My face sagged and hollowed after giving birth. When can I start treatment?
“After the baby, I look years older in the mirror.” People say this quietly in the consultation room. I understand wanting to hurry. Still, at this stage order matters more than dates, so let me start with the order.
The short answer
No study sets a number of weeks after childbirth for starting cosmetic treatment, so I go by order instead of dates: after breastfeeding ends if you breastfeed, after the weight and facial swelling from pregnancy have settled, restarting with one treatment. Once things settle, if hollowing leads I use dissolvable hyaluronic acid filler + a collagen booster; if sagging leads, radiofrequency lifting + a collagen booster, in order. If the skin feels thinner, I look at Lituo or Rejuran. While you are breastfeeding, Botox and skin boosters are postponed or decided separately after an examination. At Miso Clinic in Daegu I first ask whether you are breastfeeding and whether your weight is still changing.
Why does the face look different after childbirth?
Several things arrive at once. As pregnancy weight comes off, facial volume goes with it, and months of short sleep make the eyes look puffy and droopy. In one study, photos of people kept awake for 31 hours were rated as more tired and droopier.
A 2026 review noted that skin itself changes with pregnancy and childbirth, so treatment results can differ too. The face you see now may not be the face you have in a few months. A weight-loss study estimated that mid-face volume falls by about 7% for every 10 kg lost, but that cannot simply be applied to weight change after childbirth.
Darker pigmentation such as melasma, and heavy hair shedding, are separate problems from sagging and hollowing and need their own consultation.
→ Read more: A hollow face after weight loss: where to start
When can I start treatment?
| Situation now | What you can do now | What waits | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breastfeeding | Sunscreen, moisturiser, sleep | Botox, skin boosters, collagen boosters (decided separately after an examination) | There are almost no studies of injections during breastfeeding |
| Breastfeeding finished, weight still changing | A consultation about radiofrequency lifting alone | Volume filler and collagen boosters | If more weight comes off, what was filled looks different |
| Weight and swelling settled | Restart with one treatment | Several treatments at once | Seeing the first reaction tells us what to do next |
| Trying for another baby this month | Topical care | Cosmetic injections | There are no data to call it safe |
One review says Botox acts mainly where it is injected and is unlikely to pass into breast milk, but the same review says breastfeeding data are even scarcer than pregnancy data. I found no study that followed breast milk or babies after collagen boosters, skin boosters or hyaluronic acid during breastfeeding. Breastfeeding lasts a year or two at most. I struggle to find a reason to rush changes to your face during that time.
→ Read more: Eight things to tell your doctor before treatment
Which pairings do I use for sagging and hollowing?
| Concern | Type of treatment | Miso Clinic pairing | What to expect and the limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hollow front cheeks or temples | Hyaluronic acid filler | hyaluronic acid filler + Juvelook Volume if needed | Fills at once and can be dissolved. We start small |
| The whole face looks thinner | Collagen booster | Sculptra · Juvelook · Gouri | Fills in gradually over weeks to months |
| Jawline and cheeks have dropped | Radiofrequency lifting + collagen booster | Density · XERF + a collagen booster | Change appears over 2–3 months |
| Skin feels thinner and dull | Material-replenishing skin booster | Lituo (Re2O) or Rejuran | Works on texture and density; cannot fill deep hollows |
| Tired expression lines | Muscle injection | Botox | Cannot change sagging or hollowing |
Most faces have both hollowing and sagging. In front of a mirror, lift your cheek gently with a finger. If it looks much better, sagging is the bigger part; if the shadow stays, hollowing is. I do not start a hollow face with deep heat.
→ Read more: Does losing weight make the face sag?
What can I do now, before treatment?
- Sunscreen — people who used it daily showed 24% less photoageing over 4.5 years. Nothing enters the body, so it is easy even while breastfeeding.
- Moisturiser — dullness is soothed with topical care first.
- Sleep — I know it is hard. Even one nap shows around the eyes faster than an injection.
- Prescription creams — check retinoids and other prescription creams with your obstetrician first if you are breastfeeding.
Changes to the face at this stage are natural. I do not try to fix them with treatment during breastfeeding. Looking again once things settle is not too late.
→ Read more: The skin barrier
When I see it differently
- If facial swelling stays heavy months after childbirth, or a sudden rash or severe itching appears, a medical check comes before a cosmetic consultation.
- If the skin has loosened enough to fold, it may be beyond non-surgical treatment and a surgical consultation may fit better.
- With dissolving threads, data on 1,406 people showed bruising in 19.49% and swelling in 16.79%. Recovering while caring for a baby is a burden, so I place them later.
- We do not offer Ulthera, Thermage, Onda, InMode, Shurink or liposuction.
→ Read more: Skin clinic treatments at a glance
How does the consultation work, and how do I book?
On a first visit we take photos from the front, at 45 degrees and from the side, and together we pick the one concern that bothers you most. I'll ask about any medications you take, any metal or electronic implants in your face, and whether you might be pregnant, and then I split things into what we can do today and what can wait for later. It's completely fine to come in just for a consultation and go home.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Booking | Naver booking · KakaoTalk chat · Phone +82-53-428-2700 |
| Location | 4F Bombom Building, 125 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu (Exit 1, Kyungpook National University Hospital Station, Line 3) |
| Hours | Weekdays 11:00–19:00 · Saturday 10:00–16:00, closed Sundays and public holidays |
Sagging or hollow face after childbirth: FAQ
How many months after childbirth can I have treatment?
No study sets a number of months. I suggest restarting with one treatment after breastfeeding ends and your weight and swelling have settled.
