Moms, you guys are amazing. Well, 99.9% of the time. If there’s one thing you’re notoriously not-so-great at, it’s taking time for yourselves. Between juggling family, work, and all of life’s surprises, it can be hard to take time out for anything “self-indulgent”—as a busy mom myself, I know this is true!

If you’ve been yearning for a mommy makeover but aren’t sure if you can (or should) take the time to do it, I’ve got some expert advice for you—from one mom to another.

Why it’s worth taking the time for a mommy makeover

First of all, you deserve to feel great about your body. Feeling good about yourself gives you more energy to be Mom and tackle life’s challenges with aplomb.

Second, and perhaps most important, a confident mom is one of the best role models your kids can have. It helps them feel safe in the world and develop their own sense of self-confidence. Additionally, showing them that you make time for your own well-being when it’s necessary can help them grow into adults who do the same.

The third main argument for getting a mommy makeover is that diet and exercise can help you get back to your pre-baby weight—but stretched abdominal muscles, deflated breasts, and sagging skin will usually persist despite a healthy lifestyle. A mommy makeover can address these issues all at once by combining a tummy tuck, breast lift and augmentation, liposuction, or all of the above, into one surgery.

So, no more excuses. If a mommy makeover is what you want, then it’s time to start considering the practical matters of the procedure.

When to schedule a mommy makeover

While any cosmetic surgery requires thoughtful planning to ensure a safe procedure and smooth recovery, the fact that you are a “mommy” means there are special things to consider before you book your surgery. Below are some questions that I go over with every one of my prospective mommy makeover patients at their consultations.

Are you planning to have more children?

Most mommy makeover advice will warn you not to have a procedure until you are finished having kids. But this advice is a little misguided. Can you have more kids after mommy makeover surgery? Absolutely. It’s safe for you and baby. However, pregnancy following a mommy makeover will affect your results. For instance, abdominal skin will re-stretch as your baby grows and likely will not contract to its previous appearance, potentially necessitating additional surgery to restore your results. Most women would rather not invest the money and recovery time twice within a few years, so when it comes to the tummy tuck part of a mommy makeover, it’s usually better to wait.

If you’re planning on having another kid or two, but want to do something in the meantime, here are some options to consider:

  • Breast enhancement surgery. If your breasts are smaller (or larger!) than you’d like, breast surgery can boost your bust and your confidence even if you plan to have kids in future. In fact, many women have a breast augmentation, breast lift, or breast reduction before bearing children or even between pregnancies. While pregnancy can affect your results, the truth is breasts will change and sag over time whether or not you get pregnant again after enhancement. Just be sure to discuss any breastfeeding plans with your doctor: augmentation alone usually does not cause issues (provided your surgeon is skilled and uses an appropriate incision site), but breast reduction or breast lift may affect your ability to breastfeed.
  • Liposuction. If you have stubborn fat pockets on your hips, back, thighs or wherever that bother you, there’s no reason to keep them around until you’re done having children. Liposuction can safely cells, so changes in your shape achieved with liposuction will be largely retained through future pregnancies, provided you return to a similar weight post-pregnancy.
  • Non-surgical skin tightening, injectables, and skin care treatments are also great ways to refresh your look and improve body shape without downtime or the additional costs of surgery.

Are you physically ready for surgery?

It’s best to reach your goal weight several months before undergoing a mommy makeover. Why? Most mommy makeover procedures involve removing excess skin and reshaping what’s left to give you smooth, natural curves. Significant weight loss after these procedures is likely to cause more skin laxity or sagging as your body shrinks.

If you’re still working on getting back to your desired post-baby weight, aim for getting within a 10 to 15 lb. range of your goal weight before booking your surgery. If you need help finding a diet and exercise plan that works well for you, I can guide you in the right direction—in addition to mommy makeovers, I specialize in post-weight loss body contouring and frequently work with our weight loss surgery patients at Surgical Arts of Inland Empire to develop healthy lifestyle habits and succeed in their goals.

Additionally, if you are still breastfeeding, wait about 6 months to undergo cosmetic surgery. This will help ensure that your breasts have reached their final post-breastfeeding shape and size and that any breastfeeding-related weight loss is complete.

Do you have someone to help with childcare if your kids are very young?

