What You REALLY Need To Know About Tummy Tuck Scars

Getting a tummy tuck is an incredibly personal decision that takes a lot of thought and research before you even consider talking to a doctor about your options.

While it’s extremely important to ask about safety, success, and healing, many people thinking about having a tummy tuck tend to forget about the scarring after the surgery.

There are several types of tummy tucks out there, and each one leaves a different scar behind.

When weighing your options, it would be helpful to know what kind of scar you can expect from each tummy tuck.

Here are the 4 most common types of tummy tucks:

1. Traditional Tummy Tuck: The scar typically begins at the pubic bone and extends from hip to hip, with another one reaching the belly button.
2. Mini Tummy Tuck: This is essentially a modified version of the traditional tummy tuck that leaves a less apparent scar. A mini tummy tuck addresses minimal loose skin and leaves a smaller scar just above the pubic bone. The scar left behind should be about twice the size of a C-section scar.
3. Extended Tummy Tuck: This particular type of tummy tuck is geared toward people who are dealing with the appearance of extra skin left behind from extreme weight loss. The scar should closely resemble that of a traditional tummy tuck, with one that extends up and down from the breast bone to the pubic area.
4. Circumferential Tummy Tuck: The scar will likely extend around your entire body. This is a drastic surgery performed on people who have lost a ton of weight, probably due to gastric bypass surgery. You should not consider this tummy tuck as an option, unless you have loose-hanging skin all around your body.

How to Prevent Scarring

1. Avoid Sun: For at least the first year after the surgery, you should wear sunscreen everywhere you go—even on areas that are covered by clothing. Scars that are exposed to sunlight and UV rays tend to appear darker and redder in color. To prevent your scar from developing a darker pigment, it’s incredibly important to protect yourself from the sun as often as possible.
2. Petroleum Jelly: While many believe fresh air helps wounds heal faster, Dr. Houtan Chaboki of Potomac Plastic Surgery says this is not actually the case. In fact, dressing your scar in petroleum jelly may improve the scar’s final appearance by about 33 per cent, according to Chaboki. If you do decide to undergo a tummy tuck procedure, talk to your doctor about using petroleum jelly to help the scarring heal before even going under the knife.
3. Stop Smoking: It should go without saying that smoking is just downright terrible for your health, especially after undergoing major surgery. But if that isn’t enough to make you quit, keep in mind that smoking will make your tummy tuck scar appear more pronounced and “ropey.”
4. Topical Creams: Vitamin E and medical-grade silicon creams have been shown to reduce the appearance of most scars, including those resulting from tummy tuck procedures. However, it’s important to remember that the way you heal has a lot to do with genetics.

Do you have any great tips for reducing the appearance of scars? Tell us in the comments!

Photo Copyright © 2015 Next TwentyEight/Flickr