We’ve got a simple solution for you: the bikini to hide tummy tuck scars. We hear you. You don’t want to cover up your beautiful belly, but you also want to cover up that scar from your tummy tuck surgery.
You can still look and feel great in a bikini, and we’re here to help! We have gathered some of the best bikinis on the market that are designed to hide tummy tuck scars. Just choose one of these options, and you’ll be able to show off your hard work while still looking fabulous in your bathing suit.
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 how to hide tummy tuck scars and scar removal for tummy tuck
Bikini To Hide Tummy Tuck Scar
Swimsuit season has arrived, but not everyone is comfortable showing off their figure. Excess skin on the abdomen can make you feel self-conscious about your belly, which means avoiding bikinis and bathing suits. Many women consider tummy tuck surgery to remove the hanging skin but are concerned about getting a long scar. The good news is that with help from the right board-certified plastic surgeon, you can achieve a leaner look and wear bikini bottoms without fear. Dr. Rolando Morales uses advanced body contouring techniques to ensure that any incisions lie low and heal properly.
If tummy tuck incision placement is a big concern, contact Morales Plastic Surgery for a surgical consultation in Houston, TX. We can have a frank discussion about what to expect.
Where are tummy tuck incisions placed?
Pregnancy and recent weight loss stretch out the abdominal skin and loosen the underlying muscles. Women feel embarrassed about their midsections because they still look pregnant or feel like their weight loss efforts were a waste of time. Loose, hanging skin and small fat pockets can be treated with a tummy tuck. During this procedure, an incision is generally made from hip to hip along the natural crease of the lower abdomen. For your reference, traditional c-section scars are sometimes placed in this area.
Will my bikini cover my tummy tuck scar?
Bikinis come in all different shapes and sizes. But let’s say we’re discussing a standard bikini bottom. A straightforward bikini bottom usually provides coverage for the panty line area. In this case, yes, a bikini should be able to hide any tummy tuck scarring. Very low or “barely-there” bikini bottoms may not completely conceal the scar. If you are concerned about your bathing suit, Dr. Morales can discuss tummy tuck incision placement during your initial body contouring assessment in Houston, TX.
We do everything to get the best scar outcomes
Scarring is a natural response to getting an incision or wound. It’s important to understand that the length and width of tummy tuck scars vary from patient to patient. However, the specialists at Morales Plastic Surgery do everything we can to make any resulting scars less visible. We are known for being very meticulous with skin closure and wound care. One of the best ways to feel comfortable about future scarring is to look at our before and after photos. This can give you a good understanding of what to expect after a tummy tuck.
How to make scars less visible
Factors like genetics and age play a role in how fast scars heal and fade over time. However, there are things you can do to speed the healing process at home. This includes:
- Adhere to our tummy tuck incision and scar care guidelines
- No tanning or exposing your incisions to direct sunlight
- Avoid irritating chemicals, clothes, and products
- After the incision heals, moisturize the area to soften the skin
Extended tummy tuck
Excess fat in the lower abdomen is a common complaint for both men and women. A tummy tuck or abdominoplasty is designed to remove the skin a fat from the belly button to the pubic area by placing an incision below the bikini line. The abdominal muscles are tightened to narrow your waist and often liposuction is done on the flank and hip areas to trim your body further. There are many reasons why tummy tuck procedures, also known as an abdominoplasty, have increased 87% from 2000 to 2014. Advances in surgical methods and safety measures have made it possible for more men and women to achieve a tighter, more shapely midsection in cases where:
- Extreme amounts of weight loss have led to excess skin
- Pregnancy has resulted in stretched skin and weakened abdominal wall
- Healthy diet and exercise regimens have not achieved your desired shape
Women have the additional concern of childbirth which significantly stretches the abdominal muscles. When there is good skin tone, no stretch marks, and a limited amount of fat, liposuction alone is usually the best option. However, when stretch marks are present in addition to abdominal muscle laxity, a tummy tuck remains the best option. In this procedure, the incision is kept low below the “bikini line” and a large ellipse of fat and skin is removed. The belly button is resutured in its original place and the abdominal muscles tightened to give an hourglass shape. This procedure can be combined with liposuction to further sculpt the body. Newer techniques use progressive tension sutures or Tissue Glu to eliminate the need for a drain making recovery much easier and quicker.