Can I have Botox while breastfeeding?
Reviews say it may be considered case by case, but few studies check it directly. Miso Clinic in Daegu postpones it or decides separately after an examination.
What about radiofrequency lifting while breastfeeding?
No drug enters the body, so reviews lean towards it being considerable, but no study measured it during breastfeeding. Weight is still changing then, which makes results hard to read, so I suggest not rushing.
Can I fill hollow cheeks with filler right after childbirth?
Weight may still come off, so we look once it settles. Even then we start small with dissolvable hyaluronic acid filler.
What if I am planning a second baby?
If it is a someday plan, treatment goes on as usual; if you start trying this month, I suggest pausing cosmetic injections.
Where can I get a postpartum treatment consultation in Daegu?
At Miso Clinic in Daegu (4F Bombom Building, 125 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Exit 1 of Kyungpook National University Hospital Station). You can book through Naver booking, KakaoTalk or by phone at +82-53-428-2700. Weekdays 11:00–19:00, Saturday 10:00–16:00, closed Sundays and public holidays.
Read next
Product pages
Who wrote this
Written and reviewed by Lee Chi-Hak, MD, director of Miso Clinic, Daegu. The treatment standards and injection design set out here are the ones we use in practice.
| Medical director | Lee Chi-Hak, MD |
|---|---|
| Address | 4F Bombom Building, 125 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, South Korea · Exit 1, Kyungpook National University Hospital Station |
| Phone | +82-53-428-2700 |
| Hours | Weekdays 11:00–19:00 (lunch 13:00–14:00) / Saturday 10:00–16:00 (no lunch break) / Closed Sundays and public holidays |
| Columns | All clinical columns |
| Reference library | All booster and device references |
References
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding and cosmetic procedures — Kovacs T et al. Int J Dermatol 2026. PMID 42634996 (counsel pregnancy and breastfeeding separately; during breastfeeding, with little systemic exposure and an area away from the baby, case-by-case judgement; skin changes after pregnancy can change results) · Russo A et al. Toxins 2025;17(4):192. PMID 40278690 (breastfeeding data on Botox are even scarcer than pregnancy data) · Lee KC et al. Dermatol Surg 2013;39(11):1573-86. PMID 24164677. Miso Clinic column daegu-pregnancy-skin-procedures.
- What I could not find — In a PubMed search on 2026-11-08 I found no study setting when cosmetic treatment may start after childbirth, and no study that followed breast milk or babies after collagen boosters, skin boosters or hyaluronic acid during breastfeeding (Miso Clinic column daegu-pregnancy-skin-procedures).
- Review of weight loss and facial change — Yoo KH. Aesthet Surg J 2026. PMID 42872378. 46 papers; in imaging of 20 people, midface volume fell by a median of 9%, estimated at about 7% per 10 kg. Similar changes have also been reported after large weight loss by other means, such as surgery.
- The sleep-deprived face — Sundelin T et al. Cues of fatigue. Sleep 2013;36(9):1355-60. PMID 23997369.
- Daily sunscreen and skin ageing — Hughes MCB et al. Ann Intern Med 2013;158(11):781-90. PMID 23732711. Randomised trial, 903 people, 4.5 years: 24% less photoaging in the daily sunscreen group.
- Human studies of radiofrequency lifting — Density: Oku 2025 (16 people, 24 weeks); XERF: Hwang 2025 (20 people), Weiss 2026 (39 people), Erlich 2026 (16 people); none had a control group. I could not find a clinical trial of the Oligio Kiss device itself.
- PLLA versus hyaluronic acid filler — Nasolabial folds, 208 people randomised; at 120 weeks, 55.56% versus 25.00%. PMID 42594306.
- Human trial of Lituo — Lee YI et al. Int J Mol Sci 2026;27(5):2193. NCT07155278. Split-face, double-blind, randomised, 20 people, 20 weeks.
- Adverse events with absorbable threads — Ojha AS et al. Dermatol Surg 2025;51(3):272-6. PMID 39442180. 19 studies, 1,406 people: bruising 19.49%, swelling 16.79%, tenderness 9.96%, infection 2.49%, haematoma 0.64%.
- When results show — Miso Clinic column when-results-show: at day 90, 92% of doctors versus 42% of patients. In biopsies after collagen-stimulating products, no new collagen at 2 weeks, type III at 2 months, type I at 3–4 months.
- Korean medical advertising law — Korean Medical Service Act Article 56(2) (no treatment testimonials, no comparisons with other clinics, no superlatives). This is why this column carries no prices, reviews or before-and-after photos.
- Miso Clinic treatment policy — What we have: Density Noir (ALPHA · BOOST tips), XERF, Oligio Kiss; Lituo (Re2O), CellReDM, Reallo; Rejuran; the full Juvelook lineup; Gouri; Everwrinkle and Everwrinkle V; Radiesse; Byryzn; D-Classy; hyaluronic acid filler; Botox (all areas, skin Botox); ligament injection; dissolving threads. What we do not offer: Onda, Thermage, InMode, Ulthera, Shurink, liposuction. Hollow cheeks get dissolvable hyaluronic acid filler first, sagging gets lifting first; no radiofrequency that day with metal or electronic implants in the face, pregnancy or skin inflammation; threads are the dissolving kind, used conservatively over age 50; we decide by the change that bothers you, not by age; results are judged after 2–3 months with photos taken under the same conditions.
Everything in this column is general information and does not replace medical diagnosis or treatment. Effects and side effects vary with individual skin condition, age and underlying illness, and the same result is not guaranteed for everyone. Any decision to proceed should be made in an in-person consultation with a physician.