The tummy tuck is a surgical procedure designed to remove excess skin and fat from the abdominal area. It can be used to treat loose skin after pregnancy, loose skin that forms as a result of significant weight loss, or both.
The procedure involves making incisions around the belly button and into the lower abdomen. This allows the surgeon access to the underlying muscles and skin. The surgeon then removes excess skin and fat through these incisions and repairs any other damage that may have been done during the procedure (such as scarring). It’s important for you to know that a tummy tuck does not necessarily improve your body shape. It only reduces excess skin and fat in order to smooth out wrinkles or scars left behind by previous surgeries.
You may find it hard to access the right information on the internet, so we are here to help you in the following article, providing the best and updated information on Best scar treatment for tummy tuck , tummy tuck scars after 2 years pictures. Read on to learn more. We at cosmeticsurgerytips have all the information that you need about tummy tuck scars removal. Read on to learn more.
Best scar treatment for tummy tuck
All surgery involves incisions, and these incisions turn into scars. With proper care and these great tips, the scars you get from your tummy tuck surgery can be visibly reduced so they’re barely noticeable.
Aflatter stomach, contoured waist, smoother skin, and better muscle tone — your tummy tuck surgery has done wonders for your body. You’re ecstatic about your leaner, fitter shape, but are concerned about how to minimize the appearance of the scars you’ve been left with. Typical tummy tuck scars are located in one or more of these areas:
Pelvic area
Regardless of whether you had a mini or full tummy tuck, you’ll have a scar that runs horizontally across your lower abdomen from hip to hip, located a few centimetres below your belly button. The horizontal scar can vary in length. It may be just a few centimetres, which is often the case for mini tucks, or extend well over each hip to the sides of your back. The scar may also be placed in relatively the same spot where a C-section was.
Belly button
Full abdominoplasty involves a scar around your belly button. This scar may be quite noticeable at first, but with time, you’ll notice that it virtually disappears because it blends in so well with your belly button.
Lower abdomen
In rare cases, you may also have a scar that runs from your belly button vertically down to the horizontal incision.
What is a scar?
A scar is any mark or blemish that was caused by the skin healing over from a wound. Normal scar formation usually follows these steps:
The first stage – closure
Whenever your skin is broken, as is the case with incisions made during your tummy tuck surgery, your body creates collagen fibres to fill it in and close it. This takes about three to four weeks.
The second stage – establishment
Collagen continually builds up at the wound site, protecting and strengthening the affected area. To support its formation, blood supply to the area increases. Both factors cause the new scar to become darker, thicker and prominent. This takes about three to six months.
The final stage – maturity
Once enough collagen has formed at the wound site, some of it breaks down and blood supply decreases. The scar becomes lighter, thinner, flatter and less palpable as well as visible. This process can take one to two years, at which point they are considered fully mature.
You should expect your scars to look darker, textured and generally worse before they get better. You may notice that they look particularly bad a couple of months after your surgery. Try not to feel discouraged because they will improve!
Irregular scars
Some patients worry about irregular scars. Irregular scarring can be hypertrophic or keloid, both resulting from an excess of collagen. Hypertrophic scars are those that are raised and redder than the unaffected skin surrounding it. Keloids are a severe type of hypertrophic scars, in which scar tissue forms beyond the original wound site–>
Minimize your scars with these 6 tips
Once you get a scar, it’s pretty much yours for life. Scarred skin will always look different from unscarred skin, in that it will be paler and have a smoother texture. It may also look stretched. There are things that you can do to make your scars less visible. But just remember, the purpose of anything you do is to minimize the appearance of the scar, not eliminate it.
1. Follow care instructions. Right after your surgery, start following the incision care instructions we give to you. Instructions on hygiene and wound care will help your incisions heal properly and faster.
2. Monitor for infection. If you suspect your incision is infected at any point, let us know immediately. Infected incisions can lead to more prominent scarring.
3. Start topical treatments at the right time. Once the incision is no longer covered by scabs (don’t pick at them!) and has totally closed, you can start with topical treatments. The easiest option is to apply a product containing silicone, in the form of a gel, cream or sheeting. Silicone replicates the occlusion properties of the stratum corneum (the out layer of the skin) so that the hydration of scar tissue is normalized and, possibly, excess collagen production is stopped. Several studies have proven that silicone is beneficial in scar care, including one published in Advances in Wound Care.
Other topical products you can use are vitamin E and cocoa butter creams, although these have not been scientifically proven to be effective. They probably more to keep the scar moisturized, rather than act as a treatment.
4. Keep your skin well moisturized. You can start applying moisturizers directly to your scars only after the incisions have closed. Doing so beforehand can prevent incisions from closing properly and increase your risk of infection.
5. Don’t suntan your scars. UV exposure can make your scars darker and thicker, so make sure you cover them up from the sun at all times. It’s better to do this with clothing rather than sunscreen.
6. Avoid irritating products and clothing. Any irritation of a scar will make it worse. Use only products that are gentle to your skin.
