Pregnancy can take a toll on your body. If you had a nice figure, you might find yourself having a flabby tummy after your child is born. Even if you lose the pregnancy weight, certain areas of your body may still have excess fat. Mommy makeover is a process that rids you of those worries. The process is aimed at reshaping the body and reducing the excess fat that has accumulated post-pregnancy. This process has gained popularity among women in recent years. However, the traditional methods of a mommy makeover are time-consuming and include surgical procedures with the inherent risk of complications like liposuction, tummy tucking, breast augmentation, and labiaplasty. That is why moms today are opting for non-surgical mommy makeover methods.
Nonsurgical mommy makeover: Nonsurgical makeover involves a variety of methods which varies from women to women depending upon her complaints. The common makeover treatments include the following –
• Cool sculpting – It is a non-surgical fat-freezing technology, scientifically proven way to reduce pockets of the excess of fat deposits such as the abdomen, flanks or under the chin in as little as one session. Up to 20-25% reduction in fat layer thickness after a single session.
• Thermage – Thermage treatment uses radio-frequency technology used to tighten the sagging skin in any part of the body. This involves heating of deeper, collagen-rich layers of the skin. The applied heat causes collagen to contract and encourages new collagen to start growing. This tightens the skin and helps create smoother skin after just one treatment with results that continue to improve.
• Fraxel – Fraxel is an FDA-approved laser device used to minimize the stretch marks on the abdomen. It uses the light of a laser to the skin to improve skin texture and remove pigmentation. Applied to a small fraction of skin at a given time, the energy of the laser system stimulates collagen in the skin and rejuvenates the skin cells below the skin's surface.
There are many conditions which can be treated with the above nonsurgical therapies. These are-
• Stretch marks treatment – Stretch marks appear on the abdomen, breasts, thighs, arms, and buttocks during the latter half of the pregnancy. Post-pregnancy they can be treated with Radiofrequency and laser as described above. Other therapies which are also used for stretch mark removal are-
Carboxy Therapy - In this therapy Carbon dioxide is administered just beneath the skin of your stretch marks through an injection. Carboxytherapy creates new collagen, improves blood circulation which thickens the skin and improves its appearance. you need to have a few sessions to see the results.
Mesotherapy - This is yet another therapy that aims to eliminate stretch marks caused by pregnancy. Mesotherapy promotes the production of collagen, elastin, and fibroblast. It also stimulates microcirculation and provides essential micronutrients. This therapy uses microneedles to inject certain substances through multiple micro punctures which stimulates fibroblastic activity and thereby natural healing process. This makes stretch marks less visible. You might need 2 to 3 sessions every week for a few weeks to notice visible differences.
Plasma Rich Platelet Therapy - PRP is the most preferred method for reducing stretch marks. A doctor will draw a small amount of blood from you and this blood will be treated until only plasma rich in platelets is left out. Then this plasma is injected into your skin underneath the stretch mark area. Plasma rich platelets will help regenerate and develop new cells and tissues and helping natural healing and thus treating stretch marks. One needs a few sessions of this therapy to get the best results.
• Treatment of varicose veins – during pregnancy, many women develop spider veins or varicose veins. Non-surgical removal of varicose veins can be done by using radiofrequency ablation. In this method heat generated by electromagnetic waves (radio waves) is used to close off the veins. This procedure involves inserting a thin radio-frequency ablation (RFA) probe into the vein through a small incision.
• Scar correction – C-section scars that are observed among women after pregnancy can be removed through a topical application of gels like Mederma gel which improves the overall appearance, color, and texture of scar. Then there are other therapies like Curad Scar Therapy which includes gel strips and pads to be applied on the scars to lighten and reduce the redness of the scars.
• Breast sagging correction – After pregnancy, your breasts might sag and lose volume. Enhancement techniques like non-surgical breast lifts will help in restoring the size and shape of the breasts making them look fuller. This technique involves the use of a high definition of diffused laser light called Coolbeam. The laser light is absorbed by the water in the skin cells around the breast tissue, absorption, in turn, causes the instantaneous vaporization of the cell. This causes an overall tightening of the collagen fibers in the surrounding skin. Therefore, a tightening of the skin will cause a lift in the skin, much like what happens with a laser facelift.
• Localized fat correction – This can be done by using various methods like cool sculpting, Radiofrequency, laser, carboxyl therapy, mesotherapy etc as described above.
Things to keep in mind usually, the nonsurgical treatments do not require much recovery time and you can get back to your usual routine quickly. However, if you are opting for this procedure, make sure you know all the details beforehand. Talk to your doctor and get to know all the steps you need to take before and after the makeover. It is advised that you go for this procedure after you have decided not to have kids anymore.