Mommy Makeover

Many new mothers, while they manage to lose the pregnancy weight after giving birth, find that their body type has changed due to fat deposits in various places, usually in the abdominal area, but also in the circumference (buttocks and outer thighs This is due to the way a woman's body stores and distributes fat during the nine months of pregnancy.

Once a few months have passed after giving birth and your weight has stabilised you can treat localised fat either with non-invasive treatments such as Injection Lipolysis and RF Radiofrequency, or with invasive treatments such as Liposuction.

The abdominal area shows the most radical changes in terms of skin laxity during pregnancy. Most women rarely manage to regain the tight contour of the abdomen after childbirth, after the 9 months of skin stretching. Also, some women, especially in twin pregnancies, experience stretching of the abdominal muscles and midline ligaments, with the characteristic appearance of a midline hernia.

Once a few months have passed after giving birth (1-3 months) and the condition of your skin has stabilised, you can treat loose skin with either non-invasive treatments such as Body Fractional Laser, Body Dermapen, Body Plexer - Plasma Pen, Body Threads and Body RF radiofrequencies or with invasive treatments such as Abdominoplasty.

Abdominoplasty or Tummy Tuck, is the only operation that can provide a solution to the "hanging" belly by removing excess skin, removing accumulated fat, strengthening the abdominal wall and tightening the abdominal muscles. Along with the removal of loose skin, stretch marks created by pregnancy in the lower part of the abdomen (below the navel) can also be removed, during this procedure.

During the pregnancy the breasts look full and firm, but unfortunately after childbirth and the breastfeeding period, the breasts suddenly droop and look "empty", "saggy" or asymmetrical. These changes are due to fluctuations in breast volume due to hormonal changes and the activation of the mammary glands to produce milk. As part of the Mommy Makeover, we restore the youthfulness and firmness of the breasts, either with Breast Augmentation, to increase the volume of the breasts or with Breast Lift, if there is severe sagging of the skin and a drop in the position of the nipples, in order to achieve a youthful, plump and fuller effect.

In some Mommy Makeover cases, a combination of Breast Augmentation and Breast Lift is required to treat the "emptiness" of the breasts, but also the "sagging" of the skin. The result is completely natural and particularly attractive, while in no way the sensibility of the nipple or the new mother's ability to breastfeed in the future is compromised.

The caesarean scar is about 10-20cm and is alongside or just below your bikini line. The incision will likely be red and visible at first, but will gradually begin to fade leaving a white or brown mark (depending on your skin type). To eliminate the caesarean section scar, you can have non-invasive treatments (starting one month after your delivery) and specifically Body Fractional Laser, Body Dermapen, Body Plexer - Plasma Pen and Autologous Mesotherapy.

Pregnancy is one of the main periods in a woman's life, where stretch marks appear. According to statistics, about 1/3 of women will experience stretch marks during pregnancy. It is interesting to note that the number of stretch marks increases significantly, during the last trimester of pregnancy, when the distension of the abdomen is also greater, due to a sharp increase in the weight of the fetus.

The factor responsible for the appearance of stretch marks is not so much the increase in weight per se, but the speed with which the weight increases and if this increases too fast, the skin does not have time to be sufficiently elastic and so stretch marks appear, mainly in the abdominal area. In addition, stretch marks can also appear in the breasts area, as the rapid increase in the size of the breasts during pregnancy, but also during breastfeeding, can affect the elasticity of the skin, causing the appearance of stretch marks there.

When it comes to stretch mark treatments, if you come in when they are still red, the chances of the stretch marks disappearing completely are very high. Conversely, if many years have passed since their appearance and they are white, then their complete removal will be a challenge. We would say that the various medical treatments now available can help fade and improve their appearance, but they cannot return the skin to 100% of the image it had before the stretch marks formed. Once some time has passed after delivery (1-3 months) and your skin condition has stabilised you can treat Stretch Marks with non-invasive treatments such as Body Fractional, Body Dermapen, Plexer - Body Plasma Pen, Body Threads, RF Radio Frequencies Body, Autologous and Heterologous Mesotherapy.

