Santa Barbara Cosmetic Surgery “Mommy Makeover” Procedures by Dr. Perkins

After childbirth many moms find that they are left with unwanted bulges or excess skin in the areas of the abdomen hips and/or thighs that are very hard to shed, despite intense exercise and a conscientious diet. The weight gain from pregnancy can cause the skin to be overly stretched out which often times can only be corrected through plastic surgery where the skin can be excised and the fat can be removed.

If you are getting a “Mommy Makeover”, you are probably going to get two or more of the following procedures, most likely done at the same time, under general anesthesia:

Tummy Tuck: Excess fat bulges in the abdomen and flanks can sometimes be treated with liposuction alone. If the doctor decides to remove excess abdominal skin, the procedure known as a “tummy tuck”, an incision is made along the upper edge of the pubic hairline. The incision may be as small as a C-section scar, a “mini tummy tuck”, or may be from hip to hip. The doctor may choose to sew together the abdominal muscles that sometimes split during pregnancy to further flatten the abdomen. Whether a person has a “mini” or a regular tummy tuck, plan for plenty of downtime to allow for proper healing.

Breast Lift and/or Breast Augmentation: Breast augmentation is usually done with silicone or saline implants. This is primarily done to restore volume in the breasts that often become “deflated”, especially in the mothers that nursed their babies. Breast augmentation can also increase the breast size, and this is left to the discretion of the patient. A breast lift can be done, with our without augmentation, to correct sagging breasts. At Cosmetic Surgery Center in Santa Barbara, we do not do a breast augmentation with implants. Dr. Perkins does a natural breast augmentation using the patient’s own body fat that was removed through liposuction. The fat that is removed can be strategically placed in the breast area, allowing the doctor to fill in certain spots or to correct unevenness. Sometimes enough fat is obtained, allowing the patient to go up one cup size.

Liposuction of the Hips and Thighs: Not always necessary for all “Mommy Makeover” candidates, liposuction can be done to reduce the circumference of the thighs and the hip area. Liposuction body contouring can also be done in the knees, calves and ankles, but the surgeon must be skilled in this area because over-treatment can result in problems that are difficult to correct. Some moms may take their treatment further and address the stretch marks that developed during their pregnancy, most commonly on the abdomen and the back from the rapidly growing baby. Stretch mark reduction is something that can be done at Evolutions Medical Spa in Santa Barbara, utilizing Dr. Perkins’ exclusive Stretch Mark Therapy protocol that yields results.

A “Mommy Makeover” can offer wonderful results but a mother has to be fully prepared for what it entails such as being able to get plenty of rest and down time after the surgery. Women who have gone through the “Mommy Makeover” often feel a great boost in their body-image confidence, resulting not only in a positive effect for themselves, but also for the children that they are caring for.