Being a new mum’s an exciting time, but having a baby brings many physical changes that can affect how we feel about ourselves. Many women find that they have new concerns about the condition of their skin, hair and body after giving birth.
New mums often have a catalogue of post-pregnancy changes to contend with: swift weight gain, over-stretched skin, breasts losing shape and volume, a network of stretch marks, and thread veins, and possibly new brown patches of pigmentation on the face.
Although Transform doesn’t carry out treatments on patients while they’re pregnant, we can plan your post-pregnancy aftercare programme with you. Our experts will discuss which innovative aesthetic and cosmetic treatment options can target your post-pregnancy concerns.
Here are a few you might like to consider:
CoolSculpting
This is a non-surgical body contouring procedure which targets stubborn, localised areas of fat which refuse to budge through diet and exercise. It uses advanced freezing technology to freeze fat cells, and can lead to a 27% reduction in them after each treatment.
Who’s it for? It’s perfect for anyone who has a pocket of fat on their lower abdomen, but it can also tackle the flanks, thighs, arms, back and chin. To find out if you’re a suitable candidate for CoolSculpting, simply book in for a consultation today.
When’s the right time to book in for treatment? Our patients usually wait at least 3-6 months post-baby before considering this procedure. If you’ve had a caesarean-section, we’d recommend waiting for the scar to heal, although the treatment wouldn’t be performed directly on the scar.
How long you can expect results to last? CoolSculpting may require a second treatment session so that the results are optimised. You’ll start seeing results after around 2 weeks, with the optimal results evident at around 3 months. As long as you maintain your weight, the fat cells are permanently destroyed in the treated area, meaning they’re gone for good. And perhaps best of all, there’s no downtime after this procedure.
Read more about CoolSculpting here.
Chemical Peels/HydraFacial/Microdermabrasion
These are facial treatments that improve many skin problems by deeply exfoliating and encouraging healthier skin. A range of skin conditions can be helped through repairing, restoring and reconditioning the skin.
Who’s it for? As a baby grows inside its mother, the rest of her body changes too. It produces more oestrogen and progesterone, and for some this increases of the formation of brown spots and melasma, not to mention the skin appearing dehydrated with visible fine lines and wrinkles appearing on the skin post-pregnancy.
When is the right time to book in for treatment? For some women, 6 months post-pregnancy is the right time to start a skin treatment programme. If you are still breast feeding, you will need to wait an additional 6 months or longer after your baby is weaned.
We will create a personalised treatment plan for you, dependent upon the condition of your skin and the results you’d like. Your skin specialist will offer you 3 to 6 treatments, with 14-day intervals between each one.
How long will the results last? The results will depend on the severity of your skin issues, but most people will see a visible improvement with each treatment and their skin will have an overall healthy glow.
TIP: A good skincare routine helps you achieve a clearer and healthier complexion that leaves your skin looking and feeling gorgeous. It’s also important if you’re going to maintain the results of our treatments. Our skincare specialist will be able to discuss which product range is best suited to your needs.
You can read more about Chemical Peels, HydraFacial and Microdermabrasion on our non-surgical procedures page here.
EDS/Microneedling
This is a minimally-invasive skin rejuvenation procedure which uses a device containing fine needles. A topical numbing cream is applied to the face and neck, then the needles are used to make tiny punctures in the skin. This creates a controlled skin ‘micro injury’ that stimulates collagen production, helping to reduce fine lines, plumping the skin and giving a firmer texture and softer tone.
Who’s it for? This aesthetic procedure works if you want to improve the appearance of acne scarring, melasma and/or fine lines and wrinkles. It’s also a go-to procedure for new mums with post-pregnancy stretch marks.
When is the right time to book in for treatment? For some women, 6 months post-pregnancy is the right time to start a skin treatment programme. If you are still breast feeding, you will need to wait an additional 6 months or longer after your baby is weaned.
We will create a personalised treatment plan for you, taking into account your skin condition and what you’d like to achieve. Your skin specialist will offer you 3 to 6 individual treatments, with 10-12-day intervals between each one.
How long will the results last? This will depend on variable factors, including your skin type and skin condition, as well as other health factors. Maintenance treatments are suggested every 6-12 months for the best results.
Find out more about microneedling here.
IPL/Sclerotherapy
This helps to erase thread/spider veins. These small veins tend to branch out and give a spider effect and occur most commonly on the legs and face. Thread veins may appear because of certain conditions including increased levels of oestrogen hormones during pregnancy.
We offer 2 procedures commonly used to treat thread veins:
- A vascular laser (IPL), which heats the veins, and coagulates the blood inside. The vessel wall then collapses. Over the following weeks, as the body works to remove the blood, the appearance of the vein clears.
- If the thread veins are on the legs, a treatment called sclerotherapy is used to treat them. A solution is injected directly into the vein, causing the blood to coagulate, and over time the veins become less visible.
Who’s it for? For some women, thread veins may disappear within nine months post-pregnancy. For others, treatment may be required to remove the appearance of unsightly thread veins.
We’d advise that you visit one of our specialists in clinic to discuss your treatment options.
When is the right time to book in for treatment? We usually advise you wait 6 months post-pregnancy before starting a skin treatment programme. If you are still breast feeding, you will need to wait an additional 6 months or longer after your baby is weaned. A treatment plan will be offered for 3-6 treatments, depending on which treatment is suitable for you.
How long will the results last? Typically, treated veins respond very well and, depending on the area and amount of thread veins treated in one session, results can be instant. For some, a further 7 days is required to fully appreciate the visible results.
Your specialist will discuss the number of treatments/sessions you may need, bit once treated, you can expect the results to last. However, certain lifestyle factors can increase the occurrence of thread veins.
Find our more about thread vein removal here.
Laser Hair Removal
This is a treatment that uses a powerful laser or intense pulsed light (IPL) to remove unwanted hair. This light source heats and destroys hair follicles in the skin, which disrupts hair growth. Common areas to treat are the face, legs, arms, underarms and bikini line.
Who’s it for? Throughout your pregnancy and following your child’s birth, changes in hair growth are to be expected and completely normal. Your hormones are likely to settle after you’ve had the baby or stopped breastfeeding.
When is the right time to book in for treatment? Like all medical aesthetic treatments, for some women, 6 months post-pregnancy is the right time to start a skin treatment programme. If you are still breast feeding, you will need to wait an additional 6 months or longer after your baby is weaned.
How long will the results last? The results can be permanent, but we recommend top up treatments every 6-12 months to keep the hair regrowth at bay.
You can read more about laser hair removal here.
"Mummy make over"
Although we’ve focussed on non-surgical body enhancements in this blog, if you’re considering a surgical route to regaining your body confidence post-pregnancy, many women decide to opt for a breast enlargement and tummy tuck after having their children.
Generally, post-pregnancy surgical procedures tend to address the abdomen and breast areas, with the most common combination being breast augmentation and/or breast lift, combined with a tummy tuck and/or liposuction of the waist. This is typically known as the ‘mummy make-over’.
This procedure works for patients who want to target areas of their body that they’re unhappy with after pregnancy. Having a chat with your surgeon assistant can help you to plan your surgery and recovery time.
As a new mum, you can undergo these procedures around 6 -12 months after childbirth, if you feel ready. You should bear in mind that if you plan to have more children, your surgeon will typically not perform a surgical procedure, especially on your abdomen, until you’ve completed your family unit, as having more children will most likely reverse the results of the procedure.
For more information on the treatments, we have available, book your free consultation, or call your local clinic today.
Article by Senior Aesthetician, Mamuna Arshad
