Tummy Tuck Scars: What to Expect

A lot of women (and some men), upon seeing a tummy tuck scar posted on the internet, will be put off by its appearance. This will often lead to them ruling out the surgery. However, these posts are not intended to change your mind. Rather these posts offer some things for you to consider before ruling out a tummy tuck. For many, scarring is a primary concern.

==> Check out our Tummy Tuck Recovery Post.

It is important to note, there is a tendency for people who self post to select very atypical situations. This helps them to dramatize their results and their lives. This is not to say that they did not occur but it is like that show Botched (which I confess, I have never watched but I get asked about by my patients). I am sure that these things occurred but it is not a typical result, but rather, a very rare one.

Do Tummy Tuck Scars Go Away?

The scars from a tummy tuck, by definition, will be long and generally from hip to hip. However, they are usually placed low and can be concealed by clothing. Also, tummy tuck scars usually fade nicely. This does however take time. I did a tummy tuck on my office manager, Cheryl, and her scar is extremely hard to see now. I have had some patients put tattoos over their tummy tuck scars and that renders them almost invisible.

Some patients will have their scars fade much sooner. I recently performed a tummy tuck on a woman, less than 3 weeks ago. We have already posted her results (with a side view photograph of her before and after) on my website because her scar is so faint. It looks like the operation occurred years ago! However, that has more to do with genetics, than the skill of the surgeon.

Tummy Tuck Scar Cream

We carry a cream in our office which can help mature the scar sooner and help it fade more quickly. There are also other products from silicone sheeting to Mederma that can also be effective.

Sometimes, patients will get a dog ear after surgery. This a small amount of fullness at the edge of the incision. This can easily be refined in the office under local anesthetic. Sometimes fine-tuning is necessary. You can return to work the next day.

The name of the game is patience, as scars will continue to fade month after month and year after year. If you have any questions about scarring or tummy tucks in general. please contact my office at 703-406-2444 to schedule a complimentary, private consultation with me.