Tummy tuck scars after 2 years pictures
Age: 33
6-Months Post Op
This patient is shown after a tummy tuck with muscle plication and liposuction of the waist with removal of 3.5 liters of fat. An umbilical hernia was also repaired during this case.View All Images
Age: 26
2-Years Post Op
She was able to lose a commendable amount of weight by diet and exercise but was left with sagging skin and fat that was resistant. She is shown after a tummy tuck with muscle plication and liposuction of the waist with removal of 2 liters of fat.View All Images
Age: 31
3-Months Post Op
Mother of 3 children who wished for a more curvy waist. Shown 3 months after a Tummy Tuck with muscle plication and liposuction of 4.5 L of fat from her abdomen, flanks, and back.View All Images
Age: 59
6-Months Post Op
59 year old who had lost over 100 lbs following a gastric bypass 8 years prior. No matter what she ate or how active she was she could not rid herself of the loose hanging tissue on her lower abdomen. Shown 6 months following a Tummy Tuck with muscle plication and liposuction of 4 L of fat from her waist.View All Images
Age: 39
1-Year Post Op
This is a 39 year old mother that was unable to regain her mid-section following having children. She is shown 1 year after a tummy tuck with muscle repair and liposuction of 1 Liter of fat from her waist and inner thighs. A tummy tuck with muscle repair and liposuction of 1 Liter of fat from her waist and inner thighs.View All Images
Age: 48
1-Year Post Op
Before
After
This 48 year old was concerned with loose skin on her lower abdomen and fatty deposits on her outer thighs that persisted despite diet and exercise. She is shown 1 year after a tummy tuck with muscle repair and liposuction of 3.7 Liters of actual fat from her waist and upper outer thighs.
A tummy tuck with muscle repair and liposuction of 3.7 Liters of actual fat from her waist and upper outer thighs.View All Images
Age: 38
3-Months Post Op
Before
After
Procedure: Tummy Tuck with muscle plication and removal of 3 liters of fat from the abdomen, flanks, and back with liposuctionView All Images
Age: 31
4-Months Post Op
Before
After
This 31 year old came with complaints of severe laxity of her skin and abdominal muscles after having children despite staying very active.
She underwent a tummy tuck with repair of her muscle and liposuction of 500cc of fat from her flanks. She is shown at 4 months after the procedure.View All Images
Age: 54
3-Months Post Op
Before
After
Procedure: Tummy Tuck with muscle plication and liposuction of 1.5 L of fat from the abdomen, flanks, and back.View All Images
Age: 33
3-Months Post Op
Before
After
Procedure: Tummy Tuck with muscle plication and removal of 3 liters of fat from the abdomen, flanks, and back with liposuctio.View All Images
Age: 38
6-Months Post Op
Before
After
38 year old who was concerned about skin and muscle laxity of her lower abdomen following childbirth.
She is shown 6 months after a Tummy Tuck with muscle repair and liposuction of 650cc of fat from her abdomen and flanks.
Tummy tuck scars removal
Tummy tucks are an increasingly popular cosmetic procedure, with over 130,000 Americans undergoing the operation each year. However, many of these procedures inevitably result in undesirable scarring. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to prevent, minimize, and treat tummy tuck scars.
One highly effective treatment for tummy tuck scars is laser skin resurfacing. When combined with other treatments, laser skin resurfacing is highly effective at reducing the appearance of scars.
Here, we’ll take a look at why people risk tummy tuck scarring in the first place and how that risk is eliminated from the procedure with laser skin resurfacing.
Why Get a Tummy Tuck?
The tummy tuck is a highly beneficial surgery for patients who have lost significant amounts of weight, recently finished pregnancy, or have experienced trauma to the abdominal region. New mothers may find more benefits from a complete mommy makeover, which not only addresses the tummy, but the breasts, and potentially the labia also.
Each of these scenarios involves the stretching of either the skin or the musculature of the abdomen to a point where it can naturally return to its tightened, elastic state. The abdomen’s skin and muscles serve a critical purpose; they control our overall posture, support our lower backs, and hold our vital organs in place.
When the structure of the skin and musculature becomes compromised, it can lead to both medical and aesthetic issues, such as poor posture, urinary incontinence, and loose, excess skin around the belly.
A tummy tuck can solve all these issues. But, for many patients who don’t choose their surgeon wisely, scarring can be a significant side effect of the procedure. This is why it is imperative to select an experienced, affiliated, qualified surgeon to perform your tummy tuck.
Reduce Scarring With Skill and Lasers
A tummy tuck involves making incisions and removing excess skin from the abdominal region. Top surgeons can minimize scars with precise incision placement and advanced suturing protocols, which both go a very long way in reducing the visibility of scarring.
To further reduce tummy tuck scarring, the best plastic surgeons also offer laser skin resurfacing.
Laser skin resurfacing exfoliates the upper layer of the skin while also heating the deeper skin layers. The process eliminates old, dead skin cells that make a scar and stimulates the production of healthy new skin cells. Essentially, this process creates a new area of skin that heals better than the scar did originally.
If you combine laser treatment with a healthy and nutritious diet, proper sun protection, the regular application of topical vitamin E cream, no smoking, and an expert surgeon to perform the procedure, you can experience incredible tummy tuck results with minimal scarring.