Following a mommy makeover, you will be restricted to only light activity for at least 2 weeks—no lifting, carrying, pushing a stroller, etc. (you will not feel up to these tasks for several days either). If you are having a tummy tuck, lifting anything over about 5 to 10 lbs., including your kids, will be off-limits for about 6 weeks.

Before you schedule surgery, line up a trusted adult to be your children’s primary caregiver for the first 2 weeks, and make sure you have reliable help with bigger tasks for several more weeks. If your little ones have never spent significant time with another caretaker before, I recommend setting up a trial run: take the kids to grandma’s for a few days to see how they respond—and how grandma copes with being in charge!

Can you manage the necessary time off of work right now?

The classic mommy makeover procedure combination usually requires 2 to 3 weeks away from a desk job following surgery, so you may need to save up your vacation days ahead of time. It’s important not to rush it—going back to work before you are ready can put both your health and results at risk.

Many of my Inland Empire mommy makeover patients choose to schedule surgery just before a major holiday to make the most of their paid time off. For example, if you have surgery two weeks before Thanksgiving, you could have two paid holidays (Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving Day) built into your recovery time.

Want to know more about mommy makeovers? Let’s talk!

Now that you know the major points to consider, next you’ll want to discuss your concerns and goals with a qualified cosmetic surgeon, who can help you decide what’s best for your unique needs: which procedures are right for you, how best to finance your surgery, and of course, whether now is the right time for a mommy makeover.

As a female cosmetic surgeon, a breast and body contouring specialist, and a mom, I am proud to be one of Inland Empire’s “go-to” doctors for mommy makeovers. I will be happy to go over the details of surgery with you during a personal consultation. Call 909-987-0899 or contact our office online to get started.

Microdermabrasion Los Angeles

Put your best face forward this holiday season with a new beauty regimen. Exfoliating and toning your skin regularly will help to bring out that natural glow and make it easier to maintain a beautiful complexion all season long. We offer a range of skin rejuvenation treatments at our medical spa and can put together a custom package to freshen up your skin for those holiday events!

Microdermabrasion to Bring Out Your Natural Glow

Microdermabrasion is an advanced exfoliation treatment that can smooth and tone your skin in a single session. Undergoing a series of these treatments leading up to the holidays could help you achieve that gorgeous glow and keep your skin looking smooth and tight for months to come. The treatment is also known as the Parisian Peel and works by passing a stream of fine crystals over the skin’s surface while suctioning the skin. This buffs away dead skin on the outer layer to reveal the soft and smooth skin underneath. The treatment only takes about 30 minutes and there is no downtime. We can combine the exfoliating treatment with a glycolic acid peel for even better results.

What to Expect with Microdermabrasion

Just one Microdermabrasion Los Angeles session can be enough to give your skin a boost, but we recommend a series if you want to lighten up dark patches of skin, soften scars, and get rid of age spots or acne scars. Microdermabrasion is every effective for treating:

  • Enlarged pores

  • Superficial pigmentation

  • Age spots

  • Whiteheads and blackheads

  • Mild scars

Most patients see and feel a noticeable difference after their first session and progressive results for weeks after their treatment as the skin repairs and renews itself. If you really want to brighten and tone your skin for those upcoming holiday events, we recommend microdermabrasion with a peel for fast results. The peel will speed up the exfoliation process from inside out and keep your skin looking healthy all season long.

Microdermabrasion in Los Angeles is a very effective skin resurfacing treatment and is not as aggressive as lasers or deep chemical peels. If you are looking for a way to revive and rejuvenate your skin this season, schedule your microdermabrasion consultation with Dr. Haiavy today.

Performed an average of a decade after initial facelift surgery, a “secondary” facelift can achieve similarly lasting results with a low complication rate, according to a paper in the March issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

ASPS Member Surgeon Dr. Rod J. Rohrich and colleagues of University of Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, report their 20-year experience with secondary facelift surgery, or “rhytidectomy.” The researchers conclude that, with attention to some key surgical principles, “Secondary rhytidectomy is a safe and effective procedure for continued surgical facial rejuvenation in the aging patient.”

Experience Shows Good Outcomes with Secondary Facelift Surgery

From 1990 through 2010, Dr. Rohrich performed more than 800 facelift operations. Sixty of those were secondary facelifts-repeat procedures to treat recurrent signs of facial aging. The new study reviewed this experience to gain insights into the technique, outcomes and longevity of the results of secondary facelifts. (The analysis excluded patients undergoing minor “revisions” after facelift surgery.)

