Menopause, the process where a woman’s periods stop and hormone levels lower, usually affects women between the ages of 45 and 55. It can physically alter the body in several ways, which is why many women consider plastic surgery when they reach menopause. In this article, we’ll explain the most common procedures that women choose to get as part of their menopause makeover.
A woman’s oestrogen levels drop during menopause, which contributes to an accumulation of excess fat in the hips and abdomen. Additionally, some women notice changes in their skin and breasts and experience a gradual loss of muscle mass.
Furthermore, as menopause can lead to a slower metabolism, many women find it difficult to lose weight and tone their bodies to counteract the effects of menopause.
The physical symptoms of menopause can make many women self-conscious and dissatisfied with their bodies, in which case, a menopause makeover can restore women with confidence by rejuvenating their figures.
A menopause makeover also consists of a series of highly customisable procedures, allowing women to discuss a bespoke treatment plan with their surgeon to deliver the most natural-looking result.
A tummy tuck, also known as an abdominoplasty, is a cosmetic surgery that removes excess skin from the abdomen. A tummy tuck can also be customised to repair weakened abdominal muscles.
Women begin to notice signs of ageing around the time they reach menopause. This includes the development of loose skin in the abdominal region as a result of a decrease in collagen production and the weakening of abdominal muscles as muscle strength gradually decreases.
Therefore, a tummy tuck can benefit women by removing the loose skin in their abdomen and tightening the abdominal muscles for a stronger core. Many women also benefit by combining their tummy tuck with liposuction (lipoabdominoplasty) to get rid of the excess fat deposits that often accumulate in the midsection with age.
Your procedure may vary depending on the type of tummy tuck you require. However, the mini and full tummy tuck are the most common variations of the cosmetic surgery.
To perform a mini tummy tuck, your surgeon will make an incision along the bikini line to remove excess skin from the lower abdomen. In comparison, a full tummy tuck requires a longer incision along the bikini line and around the belly button to remove loose skin from both the upper and lower abdomen. The latter cosmetic surgery can also involve muscle repair if needed.
After tummy tuck surgery, patients will experience swelling and discomfort in their abdomen, which typically begins to subside in 1-2 weeks.
Most patients can return to work and light activities after this period; although, depending on the invasiveness of the procedure, it can take up to 8 weeks before patients can resume more strenuous activities. To ensure a smooth recovery, follow our tummy tuck survival guide and the aftercare instructions provided by your surgeon.
You will notice that your tummy is considerably flatter immediately after the cosmetic surgery. However, you will be able to fully appreciate your results as the post-surgical swelling subsides. Therefore, you will notice continuous improvements to the final results of your tummy tuck up to 12 months after the cosmetic surgery.
A breast lift, also known as mastopexy, is a cosmetic surgery that reverses sagging breasts by removing the excess skin in the area.
It is common for women to develop deflated and sagging breasts after pregnancy, which can be exacerbated by the loss of skin elasticity that often accompanies menopause. Therefore, getting a breast lift as part of your menopause makeover can provide you with perkier and more youthful breasts.
A breast lift is performed under sedation or general anaesthesia and can take between 2-3 hours. The surgeon will make an incision, the shape, and placement of which will depend on the patient’s breast size and amount of excess skin. After removing the excess skin, the surgeon will tighten the remaining skin and close the incisions with sutures.
For the first few weeks of your recovery, your breasts will be swollen and sore. Typically, these side effects gradually subside in two weeks, after which most patients can return to work and light activities. However, you may be required to avoid strenuous activities for 6 weeks after the cosmetic surgery.
Your breasts will appear contoured and lifted immediately after the cosmetic surgery. However, in addition to the swelling, the breasts may feel tighter and appear higher than expected. Therefore, it may take a few months for the final results of the cosmetic surgery to become apparent and for the breasts to feel natural.
Liposuction, also known as suction-assisted lipectomy, is a cosmetic surgery that removes excess fat from targeted areas of the body.
Due to the rapid decline in oestrogen levels, weight gain is a common side-effect for many menopausal women. In particular, many women notice that their body mass shifts from the butt and thighs to the belly. Liposuction can help restore women with a more proportionate and sculpted body to counteract these effects.
Liposuction surgery is performed under sedation or general anaesthesia and can take between 1-3 hours, depending on the number of treatment areas.
The surgeon will create tiny incisions in the targeted areas to insert a thin suction tube to suction out the excess fat. Finally, the incisions are closed with sutures.
After liposuction surgery, the affected areas will be swollen, bruised, and numb. These side effects will gradually begin to dissipate, with most patients feeling well enough to resume work and light activities after 1-2 weeks. However, it may take up to 3 weeks before you can resume more strenuous activities.
Immediately after the surgery, the treated areas will appear flatter and contoured as the excess fat will have been permanently removed. However, it may take 6-12 weeks for the final results of the surgery to emerge as the swelling will need to subside. Additionally, many patients notice continuous improvements up to 12 months after the cosmetic surgery as the residual swelling continues to decline.
Fat transfer is a surgery that adds volume to certain areas of the body using the excess fat extracted through liposuction.
Since menopause can shift one’s body mass and distort the body’s proportions, many women can restore their pre-menopause figure with fat transfer surgery.
In particular, since many women gain fat in the belly during menopause while losing fat in the butt, thighs, and breasts, a fat transfer is an ideal solution for reversing this effect. Additionally, the surgery has many benefits as it is a highly customisable surgery that can provide the patient with a full body contour.
A fat transfer surgery can take between 1-4 hours to perform under sedation or general anaesthesia. The surgeon will first perform liposuction to harvest the fat. Afterwards, they will purify the fat cells and prepare it for injection. Finally, the surgeon will inject the fat into the areas requiring enhancement.
The areas treated with liposuction and fat transfer will be swollen and uncomfortable for a few weeks. However, the swelling will begin to dissipate in a few days, with most patients feeling recovered enough to return to work after 2 weeks. You will be given detailed information on your fat transfer recovery to help you recover as fast as possible while preserving the results of your cosmetic surgery.
At first, your fat transfer results may appear bigger than expected. This is because your body absorbs 30-50% of fat grafts over the coming weeks and months.
Your surgeon will inject more fat to account for this loss in order to provide your desired results. You will notice the final results of your fat transfer after 3-6 months as your results begin to settle and feel natural.
At the CREO Clinic, the cost of a tummy tuck starts from £9,900; the cost of a breast lift starts from £9,900; the cost of liposuction surgery starts from £5,900; the cost of fat transfer surgery starts from £8,500.
The exact cost of each surgery will vary depending on the nature of your menopause makeover, which you can discuss with your plastic surgeon during a consultation. However, undergoing the series of surgeries in one session will be more cost-effective for the patient.
Staying in shape after your menopause makeover with a healthy diet and exercise routine is essential to maintaining the long-lasting effects of the surgeries. Additionally, patients will need to meet the BMI requirements before undergoing surgery and are recommended to pursue surgery after reaching their ideal weight.
If you need help reaching your weight loss goals, our nutritionists run personalised weight loss programmes that may be beneficial for you.
Dr Omar Tillo is a double board-certified surgeon specialising in body contouring procedures from the neck down, including the series of surgeries included in a menopause makeover. As an expert in each surgery, he is highly skilled at creating natural-looking results for each of his patients.
If you are considering any of the procedures mentioned above, book a consultation with Dr Tillo at the CREO Clinic to discuss a bespoke treatment plan.
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