Mini Tummy Tuck for Stretch Marks and Piercing Scar?

You have very good questions and concerns.Skin can retain much of it's elasticity or it can be stretched and have lost the ability to retract. We see this loss of elasticity after considerable weight gain then loss or often after pregnancy, as in your case. The telltale signs of lax skin are stretch marks (stria). Simply put, these stria are tears in the deeper layer of the skin called the dermis. Unfortunately, these do not resolve by themselves. If there are a lot of stretch marks and the skin is loose, then there are few options other than to remove the excess skin. Unfortunately from the photograph you sent, there is little in the way of excess skin so a mini tummy tuck would only remove a small portion of the stretch marks and would extend the scar further. You would be left a bigger, possibly worse scar and essentially the same stretch marks. With respect to the scarring, there are many factors can affect the ultimate quality of the scar. Individuals who demonstrated poor scarring in the past and those with a family history of suboptimal scarring should be considered high risk for developing unsightly scars. Another very significant factor in determining how a wound will scar is how the wound was initially created. Surgical wounds that have been carefully created are likely to heal with less scarring than a traumatic wound with considerable tissue injury and irregular borders. Unfortunately, you seem to have propensity to develop thick (hypertrophic) scars. This is mostly in your genetic makeup and is not going to change. You should think very, very carefully before agreeing to any additional surgery.There are numerous techniques and preparations touted to decrease or limit scarring, but only a few have been scientifically shown to have any real benefit. Moisturizing lotions should be applied frequently to all scars. It is critical to avoid significant sun exposure, as this can lead to hyper-pigmented and prominent scars. The use of tape or steri-strips to relieve tension on the wound has been found to be helpful. There has been some evidence to suggest that silicone sheeting, or liquid preparations containing silicone, can enhance the appearance of scars if used early and often in the healing process. Steroid injections can soften and flatten very thick, hypertrophic scars and keloids. Pressure dressings have long been used in burn victims with good clinical results and remain an important adjunct. Finally, time alone will result in considerable improvement in most scars. I recommend you use a silicone product for the fresh scar and leave the belly button scar alone. I sympathize with your situation. It is a very difficult one but one with few, if any, good options. BRK

The first question you have to answer is, "Am I done having children?" If not, you may want to wait until you are done.
If you are done, a mini tummy tuck would make you flatter, but will not get rid of all of your striae and scars.
A standard tummy tuck is possible with a slight vertical scar in the lower abdomen for the closure of your umbilicus defect, since it is unlikely that you have enough skin above your belly button to reach to your pubic area.

A tummy talk would remove excess skin and fat from the lower abdomen. It will allow the abdominal muscles below the belly button to be tightened. A mini tummy tuck does not have a separate incision around the umbilicus, thus a mini tummy tuck alone would not change the piercing scar.A full tummy tuck uses a second incision around the umbilicus to undermine the skin off of the abdominal wall up to the ribs. This allows more skin to be removed from the lower abdomen, compared to the mini tummy tuck. Also, the abdominal muscles above and below the belly button can be tightened with a full abdominoplasty. Given the fact that this creates an incision around the belly button, a scar revision could be performed at the same time.

It’s unusual to perform an
abdominoplasty on a women who is only twenty years of age and has only one
child.  This procedure should be
delayed until women are done having children.  It’s not a procedure that can be frequently repeated over
and over again.

Assuming you’re done having
children there are several issues that should be addressed.  Your pictures suggest that you have
redundant abdominal skin with stretch marks, weakened abdominal muscles, a
lower abdominal C-section scar and scarring associated with an umbilical
piercing.

Without the ability to perform a
physical examination, it’s hard to make a specific recommendation.  It would appear that a mini
abdominoplasty would not meet your aesthetic expectations for several
reasons.  This procedure would not
tighten the upper abdominal muscles or address the excess skin in this
region.  In addition the piercing
scars and some of the stretch marks would still be present.

For these reasons a better option
might be a full abdominoplasty with a lower vertical scar.  This would be necessary to address the
piercing scar in the presence of a low C- section scar.

It’s important to discuss all these
issues with your plastic surgeon. 
There’s probably no perfect solution for your problem and no matter what is decided you need to be a participant in the
decision.

Hello. My first question would be, "Are you done having babies?" I usually recommend patients to wait until they are done having children before they have at tummy tuck done. It is hard to tell without examination if you indeed are a candidate for a tummy tuck. I would say, make a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon who is experienced in doing tummy tuck surgery, for best results. Good luck to you.

Hi there, You have three separate questions / concerns that do not have one solution. The belly button scar can undergo a scar revision - removing some of the extra skin should also help improve the appearance in that area.The C-section scar can also have a scar revision. Often, due to the hormonal changes with pregnancy and skin tension, these scars can be wider. The final result also depends on how you heal - some patients form heavier / thicker scars naturally.The mini-tummy tuck will help flatten the lower part of your abdomen and can be a part of the scar revision surgery for the C-section scar. However, you do not have enough extra skin to excise the stretch marks present. The stretch marks are the most difficult to deal with. I performed a study using technology to improve scars. I also treated stretch marks. You can see the color improvement after a series of ReLume treatments. However, the texture and light reflection of the stretch mark area remains the same.

Given your long waist, and low lying scar, and upper abdominal striae (stretch marks), it is unlikely that a mini tummy tuck will correct all your problems. A mini may improve your scar but will not eliminate your piercing or your stretch marks

Hi ErikaThanks for your question.At 20, you may not be done with kids,  so may not want to have a TT until you are. In the mean time you may address your concerns with a scar revision for both the C-section scar and possibly the belly piercing, and liposuction to shape the abdominal contour. These options will not significantly improve the stretch marks but may buy time then later have a definitive contouring procedure done.I hope this helps.....

Hello and thank you so much for your question and image.  By evaluating your image your stretch marks are high and around your belly button. Having a mini tummy tuck will not give you the result that you desire. My recommendations to you is to seek for a board certified plastic surgeon and speak about different aesthetic treatment that could improve not disappear the scars from the c section and belly button. hope this can be of use.Good Luck.

A mini tummy tuck is intended to tighten the skin of
the lower abdomen.This is the area
between the bellybutton and the pubic bone.No skin tightening should be expected to occur above the bellybutton in
the performance of a mini tummy tuck.If
there is significant laxity of the skin above the bellybutton then a full tummy
tuck will be required for optimal enhancement of the abdominal wall.For a simple and illustrated explanation of tummy tuck and body contouring procedures, watch my video.