove less than this threshold. You might lose a few pounds after your makeover, but losing weight should not be your primary aim. Every woman is unique and has a different body and cosmetic goals. Booking a consultation with Dr. Sands is the best way to learn about the look these procedures can help you achieve.
Gaining Weight
As mentioned above, weight gain is possible with augmentation procedures. Implanting anything new into your body will cause additional weight. On average, you can expect a weight gain of at least 1.30 pounds when having your breasts augmented. Silicone implants weigh slightly more than saline, but not significantly so.
The larger your implants are relative to your body, the more they will weigh. Buttocks implants also introduce new weight to your body. It’s impossible to give a precise weight estimate for augmentation procedures without first meeting with Dr. Sands in person.
Will Fat Come Back After My Makeover?
The fat cells removed during your makeover are gone forever. However, this doesn’t mean that you cannot accumulate fat in regions that underwent liposuction. Fat cells stop multiplying in your late teens. You keep all the fat cells you had in adolescence for the rest of your life unless they are removed by liposuction. Liposuction doesn’t remove all the fat cells in the area, of course, but it reduces the total number in your body.
Gaining weight causes the fat cells in your body to expand. So although none of the removed fat cells will return, you can still accumulate fat after your makeover. Any weight gained after surgery first moves to regions that weren’t treated with liposuction. For instance, if you received liposuction in your abdomen and thighs, new weight will first appear in other areas, like your arms or buttocks.
If you gain ten or more pounds after your makeover, you could begin accumulating fat in liposuction treated areas. The more weight you gain, the higher the chance of fat cells expanding in the body. Maintaining your weight is the best way to prevent fat cells from growing.
What If I Get Pregnant Again?
We recommend that women wait to have their makeover until they’ve finished bearing children. As a mother, you understand that pregnancy changes your body. Overall, pregnancy should not interfere with augmentation procedures. Pregnancy could nullify the results of a tummy tuck, breast lift, liposuction, or stretch mark treatments. Some women with implants experience issues with breastfeeding, but this depends on the condition of the breasts before surgery.
What Are the Health Guidelines for the Mommy Makeover?
Elective surgery is a deeply personal choice. Only you can make this decision for yourself. Before meeting with us, you must take the time to consider what you want to achieve through this procedure. If you are looking for a weight loss solution, this isn’t the answer.
We can only perform the makeover on women who are at a healthy weight and in good health. It’s vital to have a wellness routine in place before you get your makeover. Eating well and working out helps stabilize your weight long term.
You should not smoke if you are undergoing any surgery. If you smoke, quit now. We recommend that you successfully stop smoking for at least six to eight weeks before scheduling your appointment. Smoking can cause complications with surgery, including impaired wound healing and longer recovery times.
Can I Have a Mommy Makeover If I Haven’t Had Children?
Yes, this makeover isn’t exclusive to women who have given birth. The areas of the body addressed in the makeover are common trouble spots for many women. Please keep in mind that all the health guidelines and weight considerations still apply to you.
Why Are the Procedures Combined?
We combine procedures as a courtesy to our valued patients. Many women have the same cosmetic concerns, and having all procedures in a single day is easier than planning several surgeries. One day of surgery means planning for only one period of downtime.
When Will I See Results From the Makeover Procedures?
Makeover procedure results are noticeable immediately, but it will take some time for the full effects to manifest. The first few weeks after your surgery might not present the most accurate representation of the final results.
Each procedure has a different timeline. The procedures you choose for your makeover will dictate how long you must wait before the final results present themselves. Most patients see the final results of their makeover within three months after their appointment. In no more than six months, you will see the full beauty of all the procedures of the makeover. We will give you a clearer idea of the timeline for your specific makeover at your consultation.
How Can I Find Out If a Mommy Makeover Is Right for Me?
If you are tired of not seeing results from your nutritious diet and exercise routine, this makeover can give you that little extra push toward your goal. The increasingly popular combo-procedure is revolutionizing what it means for a mother to step into her power. As a mom, you know how important it is to lead by example, and taking action toward self-betterment is an excellent example to set.
If you’ve thought long and hard about your decision, are in good health, and at a healthy weight, we encourage you to contact us for a consultation. You’ll discuss your cosmetic concerns and objectives with Dr. Sands during your visit. He can help you visualize the most realistic results, and help determine which procedures will enhance your figure best.
Schedule a Consultation
To learn more about what a Mommy Makeover can do for you, schedule a consultation with Dr. Sands at Metairie Plastic Surgeons in Metairie, LA. He can help you understand how removing a little fat while accentuating your existing curves, can make your body look much slimmer. Always remember that it’s not about the weight. It’s about the look. Contact us today to schedule your initial consultation.