Bikini Incision
Dr. Burns is know for his low scar bikini incision designed to hide the scar below the underwear or swimsuit line. The bikini incision hides the incision allowing patients to wear swimsuits and underwear without showing their tummy tuck scar.
In an extended abdominoplasty, the incision will generally extend beyond the hip bones to include some of the lower love handle area. The extended incision will allow more tissue to be removed. This approach is ideal for heavier patients who require more contouring or massive weight loss patients with significant extra skin.
Dr. Burns is one of the nation’s leading body contouring Board Certified Plastic Surgeons and practices a short scar bikini line incision technique where you scar will be hidden in most undergarments or swimwear.
Patient Focus 1
Procedures: Extended Tummy Tuck/Abdominoplasty with Liposuction of the Flanks
*All patients are unique and results may vary
Patient Focus 2
Procedures: Extended Tummy Tuck/Abdominoplasty with Liposuction of the Flanks
*All patients are unique and results may vary
Patient Focus 3
Procedures: Extended Tummy Tuck/Abdominoplasty with Liposuction of the Flanks
*All patients are unique and results may vary
Expectations
Length: 2- 3 hours
Anesthesia: General
In/Outpatient: Outpatient
Side Effects: Temporary swelling, bruising, and some pain
Risks: Pain, bleeding, infection, fluid collections, healing problems, blood clots
Recovery: Back to work: 1 – 2 weeks. More strenuous activity: 4 – 6 weeks
Final Appearance: 1-2 months for swelling to resolve
Duration of Results: Permanent if stable weight maintained
Body Contouring Plastic Surgery and Your BMI
Peer reviewed plastic surgery research indicates that the complication rates from breast and body contouring plastic surgery are much lower if your Body Mass Index is in the normal range. For obese or morbidly patients, complication rates such as deep venous thrombosis, wound healing problems, and infection are much higher. We encourage all of our patient to know their BMI and if at all possible achieve a normal BMI or at least < 30 before embarking on elective cosmetic surgery.
How To Hide Tummy Tuck Scars
After your treatment, your abdominoplasty scars may be visible for up to a year. Scars on people with lighter skin typically begin as pink and eventually change into a thin, white line. Darker skin types may initially heal dark and pigmented before gradually becoming lighter. Here are some of the most well-liked and efficient ways to cure this scar, even if it will never completely disappear.
One: Taping
Dr. Wilke notes that dissolvable sutures inserted beneath the skin are commonly used to seal abdominoplasty wounds. “We next apply steri-strips or paper tape to the incision to preserve it and reduce strain. It has been demonstrated that the tape’s gentle pressure against the incision reduces the likelihood of scarring as well. Frequently, we advise patients to have the wound taped for roughly 6 weeks, switching up the tape every 5-7 days.
2 – Topicals & Creams for Scar Fading
The market is flooded with scar creams, according to Dr. Wilke. “Although none of them are a miraculous treatment for scarring, they can nonetheless be useful in minimizing a scar. The simplest and least expensive solution is to use vitamin E-infused moisturizer. A few of the more sophisticated lotions contain silicone, while others contain hydroquinone or other skin-lightening ingredients to inhibit the activity of pigment-producing cells. Typically, we won’t advise using these lotions until six weeks have passed since surgery.
3: Light-based and laser treatments
Most likely, without the help of additional treatments, your Tummy Tuck scar will remain as it does one year after surgery. At this point, you can start looking at options like laser resurfacing or powerful light-based therapies to remove any pigment from the scar or reduce any remaining redness.
