Tummy Tuck Scar After 2 Years
A year after surgery, scars are typically well-healed and has lightened in color. Patients with darker skin tone typically end up with darker scars. It’s not uncommon for some scars to take up to two years to lighten. In five years, a tummy tuck scar is almost always unnoticeable.
The surgeon of your choice should be able to make incisions that will conceal scarring as much as possible when you’re wearing bikinis. Carefully review the surgeon’s before-and-after photographs of previous tummy tuck patients demonstrating wonderful outcomes. read more on internal scar tissue tummy tuck and tummy tuck scar removal.
Tummy Tuck Scar After 2 Years
For patients who are considering a tummy tuck, scarring is almost always a pressing concern. At our San Francisco practice, we understand where you’re coming from. You’re not the first person to feel reluctant about a tummy tuck because of the possibility of scarring. The good news is scarring from a tummy tuck can be visibly reduced. As long as you take steps to reduce visible scarring, you don’t have to worry too much about it.
In this article, you’ll learn what tummy tuck scars really look like and the steps you can take to make them appear barely noticeable even if you’re wearing a bikini.
What Do Tummy Tuck Scars Really Look Like?
First off, a good tummy tuck candidate should be comfortable with the idea of scarring after surgery. But what kind of scarring really?
By and large, the degree of scarring depends on the type of tummy tuck surgery you’re considering.
For instance, a full tummy tuck scar will run along the bikini line from hip to hip. The scar often flattens and fades with time, but the extent as to how it flattens and fades is really up to Mother Nature. Some patients heal with very fine scars, while others tend to develop thicker heavy scars. Most of the time, it’s somewhere in between.
On the other hand, a mini tummy tuck scar is noticeably shorter than a full tummy tuck. However, keep in mind that the degree of improvement from a mini tummy tuck will not be as apparent in contrast to a full tummy tuck.
Other noteworthy factors that impact tummy tuck scarring include your skin tone, skin quality, and the tummy tuck surgeon of your choice.
In hindsight, scars vary depending on one’s genetic tendency to scar. Most patients have a scar that is somewhat visible when naked. Others have thicker scars that are very visible, while others have faint scars that are nearly invisible.
Internal Scar Tissue Tummy Tuck
The size and location of tummy tuck scars vary depending on what type of tummy tuck you have. Your surgeon will likely use special glue, tape or bandages on your incision. These surgical dressings can reduce scarring by holding the skin of the incision together and keeping it moist.
The different types of tummy tuck scars may include:
- Full tummy tuck: The scar for a standard tummy tuck usually spans your abdomen, from hip bone to hip bone, just above your pubic area. You may also have a scar around your belly button.
- Mini tummy tuck: A mini tummy tuck is for people who have a small amount of excess fat and tissue beneath their belly button. The scar is shorter than a full tummy tuck scar. It’s about the length of a C-section scar (between 3 inches and 6 inches).
- Fleur-de-lis tummy tuck: This scar spans your abdomen. A second vertical scar runs from your lower breastbone to your pubic bone. A fleur-de-lis tummy tuck is usually for people with a large amount of excess skin due to major weight loss or multiple pregnancies.
Can you prevent a tummy tuck scar?
You can’t completely prevent a tummy tuck scar. But you can take steps to help the incision heal after surgery, which may reduce the appearance of the scar:
- Avoid corticosteroids: If you take corticosteroids, talk to your healthcare provider about stopping the medication before surgery. Some corticosteroids can slow wound healing.
- Manage chronic diseases: Some conditions, such as diabetes, can complicate wound healing. Talk to your healthcare provider before your tummy tuck about how to manage health conditions before, during and after the procedure.
- Stop smoking: Quitting smoking several months before your procedure can help your surgical wound heal.
- Take vitamin A: Your provider may recommend vitamin A supplements in the weeks and months leading up to surgery. Vitamin A can help speed wound healing. Please check with your surgeon prior to starting vitamin A as it may interfere with a medication you’re currently taking.
How to reduce tummy tuck scars.
PROCEDURE DETAILS
How can I minimize scarring as my tummy tuck incisions heal?
There’s a variety of ways that you can help your incision heal after a tummy tuck, which can reduce the appearance of scars. Follow your provider’s instructions carefully about caring for and cleaning your wound. Avoid heavy lifting, strenuous exercise, sexual activity and stretching until your provider says it’s safe to do these activities (usually four to eight weeks after the procedure).
Your provider might recommend some topical treatments that you apply directly to the wound:
- Antibiotic ointment.
- Cocoa butter.
- Petroleum jelly.
- Scar cream.
- Silicone gel sheets.
- Vitamin D.
- Vitamin E.
About 2 to 3 weeks after your surgery, you may consider scar massage. Gently massaging the scar and the surrounding skin can increase blood flow to the area and help with the healing process. Massage can also break up some of the tougher scar tissue. Talk to your healthcare provider before trying scar massage.
It’s extremely important to stay out of the sun as your wound heals. Ultraviolet radiation can make your scar discolored or change its texture, making it thicker. For 12 to 18 months after your tummy tuck, wear sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of 30 if you have to be in the sun.
Getting proper nutrition is also an important part of wound healing. Talk to your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian about the best way to get all the vitamins and minerals you need. They may recommend taking a daily multivitamin or other supplements as you heal.
Can steroid injections treat a tummy tuck scar?
Steroid injections may help reduce the appearance of a thick, raised or red tummy tuck scar. Most providers reserve these injections for abnormal scarring, but providers may give steroid injections at the time of surgery or a few weeks following surgery to reduce inflammation. Others may wait a few weeks until a scar forms.