If we consider that the vagina before childbirth is usually 2-2.5 cm in diameter and the baby's head, which is about 10 cm, will pass through there, then we realise that even if the vagina regains some tightening, certainly it will not return to 2 cm. So after 1 or 2 vaginal deliveries, laxity is usually observed. You often ask us if this vaginal laxity is observed also, if a woman gives birth by caesarean section. The answer is no! But where does vaginal laxity cause problems? In several things in a woman's life, we will answer you. First of all, a loose vagina is more "open" to microorganisms and is therefore more vulnerable to vaginal infections. Thus, it is not uncommon for women with vaginal relaxation to suffer from vaginitis.  

At the same time, first-degree urinary incontinence can occur after childbirth, even in very young women. Small leakage of urine when laughing or coughing is most likely due to relaxation of the pelvic floor of the vagina, due to childbirth which worsens over time. Also, in women with vaginal relaxation after childbirth, the sexual satisfaction they had before childbirth with their partner is greatly affected and thus their psychology and self-confidence are significantly affected.

Until a few years ago, vaginoplasty (which is a surgical procedure to reduce the width of the vagina) was the only option for cases with vaginal laxity. Nowadays there is an alternative option for vaginal laxity and this is the medical method with the state-of-the-art Vaginal Laser that is carried out in Derm & Plastic Surgery Clinics, exclusively by the specialised and certified doctor in this method Dr. Zografou. The Vaginal Laser can replace many surgeries, correcting very effectively and non - surgical cases of small and moderate vaginal relaxation.

During pregnancy, the hormonal changes that occur inevitably affect the skin of the pregnant woman. In some women they bring the well-known "pregnancy glow" that even the most expensive creams cannot give, while in others their skin becomes dehydrated, shows dryness and other skin problems. Unfortunately, we cannot predict which women will belong to the first category and which to the second.

In any case, the good news is that this dry skin will be temporary and completely reversible after the pregnancy is over, so there is no need to worry. For this reason you should first of all increase the amount of water you consume (more than 2 litres per day) and use mild liquid face and body cleansers (without soap that dries the skin). You should not wash your face and body too often during the day, because this way you deprive it of its natural lipids and also you should apply daily special face and body moisturising creams with hyaluronic acid.

The period of pregnancy is a period when you should readjust your daily beauty routine and the products it should contain. In particular, you should stop using creams with Retinol, Salicylate, Benzyl Peroxide and Hydroquinone, while you can safely continue your creams with Hyaluronic, Vit C, AHA Acids and Peptides. You can read about all the dos and don'ts in your Pregnancy Skincare Routine in our Blog Post here.

Some women during pregnancy and more commonly those who have a hereditary predisposition and dark skin phototypes develop dark spots on their facial skin. This skin problem is usually called "Mask of Pregnancy", but it is scientifically known as “Chloasma of Pregnancy” or “Melasma of Pregnancy”.. 

Melasma of Pregnancy usually appears on the central part of the face (around the lips, nose and forehead) or on the side parts of the face ie the cheeks-cheekbones. There are high chances that these women will also develop a darker colour on the nipples of the breasts as well as on the skin of the genitals during pregnancy. These changes are caused by hormonal changes during pregnancy, which stimulate a temporary increase in the endogenous production of melanin. Sun exposure also plays an important role in the appearance and severity of pregnancy’s melasma.

In any case, the good news is that in most cases these problems will be temporary and completely reversible after the pregnancy is over, so there is no need to worry. Areas of hyperpigmentation will fade within a few months after giving birth and the skin will return to its normal shade, although in some women, these pregnancy spots fade but never go away completely.

In order to prevent their appearance we recmmend frequent and daily use of sunscreen during pregnancy, as well as products with Vitamin C concentrations of more than 10% (the use of vitamin C is safely allowed during pregnancy). It is also allowed to have medical resurfacing treatments such as Fractional Laser, Dermapen and Whitening Chemical Peels which can safely be done even during pregnancy and breastfeeding and which will help you deal with your dark blemishes.

