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How Pregnancy Affects Cosmetic Procedure Results

12 January 2021

There is a lot to consider when it comes to the impact of pregnancy on the results of different cosmetic procedures. Since most women are choosing to have children at an older age, they might be running into the situation where they have opted for a cosmetic procedure when they were younger.

When you are consulting your dermatologist or plastic surgeon for the first time, discussing the potential effects of pregnancy on the procedure may not come to your mind at first. However, this is something that needs to be considered—whether it’s in your plans or not.

You may need to wait until you have children to undergo certain procedures. This article will discuss how pregnancy affects different cosmetic procedures and surgeries.

The Effect of Pregnancy on…

Injectables: The most common minimally invasive cosmetic procedures are dermal fillers and neurotoxins such as Dysport, Botox, Xeomin and Jeuveau.

During pregnancy, the effects of these injectables can change as advised by the Calgary Plastic Surgery Center. During pregnancy, most women find their faces swelling naturally. However, areas augmented with fillers and lips may be fuller and the skin on the face may show fewer wrinkles and lines and appear fuller.
Fillers and neurotoxins are not given to women who are breastfeeding or pregnant. However, the effects of the injectables wear off quickly in women who had the procedure done before they got pregnant. This is because of their increased metabolic rate and they may notice that the dynamic lines become clearer.

Breast Augmentation and Reduction: Plastic surgeons generally recommend that women wait until after their pregnancy to undergo plastic surgery depending on when they are planning to have children. However, most women choose to go through the procedure long before having children.

Regardless of whether they have gone through breast augmentation before, women experience changes in their breast shape and size during pregnancy. The breast implant will be the same but there will be changes in breast tissue.

Since postpartum sagging is common giving birth and breastfeeding, most women choose to undergo a breast lift and/or breast replacement.

Women who have gone through breast reduction surgery may be concerned that their breasts will be bigger during pregnancy. However, like women with natural breasts, after giving birth, the chest normally returns to its pre-pregnancy size.

Labiaplasty: Women who have undergone labiaplasty before getting pregnant may be worried that the area treated may change during pregnancy and giving birth. The effects of giving birth and pregnancy are the same to women who have had the procedure and those who haven’t. However, depending on the hormone levels and body, the labia may significantly grow.

When this happens, it is possible to perform revision surgery. It is important to consider the viability of the remaining tissue before performing the revision. If possible, women should wait until they are done having children to do the revision procedure.

Tummy Tuck: Also known as abdominoplasty, the tummy tuck procedure is the one most affected by pregnancy. Although this procedure does not affect the ability of a woman to get pregnant or the health of the pregnancy, after the pregnancy, the excess skin may become an issue.

During gestation, the muscles and the skin that were tightened during the treatment will stretch, like for those who have not undergone the procedure. A revision procedure may be done to restore the initial results since the muscles and the skin may not go back to the same shape before pregnancy.

To avoid repeated surgery, it is recommended that women do the revision procedure when they are done having children.

Laser Hair Removal: Women who have finished their laser hair removal course before getting pregnant may need to redo the routine again after giving birth. This is because the treatment may not target all the hair follicles.

After giving birth, the hormones in women fluctuate, hence the follicles missed during the laser hair removal can be activated and hair starts growing. However, even if regrowth happens, the areas will not be as hairy as before the initial treatment.

Final Takeaway
Generally, women can undergo cosmetic procedures and surgeries whenever they want. However, it is important to understand that the results of these procedures and treatments may be affected during pregnancy and giving birth.

Consult with your plastic surgeon to know when to safely do the treatment of your choice.

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