Are you worried about getting tummy tuck scars? Many people have the same fear, preventing them from getting a tummy tuck to get rid of the excess fat and skin in their belly.
But the truth is, scars after tummy tuck are not that bad. Not only are they easy to conceal, but you can employ different measures to make sure they heal properly.
Read on to learn more about how to manage abdominoplasty scars:
Tummy Tuck Scar Appearance
Depending on the type of tummy tuck you undergo, you may have different incisions on various parts of your midsection.
For a full tummy tuck – which is the most common abdominoplasty procedure that patients undergo – you can expect to have the following scars:
Horizontal Scar
Placed below the panty line, the horizontal scar spans the length of your lower belly and stretches from hip bone to hip bone. It is done to remove excess skin and minimize the appearance of stretch marks.
Belly Button Scar
After removing excess skin, your plastic surgeon also needs to secure your belly button in place. That’s the purpose of the incision around the belly button.
Plastic surgeons often opt for an inverted U-shaped incision instead of a round incision around the belly button to mimic its natural shape.
Tummy Tuck Scar Treatment
To allow your tummy tuck scars to heal nicely, you can do the following:
Do proper wound care.
Your plastic surgeon will give you instructions on how to take care of your incisions right after surgery. Make sure that you follow his wound care instructions for optimum tummy tuck scar healing.
Avoid the sun.
Ultraviolet exposure can darken and thicken your scars, so stay away from the sun at all times. Cover up your scars when going out, or at least apply an SPF 50 sunscreen.
Apply scar treatment products.
Once your incisions have closed, you can start applying topical treatments to minimize the appearance of your scars.
Some of the tummy tuck scar treatments that you may apply to include silicone strips, cortisone for keloid scars, and hydroquinone cream. You may also massage your scar to prevent it from hardening.
Get a tummy tuck scar tattoo.
If you want to conceal your abdominoplasty scar, you may get tummy tuck scar tattoos to cover up your scar. Just make sure that you do this after your incision has completely closed and healed, as the tattooing process can cause infections if done on open wounds.
Consider tummy tuck scar revision.
If you really don’t like the appearance of your scars, you may want to consult your plastic surgeon for a possible tummy tuck scar revision.
Tummy tuck scars are inevitable in every abdominoplasty procedure. Fortunately, a skilled and experienced plastic surgeon will always make sure that your scars after the tummy tuck will become virtually unnoticeable, placing them where they can be easily covered by your bikini or underwear.
