What is a Mommy Makeover?

“Mommy makeovers” have become increasingly popular over the past several years. A mommy makeover can mean many things but, since breastfeeding and pregnancy usually take their biggest toll on the breast and abdomen, these are areas that are usually addressed. Breast enhancement can take the form of a breast augmentation, breast lift (also known as a “mastopexy”) or both. The tummy tuck (also known as an “abdominoplasty) is often combined with liposuction of the hips and other areas. Each surgery is tailored to the individual, depending on the areas that bother them most.

Why we conducted this survey

At the Advanced Institute for Plastic Surgery, we have seen hundreds of patients requesting a mommy makeover. Some women come in alone, some come in with their significant other, others come in with a friend or family member. We’ve talked extensively with the women but to a lesser degree to the men involved. We only get to see and talk to them if they participate in the process. It made us wonder, “What were men’s attitudes toward mommy makeovers?” Were they generally in favor of it, or opposed?

Survey results

The only way to get the bottom of an issue is to go out there and ask. So we did. We conducted a large survey of 1000 American men who were married or involved in a committed relationship with a woman.

Keep reading after the graphics…

Demographics

The respondents covered a broad age group. Sixty-three percent were in the 24-44 age group but there were 20.6% that were over the age of 54. In addition, 64% had at least one child.

One of the surprising findings of this study was that 41% of the men’s significant others have had plastic surgery of some kind. This relatively high number points to the fact that plastic surgery is mainstream in America today. It is no longer a niche that caters only to the rich and famous. Among the significant others that had plastic surgery, the most common procedures involved the breast, tummy and liposuction.

Men’s Perception and Society’s Role

When asked why they thought women would want to undergo plastic surgery, an important distinction was made. More men said it was to “feel” better (41%) as opposed to “look” better (30%). The men understood that the benefit of plastic surgery transcended merely better physical appearance. Rather, its benefit had greater emotional implications than physical.

The role of society cannot be overlooked. Fifty-eight of men strongly agreed that “society puts too much pressure on women to look a certain way”. These days, it seems like social media is having a greater impact on our perception of beauty than the traditional media of years past. Social media influencers appear to have more in common with the average person than a distant celebrity. Thus their looks and lifestyle appear seductively attainable to us all.

Concerns about complications

The main worries that the men had involved complications from surgery (63%). Second place was “if she’s not happy with the results” (47%). In contrast, only 18% worried “if I’m not happy with the results”. This implies that the men didn’t care as much about the aesthetic outcome than the woman. This answer correlates with the observation we make in the office. One common thing we hear the man say is, “It’s her that wants the surgery. I don’t really care. I think she’s fine.” This dispels the common misperception that women are pushed by men to seek plastic surgery. In reality, women are having surgery to please themselves, not anyone else.

Emotional and financial support

The strongest response of the survey was that an overwhelming majority (81%) of the men would be supportive if their significant other wanted a mommy makeover. Only 6.3% said they would be somewhat or strongly unsupportive. We see this also in our clinical practice. In the office, however, we could be noticing a selection bias in that the women that actually came in to a consult appointment were the ones who already had the support of their significant other. Observing the objective data, in this case, was reassuring.

Finances are often a delicate topic. Even if a woman might want surgery, the cost can be a thorny issue in the relationship. In this survey, we were interested to see that while 28% of the men would split it 50-50, the majority of men (54%) would pay for most or all of it. When giving the fee quote to a woman that comes alone to a consultation, one thing that we often hear the woman saying is, “I have to go home to ask my husband [or significant other]”. This comment now makes sense, looking at the data, if the men are paying for the majority of the surgery.

Finally, when asked how they would feel if their significant other got a mommy makeover, a full 79% said that they would feel happy for her. Thirty percent felt that they would be lucky. The negative feelings of insecurity, worries that she would cheat or jealousy received much smaller percentages. This underscores that this surgery is largely motivated by the woman and the benefit is for the woman. The men in their lives would feel happy if the woman is happy.

Conclusion

The findings of this large survey of American men show that the vast majority are supportive of mommy makeovers and that many would be willing to pay for it. The men had their specific worries about surgery but, overall, would be happy for their female partners if they decided to have this procedure done. Some of the findings were surprising, while others provided objective support to the behaviors that we see in the plastic surgery practice setting.

If you are interested in learning more about plastic surgery, please contact us at AI Plastic Surgery. Our teams at Temecula Plastic Surgery and Redlands Plastic Surgery are here to guide you through the process.