Kelly Whittaker said ‘no amount of diet, exercise, or cardio’ could help her get rid of soggy skin so she opted for a ‘mummy makeover’ and the results were ‘pretty much instant’
A woman who decided to undergo a “mummy makeover” as she struggled for her excess skin for years said the procedure cost her thousands – but the result left her in tears.
Kelly Whittaker, 39, gained 5.5 stone during her pregnancy in 2007 and while the weight dropped off quickly with doctor-prescribed tables, the rapid loss left her with sagging skin all over her torso. Kelly said “no amount of diet, exercise, or cardio” would prove to be helpful as she tried many different things including yoga, Pilates and HIIT programmes.
The mum said it was “horrible” and while this is a common experience for women after they give birth, she was left in need of therapy “to stop judging” herself. Kelly says she always hoped to have surgery to remove the excess skin but it felt “inaccessible” to her, especially after being told she didn’t qualify for the treatment with the NHS.
“I’d always wanted to have surgery to have it removed, but it felt inaccessible to me,” she added. “I put it to the back of my mind assuming it would never be available to me. I would learn to live with my body as it was which I did for a number of years.
“I learned to hide it very well with the way I dressed but I always wanted to dress nicer and wear things I felt like I couldn’t wear. I started looking into surgery, realised it was possible and went for it.” Eventually, Kelly decided enough was enough, booking a consultation for a “mummy makeover” at Manchester Private Hospital in Salford in March 2024.
A “mummy makeover” is a combination of cosmetic procedures aimed at restoring a woman’s pre-pregnancy body, typically involving breast surgery, tummy tuck and liposuction. It’s popular because it’s customisable to the patient’s needs and can improve self-esteem, the Manchester Evening News reported.
In the UK, the cost of a mummy makeover varies, generally ranging from £6,000 to £22,000, depending on the specific procedures included. By July, Kelly had undergone the procedure including an extended tummy tuck, breast augmentation, liposuction and abdominal muscle repair – an almost six-hour surgery that removed 13lbs of excess skin and fat.
While Kelly says she struggled with the recovery process, the mum-of-two, from Stoke, says the procedure has completely changed her life. Within two weeks, Kelly, who documented her journey on her TikTok account, where she has almost 27,000 followers, was able to go out and buy her first pair of denim shorts for the first time in years.
“I cried so much,” Kelly said, recalling the moment she came out of surgery. “The results were pretty much instant. When you come out, you come out wearing shapewear. I put on the trousers to go home in.
“A couple of days before, they were fitting me fine and they were falling off me. I knew straight away. They removed a total of 13lbs of excess skin and fat from my body. When you think you’re carrying that around with you on a daily basis, it’s incredible. Within days, I saw what a difference it was.
“Within two weeks of surgery, I went out and bought my first pair of denim shorts. I put them on and cried. It was so simple, and most people would think, ‘I do that all the time,’ but for me, something as simple as denim shorts would have highlighted all my lumps and bumps. It made it all worth it.”
Kelly, who works as an administrator, now wants to change the way people think about cosmetic surgery – especially for women who have experienced motherhood. “I wanted to raise awareness that it’s not as taboo as it used to be and raise awareness that not a lot of people are doing it because of vanity,” she added.
“A lot of people are doing it for self-esteem and confidence issues; that’s the reason I went on that route.” Now Kelly is able to embrace a new sense of style, no longer hiding behind baggy clothes. “It’s enabled me to re-evaluate my own personal style. I don’t have to wear those big and baggy items anymore,” she said. “I don’t have to wear skater dresses and skirts with extra material to hide.
“I can wear pencil skirts to the office and bodycon dresses on date nights. I’ve really been able to identify my style and what I want to look like. My best friend said to me the difference she sees in me isn’t just physical – she can see the mental difference. I come across as much lighter.”