The experience included 57 women and three men undergoing secondary rhytidectomy. The patients averaged 51 years of age at the time of their initial facelift and 60 years at their secondary facelift. Thus for these patients, the results of the initial facelift lasted an average of nine years.

Of the 60 patients undergoing a second facelift, 10 later underwent a third facelift procedure. The time between the second and third procedures was 7.5 years-suggesting that the results of the secondary facelift lasted about as long as those of the initial procedure.

The complication rate after secondary rhytidectomy was about five percent. Consistent with previous studies, the risk of complications was about the same after secondary versus primary facelift surgery. In contrast to some reports, there was no increase in the rate of facial nerve injury after secondary facelift.

Study Highlights Importance of the ‘Five R’s’

An increasing number of patients have undergone second or even third facelifts in recent years. “With an ever-growing middle-aged population and an overall interest in facial rejuvenation at an earlier age, there has been a substantial increase in patients undergoing secondary rhytidectomy,” according to Dr. Rohrich and colleagues.

While their experience suggests good results, researchers emphasize that secondary facelift procedures may require some unique surgical techniques. Dr. Rohrich and colleagues outline some important principles for plastic surgeons to follow in planning and carrying out secondary facelifts. They write, “Adherence to the five R’s of secondary rhytidectomy (resect, release, reshape, refill and redrape) will enable the plastic surgeon to safely restore youth and correct stigmata of primary facelift.”

The article includes brief descriptions of individual cases illustrating the authors’ approach to some of the unique challenges of secondary rhytidectomy-reflecting not only the effects of continued aging, but also some “stigmata” of the initial facelift. Dr. Rohrich and colleagues conclude, “Use of five ‘R’s’ described in this article…will help patients return to a natural and youthful look of beauty, even a second time.”

Minimally-Invasive, Facial Rejuvenation Procedures Fuel 5% Growth

As economic indicators such as auto, retail, and home sales saw gains in 2012 – so too did plastic surgery. According to statistics released today by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), 14.6 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures, including both minimally-invasive and surgical, were performed in the United States in 2012, up 5 percent since 2011. In addition, 5.6 million reconstructive plastic surgery procedures were performed last year, up 1 percent.

“Our annual statistics serve as a snapshot regarding the plastic surgery industry,” said ASPS President Gregory Evans, MD. “For the third consecutive year, the overall growth in cosmetic surgery continues to be driven by a significant rise in minimally-invasive procedures, while surgical procedures remain relatively stable. We are aware, however, that patients who begin with less invasive treatments with a plastic surgeon may opt for more invasive, surgical procedures once required.”

Cosmetic minimally-invasive procedures increased 6 percent, with more than 13 million procedures in 2012. The top five minimally-invasive procedures were:

  • Botulinum toxin type A (6.1 million procedures, up 8 percent)
  • Soft tissue fillers (2 million procedures, up 5 percent)
  • Chemical peel (1.1 million procedures, up 2 percent)
  • Laser hair removal (1.1 million procedures, up 4 percent)
  • Microdermabrasion (974,000 procedures, up 8 percent)

Cosmetic surgical procedures decreased 2 percent, with nearly 1.6 million procedures in 2012. The top five surgical procedures were:

  • Breast augmentation (286,000 procedures, down 7 percent)
  • Nose reshaping (243,000 procedures, no change)
  • Liposuction (202,000 procedures, down 1 percent)
  • Eyelid surgery (204,000 procedures, up 4 percent)
  • Facelift (126,000 procedures, up 6 percent)

About Face

Interestingly, facial rejuvenation procedures, both surgical and minimally-invasive, experienced the most growth in 2012. Facelifts and eyelid surgeries were up, while 2012 marked the highest number of botulinum toxin type A (Botox®, Dysport®) injections performed to date. Other facial rejuvenation procedures like soft tissue fillers, laser skin resurfacing (509,000 procedures, up 9 percent) and microdermabrasion also saw sizable increases.

Cosmetic Breast Surgery

Female cosmetic breast surgeries such as breast augmentation and breast lifts (89,000 procedures, down 2 percent) dropped last year, while male breast reduction (gynecomastia) shot up. Nearly 21,000 male breast reductions were performed, up 5 percent.

