Will Tummy Tuck Scar Disappear Completely?

All incisions leave scars, and thankfully, most incisions when closed properly leave acceptable scars. In the case of an abdominoplasty, you're making a trade... skin and fat gone, but a scar. Usually the scar looks very good - but time and patience is required. There are a lot of components in healing, with genetics being one of the most important... sound surgical technique and minimizing tension on the skin are the other two major factors.
I'm a believer in silicone tape. We provide silicone tape to all our patients at 1 month to use until they are happy with the results of their procedure. When I ran a burn unit, it really seemed silicone was the only thing that made a difference. There are a lot of creams on the market for scar improvement, but I'm not sure there are any sound studies that validate their claims. Your surgeon will most likely have a protocol that he or she has found works for his or her patients.
I hope this helps!
Dr. Kaufman

Scars from surgeries such as a tummy tuck can significantly fade over time but will never completely disappear. It's promising that your vertical scar seems less noticeable early on; however, the final appearance of any scar depends on various factors, including your body's natural healing process, the surgical technique used, and post-operative care.

To support the healing and fading of your tummy tuck scar, there are several effective scar treatments available:

Biocorneum: This is an advanced silicone gel that forms a protective barrier over the healing scar, maintaining the moisture balance and providing a protective shield from bacterial invasion. It's clinically proven to reduce the appearance of scars.

Silicone Creams and Gel Strips: Like Biocorneum, other silicone-based treatments can help flatten, soften, and fade scars by hydrating the scar tissue. Silicone gel strips are particularly effective for linear scars like those from a tummy tuck, as they can be worn continuously and are discreet under clothing.

Lasers: Laser therapy can be beneficial for scar maturation, helping to reduce redness, improve texture, and blend the scar with the surrounding skin. Different types of lasers are used depending on the scar's characteristics.

Microneedling: This procedure involves using small needles to create micro-injuries in the skin, stimulating the body's natural healing process and the production of collagen and elastin. Microneedling can improve the scar's texture and appearance over several sessions.

While your physician's optimism about the scar's visibility diminishing within six months is encouraging, it's essential to have realistic expectations. Complete scar disappearance is unlikely, but with the right care and treatments, scars can become minimally noticeable.

Remember, the scar's appearance will change and typically improve within the first year after surgery. Early and consistent treatment can make a significant difference in the outcome. Discuss with your surgeon the most appropriate scar management plan for you, considering your skin type and the specific details of your surgery.

Wishing you a smooth recovery and excellent results from your tummy tuck.

Sincerely,
Dr. Katzen

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

Hi Mandy82!Thank you for your question. The goal of a surgeon and wish of a patient is always a minimally visible, well-healed incision scar and "as lower as better" is a main rule when it comes to it's placement. However the way a Tummy Tuck scar will appear depends on a number of factors.If a skin needs to be resected only below the belly button, then a mini tummy tuck can be done, that means an incision beneath the bikini line.As for the typical abdominoplasty or " full Tummy Tuck", a scar will be low across the abdomen, from hip to hip, as well as around a belly button. Seldom, the skin above the belly button is not enough that a shorter vertical scar  will appear from the area where the old belly button used to be and a and a transverse scar. Prior to procedure all of these details should be discussed with a surgeon - surgery options, scar placement, healing and possible risks.We can not deny the fact that Tummy Tuck is a surgery which brings visible scar, the matter is why are some scars more noticeable than others. It depends a great deal on healing process, and also on skin quality and tension, tone and other factors. Nevertheless in most cases with good post op care and scar treatment started at 3-4 weeks after surgery, all the swelling is completely gone by 4 month,the scar becomes lighter in 6 month, and reminds a white thin line by the end of the first year.In my experience, Tummy Tuck is the surgery which brings the highest satisfaction to the patients, and they usually have very little concern about the scar.Thank you again for giving me the opportunity to make this issue revealed.

Manny, Congratulations on completing your tummy tuck. In general, I agree with the previous authors. For decades we have used silicone gel strips to hasten the flattening of the incision. For the umbilical incision, we have a couple bowls of half marbles that the patient wears over the belly button incision. It very inexpensive, readily available, and easily replaceable, if lost. Additionally, embrace has become the main stay of silicone gel sheeting because it minimizes stretch/tension on the wound.The incisions rarely completely fade away. They are usually visible to some degree (much like c-section incisions). One of the modalities that we have used with success in the Dermapen, a  minimally invasive micro-needling technique which flattens incisions on the face, breast, extremities, and torso.

Hello! Thank you for your question!  Your scars will be permanent once any incision/cut is made.  However, there are some scar modalities that you should discuss with your surgeon to obtain optimal results postoperativley.  After any surgical procedure, you should be careful with incisions as well as avoidance of direct UVA and UVB rays in order to lessen the chance for hyperpigmentation of the skin and scars, which can take several months to resolve, if it ever does. Sunblock of 35 or above is recommended regardless. The ability of the affected area to heal has been slowed and you should try to avoid additional swelling to the area. The area will likely be numb for several weeks to months and will be difficult to feel when sunburn is coming on. Typical recommendations include wearing a hat and/or sunblock to the affected area for at least 6-12 weeks following the procedure. It takes up to one year for scars to fully mature. You should also avoid trauma to the area for several months to protect the refinements made during the procedure. Also, avoidance of pools/lakes/jacuzzis/etc for 4-6 weeks is usually recommended to allow adequate healing and protection from stagnant water, that could potentially harbor bacteria. Lifting/exercise restrictions are common for at least 6 weeks. Certainly discuss the postoperative instructions with your surgeon, as thoughts differ among surgeons. Hope that this helps! Best wishes!

                  Unfortunately,
abdominoplasty can’t be performed without scarring.  How much scarring occurs with this procedure depends on the
patients wound healing characteristics. 
This can vary significantly from patient to patient and can be
unpredictable.  In some patients
scars are imperceptible, while in others they may be thick, raised and
unattractive. 

                  Wound
healing is a dynamic process that occurs over the course of 12 to 18 months
following surgery.  During this period
of time a variety of maneuvers have been utilized to minimize scarring.  These include massage, silastic
sheeting, and a variety of topical agents.

                   In
the majority of abdominoplasty patients scars heal nicely.  Occasionally, adverse scarring is a problem
and scar revision is necessary.  If
you’re concerned about scarring it’s important that you discuss this issue with
your plastic surgeon.  Your surgeon
should be able to answer your questions and alleviate your concerns.

Sounds too good to be true - that is correct, there is no such thing as a scarless tummy tummy tuck, however scar maturation products like silicone sheeting can make a big difference. See my link for more suggestions

The vertical scar usually fades very well and camouflages as a stretch mark.  The horizontal scar will take longer to heal and taping can help. At first it is the reddish color that makes them noticeable but all scars take a minimum of 1 year to remodel.  

The vertical scar may blend in nicely with your remaining striae. However, in the meantime, surgeons may vary in their scar managment recommendations. Some encourage the use of silastic sheeting, and while this may help, I find that patients find it difficult and cumbersome and will often abandon its use. Avoiding excessive sun exposure is also important. Other scar creams you may have heard of have limited evidence to strongly support their use.

Scars after an abdominoplasty improve at different rates with different patients.  Never do they completely disappear.  I have not come across and cream or therapy that will help the long term outcome of the scar.  Avoid trauma to the scar (sun exposure, scratching, clothes rubbing) and be patient.  Almost always the result will be good.