I had a tummy tuck 3 months ago. I oil & message the scar but I see scar tissue, what can I do? (Photo)

Dear Metria5,Thank you for posting pictures with your question. I recommend you to buy silicon sheets and use them combined with a compression garment for a minimum of 3 months. Best wishes.  

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

Scars take months to mature.  Scar treatments do help, but it takes time.  You will need to use them for several weeks before you may see change.  If you do not like the results from the scar therapy you have selected you can also consider laser treatments.

Thank you for your photo. It looks like you have scars that are hypertrophic , this means they are elevated and more noticeable. It is something more common with patients with colored skin and it can improve with filtration injections in the scar performed by your doctor. Best of luck

Thank you for your question.  It appears that you have hypertrophic scarring. This means that the scar is thick and raised. Treatment options include silicone sheeting, steroid injections and scar revision. Unfortunately the recurrence rate for this type of scarring is very high with revision. It’s more common among  darker skin individuals Asians, Latino, African Americans, etc.

Hi and thanks for your question. As everyone else has suggested, silicone strips is what I tell my patients to try for scar treatment. Easy to find and easy to use. Hope this helps. 

Thank you for your question and your pictures. Scars take a while to mature and may actually get darker before they get lighter. I would continue the scar massage that you described. In addition, there are many silicone based scar treatments that are available that may also improve the appearance. It is also very important to used sunscreen or cover your scar to prevent sun exposure for the first 6 months while the scar is maturing. If you are still unhappy with its appearance at 6 months scar revision or laser therapy may be appropriate. Check with your surgeon first. Best of luck in your continued recovery.

Hi MetriaI suggest you work with your plastic surgeon.At 3 months post op, your scar is far from healed, and you have the opportunity to alter its final appearance.Your doctor may prescribe bleaching creams or silicone scar treatments.  He may also want to inject with steroids.Hope this helps.sek