Can laser skin resurfacing treatments treat a tummy tuck scar?
Laser skin resurfacing may reduce the appearance of a tummy tuck scar. This is another treatment usually reserved for abnormal scaring. Lasers use light or heat to stimulate the growth of new skin cells. Laser treatments may also:
- Decrease the scar’s tightness, so you have more skin movement.
- Prevent the development of a raised scar.
- Reduce itchiness, pain and irritation around your scar.
Can scar revision surgery treat a tummy tuck scar?
Some tummy tuck scars, such as hypertrophic or keloid scars, may need surgical treatment. During scar revision, a surgeon cuts the scar out of your skin and then closes the wound with stitches. Most people need to wait 12 to 18 months after their tummy tuck for scar revision surgery. This is a time when the scar is about as good as it is going to get and the skin has had a chance to further relax and take tension off of the scar.
Tummy Tuck Scar Removal
“A Tummy Tuck has a dual focus. It removes excess skin and fat after weight loss or pregnancy, and corrects abdominal muscle laxity,” explains Dr. Robert Wilke, a board-certified plastic surgeon with Edina Plastic Surgery. “Because quite a bit of skin is typically removed, a long incision is required that will result in a scar after surgery.”
When your plastic surgeon assesses your abdominal area for Tummy Tuck Surgery, he or she is looking at the skin from the bottom of your rib cage to the crease of your groin. Generally, the scar that is left behind after surgery sits very low across the abdomen. This makes it easy to hide beneath the waistline of clothing or a bathing suit.
“How your skin scars after surgery is very dependent upon the skill of your surgeon, your genetics, and how you care for your scar after your procedure,” says Dr. Wilke. “A few weeks after surgery, after your skin has healed, patients can begin to use products at home that help lighten and fade their Tummy Tuck scar. After a few months, you can begin exploring in-office treatments that can make your scar even less noticeable. At Edina Plastic Surgery, we’re lucky that we have our Skin Artisans medical spa right next store to provide many of these treatment options.”
THE MOST EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS TO FADE TUMMY TUCK SCARS
Abdominoplasty scars can be quite noticeable for up to a year following your procedure. Scars on lighter skin types generally turn pink first and then fade to a thin, white line. Darker skin types may heal dark and pigmented at first and then lighten over time. Although this scar will never entirely go away, here are some of the most popular and effective treatment options to minimize its appearance.
#1 – Taping
“We typically close abdominoplasty incisions with dissolvable sutures placed under the skin,” explains Dr. Wilke. “We then cover the incision with steri-strips/paper tape, which protects the incision and minimizes tension. The light pressure from the tape against the incision has been shown to help minimize scarring as well. We often have patients continue to tape the incision for about 6 weeks; changing the tape every 5-7 days.”
#2 – Scar Fading Creams & Topicals
“There are many scar creams on the market,” says Dr. Wilke. “None of them are a miracle cure for scarring, but, nonetheless, they can be helpful to minimize a scar. The simplest and least expensive option is using moisturizing cream with vitamin E. Some of the more advanced creams contain silicone, and some have hydroquinone or other skin lightening agents to suppress pigment cell activity. We usually don’t recommend using these creams until about 6 weeks after surgery.”
#3 – Laser and Light-Based Treatments
How your Tummy Tuck scar appears a year after surgery is, most likely, how it will remain without the aid of additional treatments. This is when you can begin exploring options like resurfacing lasers or intense light-based treatments to pull any pigment from the scar or fade residual redness.
“Laser resurfacing treatments like HALO™ and Profractional can make scars less noticeable by smoothing their texture,” says Dr. Wilke. “Light-based treatments like BBL (Broadband Light) target darker pigment cells, which can lighten the coloration of a scar and reduce redness. In some cases, both treatments may be beneficial, but it’s important to realize that you will need multiple treatments to see significant improvement. At Edina Plastic Surgery, we believe in an all-inclusive approach to surgery that addresses our patients needs from start to finish. We’ve created a Post-Surgical Scar Treatment package to ensure that our patients have the best opportunity to heal with minimal scarring after any surgery we perform. This package includes a series of 6 BBL and Profractional laser resurfacing treatments performed 4-6 weeks apart as well as Stratamed Scar Recovery Gel.”
#4 – Microneedling Collagen Induction Therapy
Microneedling devices, like SkinPen®, use tiny surgical-grade needles to create thousands of micro-injuries to your skin. In turn, this stimulates your skin’s collagen and elastin production, and it heals firmer and smoother. This treatment can be especially beneficial for scars that have healed unevenly. A series of microneedling treatments can result in a soft, flat Tummy Tuck scar that blends very well into the surrounding skin.
#5 – Permanent Cosmetics or Tattoo
“This is thinking outside of the box, but I have had patients who eventually choose to cover their Tummy Tuck scar with a tattoo,” says Dr. Wilke. “This is obviously not for everyone, but because the scar sits so low on the abdomen, it AND the tattoo can be easily covered. Patients will need to wait until their scar is fully healed, about a year, before they can have a tattoo.”
In recent years, the Permanent Cosmetics industry has begun to provide options to disguise surgical scarring. This technique involves your provider using a flesh-colored ink that is closely matched to the skin surrounding your scar and essentially “filling in” your scar. It is crucial to not only go to a reputable provider for this treatment but also to avoid tanning the skin near your scar, as the scar will not achieve the tan of the surrounding skin.