How should you clean your TT incision. How soon after a tummy tuck can you start treating your scar so it can get lighter ?

Question

Should you start cleaning your TT incision right after surgery? Which soaps/ ointments are best to use? Also, which products are best to make your scar lighter and when is it okay to start using them?

Robert M. Tornambe, MD · Answer

Best to consult with your surgeon about specific wound care. Scar care should begin about 2 weeks after complete healing of all wounds. Massage scar daily with a good moisturizer and use over the counter scar creams and consult with your surgeon. Good luck!

Robert J. Schwartz, MD · Answer

Follow your plastic surgeon's post-care for cleaning your incision sites.  Every surgeon has slight variances with regards to what they tell their patients- your surgeon knows your unique case. He/she is your best resource. For scar treatment generally speaking I recommend my patients begin #Biocorneum scar gel 4-6 weeks following surgery.

Seth Eberlin, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question.  In general, it's best to do what your surgeon recommends.  He/she was the person who performed your procedure and he/she likely has a protocol to follow.  But in general, for my patients, I recommend cleaning the incision starting on day 2 or 3 and keeping it in a clean, moist environment.  As far as treatments to improve the scar, I wait on these for 4 weeks.  Using vitamin lotions too early can cause irritation of the healing incision, which means more inflammation, which means a thicker, more noticeable scar.  Massage can help the scar but I tend to wait on this until 4-6 weeks after the surgery to allow for your body to close the incision properly with collagen fibers.  Good luck with your recovery!

Martin Jugenburg, MD · Answer

Thank you for your questions. Your surgeon should advise post op incision care. We tell our patients to begin scar treatment at 6 weeks once the incision has healed. Best,

Kristin A. Boehm, MD · Answer

There is no one standard regimen for scar care after surgery and different surgeons use different protocols to achieve good results.  Many surgeons including myself use tape or steri strips on the incision immediately following surgery.  Once these strips come off, which can be several weeks, I have my patients use Stratamed and Strataderm, along with digital scar massage to help the scar soften and flatten.  There are many alternative scar creams on the market which can also yield good results.  If your skin is pigmented or dark, a bleaching agent can also be used on the scars to facilitate fading of the color.  Laser treatments and microneedling can be performed to minimize the scar appearance but I would wait a minimum of 6 weeks before using these.  If ultimately a scar is thick or raised, steroids can be injected to help flatten it.  In some cases, small scar revisions can be performed in the office under local anesthesia, but this is something considered a minimum of 6 months post operatively.

Aramis Vega, MD · Answer

It's my pleasure to answer your question.I recommend you to follow your surgeon's instructions for the post op cares.Sincerely,Dr. Aramis VegaPlastic Surgeon

Stephanie Power, MD, MSc, FRCSC · Answer

Recommendations regarding incision care may vary between surgeons and I recommend checking with your surgeon regarding his/her specific instructions.  You will likely receive detailed post-operative instructions at time of surgery.I recommend for my patients to begin showering daily and gently washing their incisions with running soap and water starting the day after surgery.  I recommend to cover the drain sites with a wash cloth when showering until they are removed.  The particular brand of soap is not important; a gentle unscented type would be fine.I don't recommend polysporin or other topical antibiotic ointments since allergic contact dermatitis may develop following prolonged use.  Your surgeon may apply steri strips over your incisions (small pieces of surgical tape), so it is often not necessary to apply anything to your incisions during early healing since they will be covered.Your scars should fade as scar maturation occurs over one year following surgery.  It is important to keep your scars protected with sunscreen when exposed for the first year in particular.  Otherwise there is increased risk of scar hyper- or hypopigmentation (permanent darkening or lightening vs. your baseline skin color).  Scar massage may also be helpful as scars mature.  Silicone sheeting may be beneficial if your scars appear elevated during early healing.  Otherwise I do not routinely recommend any products to aid in scar management.Best,Stephanie Power MD, MSc, FRCSC

Arian Mowlavi, MD, FACS (license on probation) · Answer

Our tummy tuck incision line management includes:1)Steri-Strips for 1st month2)Biocorneum-Silicone gel for 2nd month3)IPL: at 3rd month if incision dark4)Steroid injection: at 4th month if incision raisedPlease see link below to get your free cheat sheet on "7 keys to a great tummy tuck".

How should you clean your TT incision. How soon after a tummy tuck can you start treating your scar so it can get lighter ?

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