Sometimes diet and exercise alone are not enough to help restore your body to its original shape after pregnancy, childbirth, and the demands of motherhood. Mommy makeover surgery is a personalized combination procedure that improves many areas of your body at once, from your breasts to your belly. And while you may be used to putting your family’s needs first, maybe it’s time to address what you need to feel good about yourself.

If you’re just starting to research your surgical options and looking for the right plastic surgeon to perform your procedure, comparing plastic surgeons’ mommy makeover results is an important step. As you browse mommy makeover before and after pictures, you may wonder what exactly you’re looking for. Consider this post your guide to comparing mommy makeover results.

Compare Mommy Makeover Before and After Pictures

Mommy makeover surgery is highly personalized, but most women choose a combination of breast enhancement surgery (breast augmentation, breast lift, or breast reduction) and body contouring procedures (liposuction, tummy tuck surgery, Brazilian butt lift). Looking at specific details in the before and after pictures can tell you a good deal about the surgeon’s skill and give you an idea of what you want your own results to look like.

Look at How the Breasts Are Enhanced

Breasts may be permanently altered from pregnancy and breastfeeding, leaving them looking deflated or saggy. Breast augmentation and breast lift procedures are popular with mommy makeover patients. Depending on your goals, the surgeon will work to reposition, reshape, enlarge, or reduce your breasts.

What to look for:

Are the breasts symmetrical?
Is there scarring visible? Keep in mind that breast lift and breast reduction scars are usually visible, so look for straight scars that seem like they’ll fade and flatten nicely.
Do the breasts look proportionate to the body?
Does the surgeon work on many different sizes and shapes of bodies? Diverse bodies in a before and after gallery show a surgeon’s experience and ability to work with many women with different builds and breast tissue.

Assess the Tummy Tuck Results

If you are looking for a firmer, more toned midsection, you’ll likely want to include abdominoplasty in your mommy makeover. Also known as a tummy tuck, the surgery repairs diastasis recti and removes excess fat and skin, resulting in a taut, flat tummy.

This procedure is good for patients looking to tighten lax abdominal skin, lose the belly pooch caused by separated abdominal muscles, reshape their bellybutton, and remove stretch marks below the bellybutton.

What to look for:

A very low incision line that will be easily concealed by low-cut underwear and bikini bottoms.
Symmetrical-looking results
A flat tummy that smoothly transitions to other torso features, such as the hips and waist
An attractively shaped bellybutton

Look for Liposuction Definition

Although abdominoplasty is one of the most popular additions to a mommy makeover procedure, many women can benefit from liposuction too. This procedure shapes the body by removing fat in target areas such as the waist, hips, upper thighs, and back.

It’s suitable for patients looking to remove areas of stubborn fat that do not respond to diet and exercise, slim the abdominal area without a long scar, give the waist definition, sculpt the hips and back, and add definition to the abdominal muscles.

For liposuction results, look for the following:

Is the contour of the midsection or other treatment areas smooth? Does it transition well into other parts of the body?
If scarring is visible, is it straight (not ragged) and fading and flattening well?
Does the skin appear to drape over the liposuctioned area in a natural-looking way?

Most liposuction incisions are very short—often less than half an inch long. Depending on where the fat is removed, the incisions may be placed in different areas, making it difficult to compare between patients. Rather than focusing on the incisions, look for how thoroughly and strategically the fat was removed.

Optimizing Your Results

Finding a surgeon you trust is one of the most significant steps you can take to optimize your results. Look for a highly trained or board-certified plastic surgeon while starting your search. Take the time to look through their before and after photos to get a sense of how they perform certain procedures on different body types. Once you’re ready, schedule a consultation; this is the perfect opportunity to let the surgeon know your goals and expectations and ask any questions you may have.

Exceptional results are possible by following your surgeon’s post-op recovery guidelines. They will provide instructions based on the procedures you have had to reduce the risk of complications and infections. Returning for your post-op appointments also helps your surgeon track your results and healing.

To discuss your mommy makeover options with a board-certified plastic surgeon, request a consultation at our Torrance practice or call us at (310) 784-0644 to schedule an appointment.