Scars’ texture can be smoothed out with laser resurfacing procedures like HALOTM and Profractional, according to Dr. Wilke. “Light-based treatments, such as BBL (Broadband Light), target cells with a darker pigment, which can lighten the color of a scar and lessen redness. Although both therapies might be helpful in some circumstances, it’s crucial to understand that you will need more than one to have a noticeable change. At Edina Plastic Surgery, we adhere to an all-encompassing philosophy of surgery that attends to the needs of our patients from beginning to end. In order to provide our patients the best chance to recover from any operation we do with the least amount of scarring, we have developed a Post-Surgical Scar Therapy package. Six BBL and Profractional laser resurfacing sessions spaced 4-6 weeks apart are included in this package, along with Stratamed Scar Healing Gel.
4. Collagen Induction Treatment Using Microneedling
The skin is injured thousands of times by small surgical-grade needles used in microneedling devices like the SkinPen®. This causes your skin to produce more collagen and elastin, which helps it repair smoother and firmer. Scars that have healed unevenly may benefit most from this procedure. The scar from a tummy tuck can be smooth, flat, and perfectly blend in with the skin around it with a series of microneedling treatments.
5: Permanent makeup or a tattoo
According to Dr. Wilke, “This may seem out of the ordinary, but I have had patients who ultimately decide to cover their Tummy Tuck scar with a tattoo.” Although obviously not for everyone, both the scar and the tattoo may be readily disguised due of how low they both sit on the abdomen. Before getting a tattoo, patients must wait until their scar has fully healed, which takes around a year.
The permanent cosmetics market has started to offer methods to cover up surgical scars in recent years.
With this method, your doctor will effectively “fill in” your scar by applying ink that is precisely matched to the skin tone around your scar. It is essential to seek this therapy from a competent practitioner and to refrain from tanning the skin close to your scar because this will prevent the scar from acquiring the same tan as the skin around it.
Dr. Wilke explains that throughout your operation, “as surgeons, we do everything we can to minimize the appearance of your future Tummy Tuck scar.” “A skilled surgeon will try to keep your incision as short and symmetrical as possible without compromising your outcomes, and will avoid making it too high. I have never had a patient who didn’t believe that the benefits of their tummy tuck surpassed the scar, as of this writing.
Scar Removal For Tummy Tuck
Surgery may be required to address some belly tuck scars, such as hypertrophic or keloid scars. The scar is removed from your skin during scar revision, and the incision is then stitched up. For scar revision surgery, most patients must wait 12 to 18 months after their stoma
Surgery may be necessary to address certain types of belly tuck scars, such as hypertrophic or keloid scars. During scar revision surgery, the scar is removed from the skin and the incision is then stitched up. This procedure is typically recommended for patients who have waited 12 to 18 months after their stomach tuck surgery.
Hypertrophic scars are raised scars that do not extend beyond the boundaries of the original wound. These scars are often red or pink in color and can be itchy or painful. Keloid scars, on the other hand, are raised scars that extend beyond the boundaries of the original wound. These scars are typically larger than hypertrophic scars and can be itchy, painful, and may even restrict movement.
Scar revision surgery involves removing the scar tissue and rejoining the skin in a way that minimizes the appearance of the scar. This procedure may be performed under local anesthesia or general anesthesia, depending on the size and location of the scar. Patients may experience some discomfort and swelling following the procedure, which can be managed with pain medication and rest.
It is important for patients to wait at least 12 to 18 months after their stomach tuck surgery before undergoing scar revision surgery. This allows the scar to fully mature and for any potential complications to resolve. Patients should also discuss their goals and expectations with their plastic surgeon to ensure that they are realistic and achievable.
In some cases, additional treatments may be recommended to further improve the appearance of the scar, such as laser therapy or corticosteroid injections. These treatments can help reduce redness, itching, and pain associated with hypertrophic and keloid scars.
Overall, scar revision surgery can be an effective way to address unsightly belly tuck scars, such as hypertrophic or keloid scars. Patients should consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon to determine the best course of treatment for their individual needs. With proper care and follow-up, patients can achieve smoother, more even skin and improve their overall appearance.
| Scars type | Characteristics |
| Hypertrophic | Raised, red or pink, itchy, and painful |
| Keloid | Raised, extends beyond wound boundaries, larger, itchy, painful, restricts movement |