Will my belly button size go down or get smaller? Can this be improved? (Photo)

If you’ve waited at least 6 months or so after your tummy tuck and your belly button appears this way naturally (it’s not due to fluid retention) you can consider a belly button revision.

Dear mellowsal,

Thank you for sharing your photo and question. Overall, your abdominoplasty result looks very good. The appearance of your belly button is often one of the last things to settle after surgery.

1. Healing over time: Swelling and scar tissue can make the belly button look larger or more “puffed out” in the early months. As healing continues, the size and depth may improve naturally.

2. Shaping aids: Some patients benefit from small silicone belly button “plugs” or molds that help guide the scar to contract inward, giving a more natural-looking contour.

3. Surgical refinements: If healing alone does not achieve the desired look, a minor in-office belly button revision can reshape and resize it. This procedure can make the opening smaller in diameter and allow for a more natural inward fold.

In short: there is a good chance that time and natural healing will improve your result, but if not, revision options exist to refine the belly button further.

Your belly button may shrink and smooth out as swelling decreases. If it doesn’t, small non-surgical aids or a minor surgical revision can help refine its size and shape.

Best wishes,

Earl Stephenson, Jr, MD, DDS, MBA
ESJ Aesthetics – “Where Confidence Takes Shape!”

Yes, usually after about a year of healing, the bellybutton can be revised. It often takes a little imagination on the plastic surgeons part but there are various ways of decreasing the diameter as well as cleaning up the central fullness. Otherwise, it looks like you have a very nice result!

It is understandable to feel discouraged when the belly button heals in a way that looks larger or more outward than expected.
In the early months, swelling and scar tissue can exaggerate the size, but after 6 to 12 months significant change on its own is unlikely. This type of appearance is usually due to how the tissues healed rather than something that will continue to shrink with time.
If the look remains bothersome, a small revision called umbilicoplasty can reshape and resize the opening. This can often be done as a minor procedure, sometimes even under local anesthesia, to create a smaller and more inward belly button. Scar management treatments such as laser or microneedling can also help refine the area, though they do not replace the effect of surgical reshaping.
I have also shared a detailed video where I explain different healing patterns of the belly button after tummy tuck and show examples of how they can be improved. This may help you visualize what to expect.
— Güray Yesiladali, MD

Thank you for your question regarding whether your belly button size will decrease and whether your belly button can be improved. Thank you for your history and your picture. It is unlikely that your belly button size will decrease. It appears that you are healed from your surgery, and most plastic surgeons would agree that your belly button probably won’t change too much over the next several months. There are many aspects to a proper belly button. There is the position on the abdominal wall, the shape of the skin around the umbilicus, and the umbilicus itself, the shape of the skin within the umbilicus, and whether the belly button is an innie or an outies. You need to relay to your plastic surgeon your thoughts as to the ideal belly button. Most plastic surgeons would suggest you look online to find pictures of belly buttons you like and belly buttons you don’t like. Please bring pictures of your ideal and not-so-ideal belly button to your chosen plastic surgeon during your consultation. Regarding your belly button, the size of the belly button can be reduced by placing a purse string around the belly button. This maneuver will shrink the diameter. In terms of the horizontal line in the depth to the belly button, this can be corrected by stitches placed within the belly button. Most belly button revisions or umbilicoplastics can be performed under local anesthesia in the office. I hope I’ve answered your question about whether your belly button size can be reduced or improved. Good luck. Sincerely, Dr. Katzen, MD, MBA, FACS, FICS. ( Plastic Surgeon, President of the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons, certified by the American Board of Plastic surgery, Fellow of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic surgery, American College of surgery, and International College of surgery and member of the American Society of Plastic surgery, American Academy of Cosmetic surgery, RealSelf Hall of Fame, and RealSelf Doctor Advisory Board for Medical Review and Consumer Panel.)

The belly button is the original prior to surgery. Now that surgery has corrected the excess skin and fat of the abdomen. the belly button looks different. This can be improved with a minor surgery. It takes 1 year following surgery for all the swelling to improve.

Hello, I did not see your date of surgery but I notice the impression of a compression garment on your skin so I assume you have had recent surgery. Many patients can have a belly button that looks like this due to swelling and it will very often improve quite nicely over time. If it does not improve by 6 months time it can easily be revised in the office. Best of luck. Dr Reilly

Thank you for sharing your photograph and question! It appears you will have a nice result and it is not uncommon to have swelling within the belly button that may take months to resolve. There are options at improving the swelling now, but best to ask your surgeon your options. Hope this helps.

Thank you for your photo and your question. You don't mention how long ago your surgery was, but the incision appears a bit fresh and if you are within 6 months of your surgery it is not uncommon to see this type of swelling at the belly button, especially in the first several weeks after surgery. The swelling will improve over time, and when your surgeon releases you to start scar massage, this area responds well to directed massage to reduce swelling and help it contract in. You appear to have a nice early result. Discuss with your surgeon and be patient for final results, which often take 6 months to a year to be appreciated. Best of luck!

It is very common that belly button shape changes significantly in the months following tummy tuck surgery. In the early post-operative period, it is very common that patients have a significant degree of swelling of both the abdomen and belly button. This can result in a distortion of shape that changes as that swelling subsides. I would recommend following up with your surgeon- they will have the best understanding of where you are at in your recovery course and changes that you can expect with time.
Sean M Fisher, MD Aesthetic Plastic SurgeonSeattle, WA