The good news is that following a belly tuck, the scar usually fades entirely within a few years. However, you will still have scars following surgery, and they will take considerably longer to fade.
Tummy tuck scars often take about two years to heal fully. The thickness and color of your skin will determine how long it will take for your stomach tuck scar to disappear completely. It may take less than six months if you have light skin and no stretch marks. But if you have pale skin and dark stretch marks or a lot of saggy skin, it might take up to two years.read on to know more on Healed Tummy Tuck Scar/Best Tummy Tuck Scar Cream
How Long Does It Take For A Tummy Tuck Scar To Heal
The belly tuck procedure will leave a scar. It is possible, however, to lessen the public’s awareness of this issue. Preparation for surgery is crucial, maybe even more so than the actual procedure itself.
We will go through what you may expect before and after surgery, as well as the several methods available for minimizing the appearance of a scar.
What you can do before your tummy tuck
When selecting a surgeon, it’s important that you look at their portfolio. This will give you a frame of reference for their skillset and typical results. You’ll want to choose someone who has proven themselves as a reputable surgeon and with whom you feel comfortable.
Before your surgery, talk with your surgeon about the scarring. You can bring up any specific concerns you may have and determine what your scar is expected to look like. Depending on your individual surgery, you may have a V- or U-shaped scar.
Bring underwear or bikini bottoms to your surgical planning appointment so you can get a clear idea of where the scarring will be in relation to your panty line.
You should also completely stop smoking for at least six weeks before your surgery. This will help to reduce complications.
What you can do after your tummy tuck
It’s extremely important that you follow all of the aftercare instructions provided by your surgeon.
Some general guidelines include:
- Try to walk as soon as possible after your surgery. This reduces swelling and the risk of blood clots.
- Continue to refrain from smoking for at least six weeks.
- Follow a healthy diet. Include plenty of liquids, fresh fruit, vegetables.
- Refrain from lifting heavy items and avoid any strenuous activity for at least six weeks.
- Avoid any activity that stretches, bends, or causes you to put pressure on your abdomen.
- Avoid sexual activity for three weeks after your surgery.
Apply topical vitamin E
Some researchTrusted Source suggests that using vitamin E topically can improve the appearance of scars. It can also help to keep your scar moisturized.
Be sure to use 100 percent pure vitamin E oil. You should apply it to your scar at least once a day for the first couple of months. You can also use this as a chance to massage the scar tissue once it has healed.
If you experience any type of skin irritation or allergic reaction, discontinue use.
Don’t forget the sunscreen
It’s important to use sunscreen on your scar for at least a year after your surgery. If you can, it’s best to avoid sunning the area.
Scars are made of new skin and react differently to the sun than normal skin. Using sunscreen will prevent a scar from becoming darker than the surrounding skin.
If you can, use a formula that’s made specifically for scars. You should also use something that’s SPF 30 or higher.
A few popular options include:
- Mederma Scar Cream
- Professional Sunscreen for Scars
- Bioderma Photoderm LASER SPF50+ Cream
- ScarScreen SPF 30
Watch for signs of infection
It’s important to clean your incision daily. Not only will keeping your scar clean and healthy reduce its appearance, it will also reduce your risk of infection.
See your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms:
- excessive bleeding along the incision line
- increased or severe swelling, bruising, or redness that isn’t getting better
- severe pain that isn’t relieved by medication
- yellowish or greenish drainage from the incision
- any discharge that has an unpleasant odor
- loss of feeling or motion
- oral temperature over 100.4°F (38°C)
- fever or chills
What you can do if you still experience scarring
Your scar will be mostly healed after about 12 weeks, but it can take up to a year for it to fully heal. You may want to wait until it has healed to decide if you want to undergo any surgical procedures that will minimize its appearance.
These methods won’t be able to completely remove the scar, but they can help to improve its size, color, and texture.
Steroid applications and injections
You may choose to use steroid applications or injections to get rid of raised, thick, or red scars. These treatments may be used at the time of surgery for scar prevention or four weeks after surgery for correction.
The cost will depend on the size and severity of the scar. It’s usually a few hundred dollars per treatment.
Laser treatment
Laser treatments are also available. Vascular lasers collapse the tiny blood vessels on the surface of the skin that cause redness. Laser surfacing is one of the best options to improve the texture and color of scars. This technology can resurface the skin. Scarred skin is replaced with healthy collagen which improves the overall texture and color.
Check with your doctor to see how long you should wait before beginning laser treatment. Laser treatments are expensive. If you go with this treatment, you’ll likely need two or more sessions over the course of a few months.
Surgical scar revision
Scar revision surgery is an option if you want your scar to be closer in tone and texture to your normal skin. Your doctor may use a combination of topical treatments, minimally invasive procedures, and surgical revision. You’ll still be able to see the scar, but it will be less noticeable.
