Stretching Skin After Tummy Tuck?

asked 3 years ago by joyceline in Manila
Latest answer by Christopher L. Hess, MD
Question viewed 774 times
Tags: abdomen

I am 8 weeks post op from Tummy Tuck, and still sore around the incision; how much longer before it goes away? Also, when I eat or drink 16oz of water all at once, I feel as if my skin is stretching. Does this mean that my skin is really stretching and the skin will start getting the way it used to look before?

5 answers to Stretching Skin After Tummy Tuck?

Tummy Tuck results usually better by 8 weeks

Typically, after 8 weeks, folks are feeling pretty good. Sometimes one can get hypertrophic scars that can be painful so I would check with your doctor to be sure that your not getting this. As far as the tight feeling, I doubt that this is going to stretch your result. Hang in there and this should get better with time.

Scott Tucker, MD
Winston Salem Plastic Surgeon

Time always heals

Although you are past the acute phase of healing, pain following abdominoplasty can last 3-4 months depending on how much work was done. Skin stretches with abdominal fullness as it should but it quickly contracts back to where it was. With that said it is not uncommon to get a small amount of excess skin recurrence once you are fully healed. This is dependent on your skin tone and elasticity. If you have a binder you might want to consider wearing it for comfort.

Christopher L. Hess, MD
Fairfax Plastic Surgeon

Seems like your doc did a good job

Sounds like you're nice and tight. Appreciate it . If you felt loose now, you wouldn't have gotten your operations worth. The feeling will relax, and the skin might relax a little, but it sounds like you'll have a great result tol your surgery.

G. Gregory Gallico III, MD
Boston Plastic Surgeon

Discomfort after Tummy Tuck comes from different causes as time passes.

Hello, Discomfort near the incision can be from scar-related issues and this can persist for several months. Acute pain from the surgery tends to be in the sites of the muscular repair if one was performed at surgery. This usually gets better in the first 4-6 weeks. The feeling of "tightness" takes a while to get better depending upon how tight you were "set" at surgery. Two to three months is common. I have never seen one of my cases get anywhere near her pre-operative... more

John P. Di Saia, MD
Orange Plastic Surgeon

Stretching sensation is common following abdominoplasty (tummy tuck)

It can take a good 3 or 4 months for the pain to resolve. The stretching feeling is quite common and is a combination of the muscle repair being stressed as well as the skin. This should not resort back the preo-operative state unless you become pregnant again or eperience massive weight gain or loss.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

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