Brown skin and scarring after Tummy Tuck

  I treat a very large number of African American women, and the vast majority do not have any keloid scars at all.  I wrote the chapter on scar revision in reoperative plastic surgery, so I know the best treatments should these keloid scars occur.Kenneth Hughes, MDLos Angeles, CA

Even though certain races are more at risk of keloids your risk of a  keloid scar is relatively low. You will be at greater risk if you have had a previous keloid scar. Your scars will initially be darker than the surrounding skin but this will reduce over a period of time. I would discuss your concerns with your specialist plastic surgeon/board certified plastic surgeon. Kind regards, 

Keloids are a tricky issue but an understanding of what they are and who they affect most commonly is worth discussing. There are essentially three types of unattractive scars.  1.  Thin, wide or atrophic scar.  These scars do not stick out but, rather, tend to be thin and wide.  They can be red for a while but tend to lose color over time.  2.  Hypertrophic Scar. This type of scar is prominent (looks soft and fluffy but feels firm) but is generally in the shape of the incision. Some of these get better in time and there are a few treatment options available.  These scars tend to occur in the first year after getting the scar.3. Keloid Scar. Keloid is similar to a tumor in that it grows out of control in the site of the scar. They can be wide, thick, painful and itchy. Keloid scars are commonly genetic in folks with ancestors from Africa or the Mediterranean.  Keloid scars tend to happen in the mid chest, mid upper back and earlobes.  They are hard to treat definitively and are best avoided. Most people will know going in to a surgery if they tend to get keloids and that information is very valuable to discuss with your surgeon. It would be uncommmon, but not unheard of, for someone who has other scars that did not keloid to get keloids in an abdominoplasty scar.Best,Dr. Pyle