3 months post op of Tummy Tuck, the scar is very red. Is this normal? (photos)

In "surgery time" 3 months after a tummy tuck isn't a very long period of time. It will take several more months for your scar to completely mature. During this time you will notice that the redness of your scar will fade, and the thickness of the scar will soften up as well. I agree with you massaging your scar, as you are currently doing, as this may speed up the process a bit. Thanks for sharing!

Abdominoplasty scars can be quite complex, ranging from the simple hypertrophic scar to a multiplane inflamed keloid. Pigmentation, discoloration, chronic inflammation, scar visibility can all occur in the short term. We begin each treatment with combination therapy using Yellow broadband BBL, Vbeam, fractional erbium, intralesional IIT, and scar modulation. Start with a combination of Plato's Scar Serum massaged twice daily after one week of epithelialization followed by Luminase/Exfolase. Scar consultation and revision may be recommended.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

At this time, your scar is still new and is more visible. It generally takes about a year for scars to mature, by which time it will most likely fade into a silvery thin line. Hyperpigmentation can make scarring more visible, and is worsened by sun exposure. You should avoid exposing your scar to the sun, particularly for the full year after your surgery. You can try silicone gel or silicone sheeting, which can help reduce the appearance of scars. Please ask your surgeon for their advice as well.

Thank you for your picture. This redness months after your tummy tuck is quite normal. This represents healing well beneath the scar for strength. When this scar strengthens this redness will go away.

At this point your scar appears to be fine and red.  The duration of this early healing phase varies widely from patient to patient -- some will see early fading in 1-2 months, others may take upwards of 8-12 months.  Keeping the scar our of the sun is important, as young scars have no innate sun protection from pigment.  Some of the over-the-counter scar creams may offer some benefit in terms of helping the scar fade more quickly, but I don't place too much faith in any of them to change the scar permanently.  Try to be patient, as your scar quality looks very good and the redness will fade in time.