Pregnancy causes many changes in a woman’s body. Eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly can go a long way to restoring your appearance and hormone balance. A plastic surgeon can address what diet and exercise can’t through a mommy makeover. This combination of body contouring procedures and skin care treatments will help you look like you did before having a baby.

The team at our Dallas, TX plastic surgery center would like to go over some of the common ways that pregnancy and childbirth change the appearance of women’s bodies. This should help you understand why many women consider mommy makeovers after having a child.

Stretch Marks

Major weight gain and weight loss is bound to result in stretch marks. As weight is gained, the skin stretches to accommodate the added mass, resulting in tiny bands of scar tissue forming along the surface of the skin. These stretch marks left behind are just a natural part of your skin’s elasticity.

Most of the stretch marks following pregnancy are located around the lower abdominal region. Stretch marks can also form around the hips and buttocks. They will fade with time, but may not completely go away.

Loose, Sagging Skin

In addition to having stretch marks after pregnancy, many women also have loose or sagging skin, particularly around the lower abdominal region. The skin will gradually shrink back around your slimmer frame as you lose weight following childbirth and as time passes. This process can take several months, however, and your abdominal area may not look quite the same.

Changes in Breast Appearance

The breasts get bigger during pregnancy due to hormones changes and lactation. Once nursing is over and the glandular tissue shrinks, a woman’s breasts become smaller. Mothers might notice that their breasts aren’t as firm, perky, or shapely as they were prior to pregnancy.

Changes to Nipples and Areolas

In addition to the changes in breast size and shape, women will notice their nipples and areoles have darkened after childbirth. This is the result of increased estrogen levels during pregnancy. Similar darkening of the skin can affect a woman’s labia as well.

Dark Patches on Your Skin (Melasma)

In addition to stretch marks around the abdominal area, pregnancy can have other effects on the skin. Many women develop melasma after pregnancy. Sometimes referred to as “the mask of pregnancy,” melasma causes brown or grayish patches to appear on the face. The condition mostly effects the cheeks, forehead, chin, and nose, though the patches can also appear on other parts of the body.

The changing hormones during pregnancy can also result in new moles forming on your skin, or existing moles getting darker and larger. These moles are usually harmless and gradually fade after childbirth.

Varicose Veins and Spider Veins

The additional weight, blood volume, and pressure placed on a woman’s groin during pregnancy have an impact on the lower extremities. These all tend to result in prominent varicose veins and spider veins along the legs. While neither of these veins have an impact on your health, they can be a bother in terms of aesthetics, and leave you feeling self-conscious about what to wear.

Contact Dr. Paul Pin

To learn more about improving your appearance and body contour following pregnancy and childbirth, contact an experienced cosmetic plastic surgeon. Our team will provide you with all the answers you need to achieve your aesthetic goals.