“Female cosmetic breast surgeries such as breast augmentation, as well as body contouring procedures like tummy tucks, were some of the most popular procedures performed in 2012, although they saw declines,” said Dr. Evans. “Facial rejuvenation procedures to eradicate wrinkles, refresh, or tighten sagging skin experienced growth, as more consumers chose to maintain or restore a youthful appearance with these procedures.”

Reconstructive plastic surgery, which improves function and appearance to abnormal structures, increased 1 percent in 2012. The top five reconstructive procedures were:

  • Tumor removal (4.2 million, up 1 percent)
  • Laceration repair (291,000, down 4 percent)
  • Maxillofacial surgery (209,000, up 7 percent)
  • Scar revision (171,000, down 2 percent)
  • Hand surgery (123,000, up 3 percent)

Reconstructive breast reduction rates continue to rise, with more than 68,000 procedures performed last year, up 8 percent.

“Although breast reduction has many physical and psychological benefits for women with overly large breasts, obstacles remain in acquiring insurance coverage,” said Dr. Evans. “It’s promising to see gains in this and other beneficial, medically necessary surgeries.”

ASPS members can report procedural information through the first online national database for plastic surgery procedures, Tracking Operations and Outcome for Plastic Surgeons (TOPS). This data, combined with the annual survey sent to American Board of Medical Specialties certified physicians most likely to perform these procedures, results in the most comprehensive census on plastic surgery.

 

Most Overweight Patients Show Lasting Weight Loss One Year after Abdominoplasty

Undergoing abdominoplasty (“tummy tuck”) may lead to significant and lasting weight loss for many patients-especially those who were overweight or obese before surgery, reports a pilot study in the February issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

Long-term weight loss after abdominoplasty may be related to increased satiety-feeling full after eating-according to the study by ASPS Member Surgeon Dr. Rex Edward Moulton-Barrett of Alameda Hospital and colleagues. The researchers discuss possible “neuroendocrine mechanisms” that may promote weight loss after abdominoplasty.

High Rate of Sustained Weight Loss after ‘Tummy Tuck’

The researchers evaluated short- and long-term weight loss after abdominoplasty in 20 women. Popularly known as “tummy tuck,” abdominoplasty is a cosmetic surgical procedure to eliminate excess abdominal fat and skin. For the 20 women, the average amount of abdominal tissue resected was approximately five pounds.

One year later, 14 of the women had sustained weight loss-greater than the weight of the tissue resected. Patients with a preoperative BMI greater than or equal to 24.5 maintained long-term weight loss at one year. They decreased in weight by an average of 4.5 percent of their original BMI one year later. A normal BMI is between 18.5 and 25, overweight is between 25 and 30, and obese is 30 or higher.

The other six women also had some degree of weight loss after abdominoplasty. However, one year later, they had regained weight and increased BMI.

Long-term weight loss was more likely for women whose initial BMI was 24.5 or greater, just under the borderline for overweight. Of the 14 women with sustained weight loss, just one had an initial BMI of less than 24.5.

Sustained weight loss was also more likely for women with a greater amount of excess abdominal tissue removed at abdominoplasty. Twelve of the 14 women with long-term weight loss had more than 4.5 pounds of tissue resected.

Can a ‘Cosmetic’ Procedure Help Patients Lose Weight?

Increased satiety seemed to be an important contributor to long-term weight loss. Three-fourths of women reported an increased feeling of satiety, either after eating or throughout the day, after undergoing abdominoplasty.

As obesity rates continue to increase in the United States, new treatments are needed to achieve and maintain weight loss. Gastric bypass and other bariatric surgical procedures are among the few treatments to produce long-lasting weight loss, but are generally limited to patients with morbid obesity-BMI 40 or greater.

In contrast, abdominoplasty is available to a wider range of patients seeking to reduce the size and improve the appearance of their abdomen. “Whether or not long-term weight reduction is associated with abdominoplasty has been little investigated and remained controversial,” according to Dr. Moulton-Barrett and colleagues.

The new study provides preliminary evidence that many patients have lasting weight loss after abdominoplasty-especially those who are overweight or obese before abdominoplasty. “Satiety appears to be a prominent contributing factor, as does the amount of fat resected,” the researchers conclude.

“We hypothesize that the increased satiety seen in our patients is related to changes in the neuroendocrine system,” Dr. Moulton-Barrett and coauthors add. Removing fat cells from the abdomen may lead to reduced levels of hormones affecting appetite, which are secreted by fatty tissues. However, further studies would be needed to confirm this hypothesis.

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