What Does a Daddy Makeover Include?

What Is a Daddy Makeover?

A daddy makeover is a tailored combination of cosmetic procedures for men who want to change the shape of their chest and stomach, usually after years of weight change, lifestyle change or ageing. It is sometimes called a daddy do-over. The term is modelled on the mummy makeover, which combines procedures to address the effects of pregnancy. A daddy makeover has nothing to do with pregnancy: it targets the changes many men notice in their 30s, 40s and beyond, such as chest fullness, stubborn fat around the waist and loose skin on the stomach.

There is no single recipe. Your surgeon will recommend the procedures that treat your concerns and leave out those that do not, so one man’s daddy makeover may be gynaecomastia surgery with liposuction, while another’s also includes a tummy tuck. Our cosmetic surgery for men guide covers every procedure we offer.

What Does a Daddy Makeover Include?

Most daddy makeovers combine two or three of the following procedures.

Gynaecomastia surgery

Gynaecomastia surgery, also called male breast reduction or gynecomastia surgery, treats enlarged male breast tissue. Chest fullness can be caused by glandular tissue, fat or a mix of both, and it can follow weight gain, hormonal changes, some medications or anabolic steroid use. Fatty tissue is removed with liposuction, while firm glandular tissue behind the nipple is removed through a small incision at the edge of the areola. Where weight loss has left loose chest skin, some skin may also need to be removed.

If your chest is mainly fatty rather than glandular, you may have pseudogynecomastia, which is usually treated with liposuction alone.

Male liposuction

Male liposuction removes stubborn fat that has not shifted with diet and exercise. In a daddy makeover it most often treats the stomach, love handles and chest, and sometimes the back or the area under the chin. Both VASER liposuction and power-assisted liposuction are available. The fat cells removed do not grow back, although the fat cells that remain can still enlarge if you gain weight.

Male tummy tuck

A male tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) removes loose skin and fat from the lower stomach and can tighten stretched or separated abdominal muscles. It suits men with loose or overhanging skin, often after significant weight loss, which liposuction alone cannot tighten. The scar sits low, where underwear or swimwear can usually hide it.

Other procedures that can be added

Depending on your concerns, a daddy makeover can also include HD lipo for muscle definition, chin and neck liposuction, male eyelid surgery or a male facelift. Men with a lot of loose skin after major weight loss may be better served by staged male body contouring.

Can Surgery Fix a Dad Bod?

Surgery can change the shape of a “dad bod“, but only the parts that diet and exercise cannot fix. Liposuction removes stubborn pockets of fat under the skin, gynaecomastia surgery flattens the chest, and a tummy tuck removes loose skin.

What surgery cannot remove is the fat stored deep inside the abdomen around the organs (visceral fat), which makes a stomach feel firm and rounded. Visceral fat only reduces with weight loss, so if your stomach is firm and protruding rather than soft, diet and exercise may help more than surgery. Your surgeon will check this at your consultation.

Who Is a Good Candidate for a Daddy Makeover?

You may be suitable for a daddy makeover if you:

• are in good general health, with any medical conditions well controlled
• are at or near a stable weight, ideally with a BMI of around 30 or below
• have stubborn fat, chest fullness or loose stomach skin that has not improved with diet and exercise
• do not smoke, or can stop all nicotine for at least four weeks before and four weeks after surgery
• have realistic expectations and are choosing surgery for your own reasons

If you are still losing weight, it is usually better to reach your goal first, because further weight loss after surgery can leave the skin loose again.

Can You Have All the Procedures at Once?

Often, yes. Combining procedures under one anaesthetic means one operation, one recovery and less time away from work and family. A combined operation usually takes around three to five hours, depending on what is included.

A longer operation does carry more risk, so your surgeon will only combine procedures when it is safe for you. In a US study of 25,478 tummy tucks, major complications affected 3.1% of patients who had a tummy tuck alone, 3.8% when liposuction was added and 4.6% when both liposuction and a breast procedure were added. Men, patients with a BMI of 30 or more and patients having more than one procedure were all more likely to have a complication (Winocour et al., 2015). For some men, especially those with more loose skin or other health risks, splitting the procedures into two stages is the safer plan.

The Daddy Makeover Procedure

A daddy makeover is performed under TIVA at our Baker Street hospital. Your surgeon marks the treatment areas while you are standing. Liposuction is usually performed first, followed by gynaecomastia surgery and then the tummy tuck, although the order depends on your plan. You wake up wearing a compression garment.

Your surgeon will advise whether you can go home the same day or should stay overnight. A responsible adult must take you home and stay with you for 24 hours, and overnight nursing can be arranged if you are staying locally.

Daddy Makeover Recovery

• First week: expect swelling, bruising and tightness. Rest, take short walks several times a day to help your circulation, and wear your compression garment as advised. If a tummy tuck is included, you will walk slightly bent forward at first.
• Weeks 2 to 3: most men return to desk-based work, sooner if no tummy tuck was performed.
• Week 6: most men can return to heavy lifting, the gym and strenuous exercise, once your surgeon is happy with your healing.
• 3 to 6 months: the remaining swelling settles and scars begin to fade.

Stop taking aspirin two weeks before surgery unless your doctor advises otherwise, and follow your surgeon’s aftercare instructions throughout your recovery.

Daddy Makeover Results

You will notice a change in your shape straight away, but swelling hides the final result at first. Most swelling settles over the first six weeks, and the result continues to refine for three to six months as the tissues settle and the scars mature. The fat cells removed do not come back, but keeping your weight stable matters, because significant weight gain can still change your shape.

Daddy Makeover Risks

All surgery carries risks, and your surgeon will explain them before you give consent. The risks of a daddy makeover include:

• bleeding or a haematoma (a collection of blood under the skin)
• infection and wound healing problems
• blood clots in the legs or lungs, which are more likely after longer operations
• a seroma (a collection of fluid) after a tummy tuck
• uneven contours, asymmetry or remaining loose skin
• changes in nipple or skin sensation
• visible or raised scars

Not smoking, keeping to a healthy weight and following your aftercare advice all help to lower these risks.

How Much Does a Daddy Makeover Cost in the UK?

Every daddy makeover combines different procedures, so there is no fixed price. You will receive a written quote after your consultation that sets out exactly what is included. For a guide to the individual procedures, see our gynaecomastia surgery cost guide and male liposuction cost guide.

Combining procedures can reduce the total cost compared with separate operations, because some costs are shared. For example, the TIVA supplement is not charged twice. Compression garments and prescribed medications are not included as standard and are confirmed with you in advance. Finance options are available, subject to status.

Frequently asked questions

Speak to a plastic surgeon

If you are considering a daddy makeover, the first step is a consultation with a plastic surgeon at our CQC-regulated hospital at 95–97 Baker Street, London. The surgeon who assesses you is the surgeon who will operate. They will examine you, explain which procedures would help, and give you a written quote. We recommend a two-week cooling-off period before any cosmetic surgery. Call 020 7993 4849 or book a consultation online.

Further reading

• Cosmetic surgery for men
• Male body contouring
• Pseudogynecomastia: causes, signs and treatment
• Pec implants for men