You don’t need to worry at all, as this is a natural consequence of the hormonal changes of pregnancy and moles increase in size during pregnancy, especially in areas such as the breasts and the abdomen which undergo stretching. Moles also tend to be darker around this time due to increased melanin production in the body. Both the size and the colour of the moles return completely after delivery in the majority of cases and therefore you should not worry.

If, however, there is a mole that worries you as it grows asymmetrically and has an uneven colour, you can read more here and contact a qualified Dermatologist, who is specialist in Dermatoscopy of Moles. In our Clinics, this examination is performed by Dr. Zografou, a certified MOHS Surgeon, with many years of experience and expertise in Mole Dermatoscopy and Mole Removal with Laser or Plastic Surgery.

The Linea Nigra is a black vertical line on the abdomen that starts low in the pubic area and reaches chest height crossing the navel. It appears during the second (fifth month) and mainly the third trimester of pregnancy and can remain for several months after delivery. In very rare cases, it may remain permanently. This line is caused by pregnancy hormones which are also responsible for the dark colour that some pregnant women's nipples and genitals take on.

These hormones (oestrogen, progesterone and melanotropic hormone) stimulate the cells that produce melanin and thus darker women appear this line. It is not harmful and does not appear in all pregnant women, but usually in the darker skinned ones, and there is nothing you can do to prevent its appearance. It will go away on its own 3-4 months after giving birth.

For the same reason that the black line of pregnancy appears on the abdomen, dark skin appears on the genitals and nipples. The hormones produced in pregnancy (oestrogen, progesterone and melanotropic hormone) stimulate the cells that produce melanin, so darker women have darker nipples and darker labia. This pigmentation is not harmful and does not appear in all pregnant women, but usually in the ones that are dark-skinned and there is nothing you can do to prevent its appearance.

It usually goes away on its own 3-4 months after delivery, but in some rare cases it may remain. In these cases, genital and nipples whitening treatments can be safely applied with a combination of special Whitening Chemical Peelings and Fractional Lasers, as well as special medical Whitening Creams that our Doctors will recommend.

During pregnancy due to the increased production of oestrogen, the hair is shinier and thicker and the lifespan of the hair is extended. But after giving birth as oestrogen levels fall, beautiful hair loses its strength and falls out at an increased rate, giving the impression of falling out in "handfuls". But apart from the decrease in oestrogen, other common causes of post pregnancy hair loss are iron deficiency anaemia, fatigue and stress. 

About 3 months after giving birth, some women experience sudden and widespread reactive hair loss. Fortunately, this reactive hair loss is reversible. During this process, only the hair is lost and the hair bulb remains and is always able to produce new hair again. Taking iron tablets (where there is iron deficiency), amino acids, vitamins of the B complex and applying hair toning lotions with minoxidil and corticosteroids helps a lot in dealing with pregnancy hair loss, but also the application in the Clinic of Autologous Hair Mesotherapy on the scalp, which is a completely natural hair toning treatment that is allowed during pregnancy, as well as during the breastfeeding period.

The ideal time for a Mommy Makeover is when you feel the need to restore your body to its former state, after giving birth. It is important that ideally three months have passed since the last delivery, you have lost the pregnancy weight and you have stabilized at a normal weight. Weight stabilization is a sign that your body has recovered from the stress of pregnancy and childbirth.

Also, if you are interested in having breast augmentation or breast lift, it is important to have stopped breastfeeding for at least 2-3 months, so that your breasts have stabilized in shape and size and the pre-operative planning will be more accurate.

For tasks that require physical work, as well as for the return to sports activities, estimate that it will take about 1 month. But if you are employed in an office job, then you can return to your daily activities after one week.

It could be done since the caesarean incision is about one-third the length of the abdominoplasty incision which extends from one side of the pelvis to the other. However, most C-sections are usually a bit higher than we would like them to be and so we usually make the abdominoplasty incision lower and remove the C-section completely alongside with the excess abdominal skin that we remove anyway.