Mommy Makeover before and after photo courtesy of Dr. Payam Jarrah-Nejad, board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California. Results may vary.
Mommy Makeover before and after photo courtesy of Dr. Payam Jarrah-Nejad, board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California. Results may vary.
Mommy Makeover before and after photo courtesy of Dr. Payam Jarrah-Nejad, board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California. Results may vary.
Mommy Makeover before and after photo courtesy of Dr. Payam Jarrah-Nejad, board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California. Results may vary.
Mommy Makeover before and after photo courtesy of Dr. Payam Jarrah-Nejad, board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California. Results may vary.
Mommy Makeover before and after photo courtesy of Dr. Payam Jarrah-Nejad, board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California. Results may vary.
Mommy Makeover before and after photo courtesy of Dr. Payam Jarrah-Nejad, board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California. Results may vary.
Mommy Makeover before and after photo courtesy of Dr. Payam Jarrah-Nejad, board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California. Results may vary.
A mommy makeover is a combination of plastic surgery procedures, designed to address the most visible physical changes brought on by pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding, including:
“No amount of exercise can tighten ripped fascia, join separated muscles, or remove loose skin,” says Dr. Brent Moelleken, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills. “Some new moms tell us that months after their baby is born, they’re asked when their baby is due. Mommy makeover surgery can help reverse the effects of childbirth, along with feelings of frustration about how your body looks.”
This multi-faceted approach can also benefit patients who have undergone massive weight loss, according to Dr. George Marosan, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Bellevue, Washington. These operations often involve an upper or lower body lift.
In recent years, the daddy makeover (or daddy do-over, as it’s sometimes called) has also gained popularity. “Men can benefit from a combination of procedures for the chest and trunk,” explains Dr. Gary Lawton, a board-certified plastic surgeon in San Antonio, Texas. “Gynecomastia surgery, matched with torso liposuction or a tummy tuck, can be powerful and beneficial for men.”
Mommy makeover plastic surgery is personalized to each patient's unique needs, but it typically involves these procedures:
Dr. Lawton also notes that “performing a breast lift without addressing the abdomen with a tummy tuck can leave the patient with a sense of dissatisfaction because the surgeon hasn’t considered the person holistically. Missing the chance to transform the patient’s perception of themselves by addressing the contours of the breast and the body together is really a lost opportunity.”
Your treatment plan may also include:
The power in this kind of holistic approach, according to Dr. Lawton, is in allowing patients to start the next chapter of their lives, without being constrained by the past.
Every provider has their own approach to a total mommy makeover. This is a major investment of money and energy, so it’s well worth it to consult with more than one board-certified plastic surgeon to discuss your concerns, hear their recommendations for a customized treatment plan, explore all your options, and get detailed cost estimates. “As with any cosmetic surgery, consideration of the patient’s goals is essential to the success of any treatment plan,” says Dr. Lawton, and it’s important that you and your surgeon are on the same page about what’s desired and possible. See our guide to choosing the right doctor for you.
Pros
Cons
Related: Considering a Mommy Makeover? Here's What 7 Plastic Surgeons Want You to Know
See real RealSelf community members decide whether or not they want to have mommy makeover surgery.
The cost of a mommy makeover depends on the complexity of your procedure, your provider’s level of experience, their practice location, and a few other key factors.
Related: 6 Women Share What They Paid for Their Mommy Makeover, What It Involved, and Whether It Was Worth It
Since this is elective cosmetic surgery, it’s not covered by insurance. However, if your operation includes hernia repair or a breast reduction, insurance may cover a portion of those costs.
Most providers offer monthly payment plans or accept third-party financing options, such as CareCredit, to help make the cost more manageable for patients.
See our complete guide to mommy makeover costs
As you're choosing your surgeon, look for mommy makeover pictures that show balanced facial features and the kind of results you want.
The mommy makeover photos in our gallery have been shared by the surgeon who performed the procedure, with the patient's consent.
Mommy makeover surgery has an exceptionally high 95% Worth It Rating: a clear majority of patients who reviewed their results on RealSelf say they’re worth the price tag and recovery time.
That said, not everyone has a good experience. Those who say it’s “Not Worth It” cited a long, painful recovery and issues like scarring, asymmetry, and complications.
Choose an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in breast and body surgery, understands your goals, and prepares you for the recovery process.
Ideal candidates are:
Lining up a few things in advance will give you peace of mind and help your recovery go smoothly.
1. Buy recovery supplies
Your surgeon will give you a suggested list of recovery supplies. Essentials include:
2. Line up childcare
You'll need to avoid heavy lifting and overdoing it during at least the first two weeks after surgery, so it's important to have childcare and pet care lined up.
3. Avoid nicotine
At least four weeks prior to surgery (ideally sooner), stop smoking cigarettes, vaping, or using nicotine replacement therapy, which can increase your risk of complications. All forms of nicotine can reduce blood flow to the skin, causing skin necrosis (tissue death).
