Life After a Tummy Tuck: Taking Care of Your Scars

Tummy Tuck surgery or Abdominoplasty has been a blessing for those who want an appealing figure i.e., a flat tummy, smooth and flawless skin, healthier muscle tone, and a contoured body. The surgery helps your body get in perfect shape, but it also has a post-surgery effect.

According to ISAPS Global Statistics 2021, the Tummy Tuck Surgery procedure is one of the most demanded and popular cosmetic surgeries performed worldwide. In ratio, women tend to approach an abdominoplasty procedure more than men.

Are you prepared for the scars post Tummy Tuck?

If you are planning for an Abdominoplasty or a Tummy Tuck procedure, you must be well prepared. The surgery is likely to leave post-surgery scars, so you need to be ready for it. Usually, the scar forms in the areas where your skin is healing after undergoing a tummy tuck surgery.

The scar is mostly thin and may be noticeable on your skin as it is somewhat lighter than your actual skin color and raised, making it more evident as a scar. It is a possible side effect of the surgery, but plastic surgeons aim to reduce its visibility and appearance on your skin.

You may also abide by certain essential tips to minimize the appearance and care for the abdominoplasty scar.

How does a scar surface?

Whenever your skin undergoes any kind of cut, opening, or incision, your body automatically creates fibers that contain collagen to fill in the cuts. The same holds in the case of Abdominoplasty as well.

This natural process of skin healing roughly takes more than three weeks post-surgery. Collagen that strengthens and protects the concerned area keeps building up at the wound or the area where the incision has surfaced. To support collagen formation on the skin, the blood supply to those areas increases.  

Both these factors cause the new skin formed on the affected area to become darker and prominently visible. This stage takes around three to six months after the surgery. As the collagen forms completely at the site of the incision or wound, the blood supply decreases. This makes the scar lighter, flatter, and less prominently visible in the skin area.

This final stage of the scar takes almost a year or two to occur. At first, the scar would look darker, but with time, it would eventually fade out and blend in with your original skin color.

Some patients may worry about the occurrence of irregular scar resulting from excessive formation of collagen. The irregular scars are more prominent and darker in color than your original skin tone. They might also occur beyond the site of the incision or affected area.

Pre-surgery tips to avoid scars

While a scar from a tummy tuck procedure is hard to avoid, you may still take some effective measures to speed up the recovery and possibly reduce its presence. The steps are as follows:

1. Quit smoking

If you are addicted to smoking, stopping or quitting smoking for several months before and after your Tummy Tuck procedure can help the surgical wound heal faster.

2. Vitamin A supplements

Plastic surgeons recommend taking vitamin A supplements before the surgery to avoid any future inconvenience. It will help in speeding up the healing process.

3. Avoid taking corticosteroids

A type of inflammatory drug used in the treatment of lupus, vasculitis, and similar other health disorders, corticosteroids are better to avoid. You should consult with your doctor about stopping the medications before the tummy tuck surgery, as these medications can slow down the healing process of the affected area.

4. Managing any chronic diseases

Discuss with your doctor before undergoing a tummy tuck surgery if you have any chronic disease. People with diabetes may face problems in faster healing, as it slows down the recovery process.

Home remedies to treat Abdominoplasty scar

After the surgery, the doctor may suggest carrying out simple treatments at home to fasten the healing process of your tummy tuck scar.

1. Massaging the scar with vitamin E

Applying vitamin E on your scar after your complete healing from the surgery can help keep it moisturized. Apply it once a day to your scar for the first few months and massage gently. Studies have verified that the consistent application of vitamin E oil over an extended period can help minimize the visibility and appearance of the scar.

2. Taping and Scar fading ointments

Downward pressure on a healing scar by taping it can enhance the quality of the final results, as it stops the scar from being raised and is visible on the skin. Using scar creams may also prove helpful in this regard.

It cannot cure the scar completely or make it vanish from the skin completely, but it might minimize the visibility of the scar. Make sure to ask your surgeon before applying any ointments after the surgery to avoid any kind of irritation or side effects.

3. Applying sunscreen to protect your scar from the sun

Your scars comprise collagen, which is a new skin that reacts differently when directly exposed to the sun. Applying sunscreen daily will prevent your scar from becoming darker and more prominent on the skin. Make sure to wear sunscreen daily before you step out of your house, even if the weather is not that bright outside. Discuss the correct SPF for your skin as well as your scar for better results.

In addition to these home-care tips, you may try several surgical treatments for minimizing scars. Some injections can treat your irregular scars, and laser treatment can reduce the scar of the tummy tuck surgery as well.

Professional Scar treatments after Tummy Tuck

You may visit a clinic to get away with your scars after undergoing a Tummy Tuck. The dermatologist may recommend injections or laser treatment depending on your budget and suitability.

1. Injections to reduce Tummy Tuck scars

Scars are an inseparable part of natural healing after Abdominoplasty or any other surgery. They fade away with time but if you want to reduce their visibility instantly, trying out several injections could prove effective. Here are some of these injection types:

• Steroid Injections (Corticosteroids)
• Hyaluronic Acid Injections
• Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections
• Silicone Injections or Sheets
• Botulinum Toxin Injections (Botox)

2. Laser treatment for scar reduction

Apart from injections, you can also go for laser treatment after discussing its pros and cons with a dermatologist. Doctors recommend this treatment for several reasons:

• Prevents the formation of a raised scar after Abdominoplasty
• Minimizes itching and scar pain
• Sets you free from limited movement due to scars by increasing your range of motion

Here, it would be vital to note that a laser treatment can indeed make your scar less visible but it cannot eliminate the scar permanently. It will only replace your original scar with a less visible scar. Your laser treatment for scar removal will rely heavily on the skills of the doctor carrying out the treatment.

To retain the results, you should ensure to protect your treated scars from exposure to the sun. A few important lifestyle changes would also be beneficial to get the expected results from laser scar reduction.

Wrapping up!

Tummy Tuck is a popular procedure embraced by people across the globe to improve body contours, especially around the tummy area. While the surgery removes fat to make your body slimmer, it is likely to leave behind scars on the treated location.

Usually, the recovery phase post-surgery involves the buildup of collagen and an increased supply of blood. This makes the surgery scars more obvious, but they fade away slowly with time. Caring for your overall health and skin before and after surgery can prevent scarring.

It can also facilitate speedy recovery of the affected area, making the scar less visible and unnoticeable. Expert surgeons can also reduce the possibility of these scars or make them less visible. Still, they cannot eliminate them.

Besides, the patient can also try several home remedies on the recommendation of the doctor after the surgery. Several important tips like the use of scar-reducing creams, applying sunscreen, massaging the scar with vitamin E, etc., can prove effective in minimizing the surgery scar appreciably.

Often, people opt for professional treatments such as laser therapy or injections to reduce the visibility of these surgery scars. In any case, proper aftercare will be crucial; otherwise, scars may remain visible despite trying out multiple remedies.