Scars are permanent, but usually heal quite well

Anytime an incision is made on the skin, it creates a scar. Most cosmetic surgery incisions, if performed properly, will heal quite nicely, and there are several things that can be done to help minimize the chance at a bad scar. It's important to understand however that there is no guarantee that you will have a good final scar, and you may require follow up treatments in order to improve their appearance.

A few things that can help a tummy tuck scar heal well:

First, you need to have a smooth postop course-- what that means is listen to your surgeon and what he asks you to do in terms of activity modification, keeping the incision clean, antibiotics, etc.

Once you have gotten through the initial week or two, then I often have patients begin scar massage as well as silicone sheet therapy. Both are easy, inexpensive, and painless, and can help soften and flatten the scars as they heal.

Sun avoidance is also critical in this stage, as the sun can make the scars darken as they are maturing.

Finally, it's important to know that these scars can take several months or longer to settle down, and after this time, laser treatments may be helpful, in particular if there is some residual redness along the scar line.

In the end, the question to ask yourself is if you are willing to accept a scar for an improved abdominal shape and contour. If the answer is no, then I would not proceed with the surgery. If however it's yes, then a tummy tuck can be a great option and can really rejuvenate the abdomen quite nicely.

Dr. S

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When the incision is done well and the skin is closed without tension at the edge, the scar usually fades very well. One way to avoid this kind of tension is called progressive tension suturing. If the scar starts to thicken and turn red, there is a type of laser that can help, or a similar technology called IPL (intense pulsed light).

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Just as are breast reductions and lifts, a tummy tuck is a trade-off of significantly improved shape for the scar needed to get the benefit. I have never yet over thousands of tummy tucks had a patient say that they would rather trade the scar away and go back to where they were before the tummy tuck.

The scars are easily hidden in most bathing suits and undergarments and dramatically fade between the 1st and 4th years post-op. Some massage and time are usually all one needs for scar management but some patients want to do IPL laser to maybe speed the resolution of the redness a bit but not to get to a better final scar than they otherwise would.

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