You’ll also need to avoid exposure to second-hand smoke before and after surgery, adds Dr. Richard Tholen, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota.
Carbon monoxide poisoning from smoking, according to Dr. Lawton, is an even more significant problem because it prevents the delivery of oxygen to the healing wound
4. Review your medications and supplements
Talk with the nurses about your medications and supplements. Some decongestants, pain relievers, and prescribed medications are not suitable for use before surgery, while others are fine.
If you take opioids for chronic pain, speak to your surgeon and the anesthesiologist to ensure they make adequate adjustments for your medication during surgery and recovery. “It doesn’t mean that you can’t have surgery, but the post-operative pain may be a little more difficult to control,” says Dr. Marie Montag, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Omaha, Nebraska.
Mommy makeover surgeries can take 3 to 6 hours, depending on the number of procedures you have done, their complexity, and your surgeon’s level of experience and technique.
For safety’s sake, elective procedures shouldn’t take more than 6 hours. A tummy tuck alone can take 2 to 4 hours.
You’ll be expected to arrive about 2 hours in advance of surgery, to get prepped and ready for the anesthesia.
Afterward, you’ll spend an hour in the recovery room before being cleared to head home.
Make sure someone you trust can drop you off, get you home safely, and spend the first night after surgery in your home, in case you need any support.
This outpatient operation can be performed in a hospital or your surgeon’s private surgery center. (Make sure your board-certified plastic surgeon’s surgical facility is fully accredited, and that they have hospital privileges, so you can get emergency care if something goes wrong.)
Most operations of this length are performed under general anesthesia, to ensure safety. Your anesthesia provider will monitor you throughout the procedure to ensure your safety.
Once you’re prepped, your doctor and medical team will follow the surgical plan you agreed on.
Afterward, gauze or other surgical dressings will be applied to the incisions and covered with tape or an elastic bandage, sometimes under a surgical binder or compression garment.
You’ll then be moved to a recovery area where your vitals will be monitored as you wake up.
It’s common to be cleared to go home an hour after surgery, but in some circumstances, an overnight stay for monitoring may be required.
Mommy makeovers are considered safe in the hands of an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon.
However, each procedure carries some risk—and those risks can increase when procedures are combined and surgical time increases. When you’re discussing your treatment plan during your consultation, ask for confirmation that your operation won’t run longer than six hours.
Tummy tuck surgery has the highest potential for complications, double the complication rate of other cosmetic surgeries—3% versus 1.5%—according to a 2015 study. The most common complication was hematoma (blood collecting under the skin).
Your surgeon should discuss all potential risks and complications.
During your consultations, ask your surgeon about their complication rates, how they mitigate risks, and how they handle complications when they do arise.
Expect to take at least 2 weeks off work after a mommy makeover—possibly up to 6 weeks, if your job is physically demanding or involves heavy lifting.
Your recovery time will depend on how many procedures you have done and the type of procedures, so your surgeon should provide you with a personalized recovery estimate when they present your treatment plan.
Here’s a general timetable:
All surgical procedures leave scars at incision sites, but plastic surgeons make an effort to place the scars so they’re well hidden under clothing, even in a bikini. They will fade over several years.
Scar treatments, applied to the incision site after the area has crusted and healed, act like your skin’s moisture barrier, keeping the scar hydrated and helpingto improve their appearance. Medical-grade silicone scar therapy in the form of bandage-like sheets or gels can prevent abnormal scars, hypertrophic scars, and keloids.
You can usually start using a scar treatment about 1 month after surgery, but talk to your doctor. They may recommend that you start scar treatment even earlier.
You’ll be under general anesthesia during the mommy makeover procedure, so you shouldn’t feel anything.
Immediately afterward, you’ll be given pain medication through an IV.
Before you head home, your surgeon will prescribe pain medication for your recovery. Dr. Armando Soto, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Orlando, Florida, says that if you’ve had a tummy tuck with your mommy makeover, “You’ll need prescription pain meds for the first four to seven days.” Dr. Lawton, who is very aggressive about providing a comfortable postoperative recovery for his patients, prescribes at least two weeks of narcotics for pain relief.
Related: The Future of Opioid Use in Plastic Surgery Recovery
After the first two to four weeks, soreness should be manageable with over-the-counter (OTC) medications. Avoid blood thinners like ibuprofen, which can affect normal blood clotting.
If you experience significant pain during recovery, reach out to your doctor. Pain can sap the energy you need to heal, so your surgeon will want you to be as comfortable as possible.
Mommy makeover results should last well over 10 years or more, as long as you maintain a healthy lifestyle and stable weight.
Breast implants aren’t considered lifetime devices, so they may need to be exchanged in the future, but they won’t automatically need replacement.
Updated April 22, 2024