As with laser treatment, you should check with your doctor to see how long you should wait after your tummy tuck to have scar revision surgery. They may advise you to wait at least a year so you can see how your scar has healed over time first
Healed Tummy Tuck Scar
Scars after a stomach tuck usually begin to lighten and fade to a pinkish or brownish color around the six-month mark. Scars after a stomach tuck often heal and vanish completely within a year.
Scarring is a legitimate concern for stomach tuck patients, despite the fact that the procedure consistently receives rave reviews for its amazing outcomes. Scars are frightening, particularly since they will seem worse at first and then gradually improve as they recover. Scars after an abdominoplasty are flat, horizontal lines that run across the lower abdomen, from the pubic region to the belly button. Depending on the technique used for the stomach tuck, the incisions may extend beyond the hips. Even when stomach tuck incisions are made so low that they are concealed by the trouser line, patients are nevertheless curious about the recovery process. Scars after a tummy tuck take time to heal, and different care is needed at each step.
Beginning at Three to Six Months: Scar Development and Collagen Synthesis
The creation of a scar is the first phase of recovery after a tummy tuck. Immediately after surgery, scarring is not yet obvious since the healing process has not started. Collagen will be produced by your body to help repair the damage. The holes are filled in and the incision is closed with this collagen. After about a month, your linear scar will have reached the end of the first stage of scar creation and will be a lighter pink in color. Over the following three months, new collagen will grow, making the scar seem redder and lumpier than it currently is. More blood is being sent to the region, giving the appearance of elevation and maybe a rough texture. Collagen synthesis is a process that might take up to six months. If your scar is going blue, draining, or opening up, you should contact your physician immediately.
A Year After a Tummy Tuck, the Scar is Mature and Healing Is Complete
When the collagen on your stomach tuck scar has fully developed, the healing process will be complete. As the circulation to the scar lessens, the scar will fade and become less noticeable. Your scar will darken somewhat for about a year before gradually lightening as it matures. Scars tend to be more noticeable on those with lighter skin tones, while individuals with darker skin tones may acquire darker scars. Thus, as time passes, scars lighten to a more delicate shade of pink or grey. Scar-care regimens and laser treatments to aid in the more rapid and efficient reduction of scars are common services provided by plastic surgeons to their patients.
Best Tummy Tuck Scar Cream
You obviously wanted to go with the finest surgeon possible, so it stands to reason that you’d also want to go with the greatest scar treatment possible. plastic doctors recommend embrace ® Active Scar Defense because it is the only product shown to reduce the appearance of scars.
Scarring from a tummy tuck operation can be quite obvious in some cases. One of the most common concerns voiced to Dr. Paul Pin by tummy tuck patients is how their scars will look. Of course, people who have received such scars want to do whatever they can to minimize their visibility. Scar creams, how they work, and the best application methods are discussed below for patients undergoing tummy tuck surgery.
The belly tuck scars should be given a good, long massage with the lotion. Scar-reduction lotions may be applied to damp skin and allowed to dry, then peeled off. ScarGuard is a product that effectively treats scars in this way. Some, like Mederma, are thicker and more like a lotion for the skin.
Extra collagen beneath the skin may be broken up by massaging the region surrounding the scars while applying the lotion. Be very careful not to pull too hard on the scar itself as you use tiny, delicate, circular strokes.
Patients should use a sun block lotion if they want to wear attire that could reveal the scars (such as a bikini swimming suit). Hyperpigmentation causes the scar to grow visibly darker than the surrounding skin.
Please see Dr. Pin for a follow-up visit if your scars do not improve or if they develop a thicker, lumpier texture. Silicone sheeting or laser therapy may be alternatives he suggests for treating excessive collagen and minimizing the look of red, elevated scars.
Warning signs after tummy tuck
The belly tuck scars should be given a good, long massage with the lotion. Scar-reduction lotions may be applied to damp skin and allowed to dry, then peeled off. ScarGuard is a product that effectively treats scars in this way. Some, like Mederma, are thicker and more like a lotion for the skin.
Extra collagen beneath the skin may be broken up by massaging the region surrounding the scars while applying the lotion. Be very careful not to pull too hard on the scar itself as you use tiny, delicate, circular strokes.
Patients should use a sun block lotion if they want to wear attire that could reveal the scars (such as a bikini swimming suit). Hyperpigmentation causes the scar to grow visibly darker than the surrounding skin.
Please see Dr. Pin for a follow-up visit if your scars do not improve or if they develop a thicker, lumpier texture. Silicone sheeting or laser therapy may be alternatives he suggests for treating excessive collagen and minimizing the look of red, elevated scars.
Scar Care
If you have any open areas on your incision line, such as from where a drain was removed or a stitch come out, do not cover it with a band-aide or nonabsorbent telfa dressing. It is best to clean the area with soap and water in the shower and twice per day with hydrogen peroxide and cover it with an open gauze dressing that is changed twice per day until it heals.
We advise taping over the closed incisions and leaving the tape on for several days before removing it. It is best to do this for three to four months. If you get irritated from the adhesive, try silicone sheeting which sticks without adhesive. Forget expensive scar gels or vitamin E.