Just Had a Tummy Tuck. Is Laser Scar Treatment Worth It?

Question

I want to do everything i can to make my scar the best it could possibly be. right now my doctor has steri-strips on me and i think those will be on for at least another week or so (surgery 1 week ago). Once he takes them off i plan on keeping them moist 24/7 with either vitamin E oil or something similar. I also plan on massaging the scar to help the blood circulate. I spoke with someone from a laser place who said lasers can help fade a scar. Is it worth it? and how soon can i start?

Otto Joseph Placik, MD · Answer

These all sound like popular options. I am not a fan of laser treatments to the abdomen for improvement of scars as I have not seen any dramatic results when observing patients who have had these treatments elsewhere.

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

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 Surgeon6

Best, 
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon6

Peter A. Aldea, MD · Answer

Scars take a lot of beating but surgical scars are NOT all bad. Scars are the only way a surgery heals. If we did not scar properly or if scar formation was overly interfered with (radiation, chemo, steroids, etc) the scar will be wide or worse, the wounds will not heal.

	Remember there is no such thing as "no scar" ONLY "good" scar (IE barely noticeable) or "bad" scar (IE wide, ugly, raised or Keloid).  What we want as surgeons is the best, thinnest scar we can get NOT a poor scar.

	All a laser could do is decrease the vascularity of a scar rendering white/silver in a shorter amount of time. No laser would remove a scar.

	Personally, I would NOT advise you to interfere with the scar in any way for at least 6-8, IF AT ALL. It sounds like you are doing everything your surgeon asked you to do. Do not mess it up by improvising and throwing money away, as well as potentially risking wound/scar complications with useless laser "treatments"

	Dr. Peter Aldea

John Whitt, MD (retired) · Answer

Lasers are sometimes beneficial in fading red scars. However, I would not recommend treating your scar early prophalactily. There are other things you can employ to improve your scar such as the massage and vit E you mentioned. Silicone gels such as ScarFade can also be of use.

Just Had a Tummy Tuck. Is Laser Scar Treatment Worth It?

Answers (4)