Body Lift - 33 year old male

Just a quick photo update of where I’m at. I know it’s not that helpful because you can’t see the scar but it was more to show the silhouette. Yes I’m sucking in my stomach pretty hard but even so you can see how much the swelling has gone down so far. I’m keeping up a good routine of diet and exercise which is helping a great deal too.
Also, I am beginning to regain some sensation in the area below my navel which had been totally numb. I’d kind of made peace with it being numb forever but was really happily surprised when my hand brushed over the hairs and I got the slightest tingle of sensation. I’m hoping the nerves will continue to regrow and more feeling returns. I’ll keep you posted!

So I’m nearly three months post surgery right now. I feel like the vast majority of the swelling is already gone and I probably won’t see any major changes to that going forward. Would like to see a bit more reduction just below my navel and on my lover back, but with that said, I am thrilled with how things are looking.

Scar management is the main thing that I’m focussing on right now. I know there are a lot of ways to approach this and I’m not really interested in shutting down alternative methods but I can honestly put my hand up and say that massage works. I spend about 10-15 minutes virtually every day (only missed a couple) massaging my scar. The whole way around. 360 degrees. I use a skin cream we have in the UK called E45, but that’s more as a lubricant than anything specifically in its formal.

Massage has helped to flatten out the scar. I had been concerned that my scar tissue was internally tethering itself to my abdominal wall, creating a puckered appearance. That problem is all but gone because by focussing the massage on that area, over time I believe it’s broken down some of the adhesions that were beginning to form and freed it all up. The tightness around my scar generally is massively improved. I only notice that now when I purposefully think about it and I’m optimistic that in time the tightness will be gone completely.

Appearance-wise I feel like it’s moving in a very positive direction. It is still fairly dark (it’s barely been three months) but I’m already noticing some fading. One of the issues with massaging the scar is that immediately afterward it looks a lot darker, which I imagine is due to increased blood flow. It also feels tighter which makes massage feel counter intuitive, why do it if it makes it darker and tighter? Although it may be tempting to think like that, just stick with it. I personally have committed to daily massage for six months when I’ll review the need to continue with it or leave it be. Until then, I’m going to keep going. I do honestly believe it’ll be worth the time and effort in the long run.

In a few days it’ll be the six week mark since the surgery. I’m really looking forward to getting back to the gym, been getting a little doughy while I’ve been giving my body time to heal... and it’s coincided with Christmas too which doesn’t help!

The pictures I’ve posted cover a topic I’ve not seen many people discuss - internal stitches. When they close the incision there are quite a few layers of stitches below the final closure. I was told those stitches take 4-6 weeks to dissolve and just like clockwork that’s what I experienced. Sometimes you’re even aware of them, for instance if you’re stretching a little further than normal to reach something the added tension may be enough to pop them. It’s totally painless and I’ve actually heard them once or twice, which I found fun!

The pictures on this update show something that I find quite interesting. For the last few weeks I’ve been really aware of the tightness around my incision. It almost felt like there was a ridge beneath my skin the whole way round my scar. Since my internal stitches have been starting to dissolve though, I’ve been noticing how that ridge has been flattening out and how much smoother the scar is beginning to feel. At the time of doing this update I’ve had more of the stitches dissolve on one side than the other and you can really tell in the pics the difference it makes when you compare the two sides. Hopefully won’t be too long before the contour of the left side is as smooth as the right side.

Still very happy with the results so far. With a chance to do some cardio now, and with a bit more time for swelling to go down I think it’s all heading in a very pleasing direction.

Also as tiny follow up re my navel infection, you can see that it’s all cleared, no more redness and I’m off antibiotics. There is a little bit of scabbing at the bottom still, otherwise all good!