Tummy Tuck Scar Removal Cost
Tummy tuck surgery is a cosmetic procedure that can be done to help improve your appearance after pregnancy or weight loss. If you’re considering getting a tummy tuck, you’ll want to know about the costs for this procedure. Keep in mind that the cost of tummy tuck scar removal depends on the type of treatment you choose and the area where your scar is located.
Basic Tummy Tuck Scar Removal Cost
A basic tummy tuck scar removal treatment may cost anywhere between $800 and $5,000. This procedure is typically done as an outpatient surgery, which means that you won’t have to stay overnight in a hospital following the procedure. The cost of this type of treatment includes anesthesia and medications if necessary. You may also need bandages or dressings on your incision site while it heals, which will add an additional expense onto your final bill at checkout time.
Advanced Tummy Tuck Scar Removal Cost
An advanced tummy tuck scar removal treatment could cost between $2,000 and $20,000 or more depending on how much work needs to be done in order for it to look natural again after surgery has been completed properly.
Tummy Tuck Scar Removal Cost
Each year, 100 million individuals in the developed world acquire a scar of some kind. 55 million of them will have some kind of surgery to revise their scar and make it less obvious to those around them.
Scar revision surgery can boost confidence and allow individuals to feel more at home in their bodies. Although in many cases a scar cannot be completely removed, a good plastic surgeon can make it much less noticeable.
If you have a scar that needs to be diminished, you may wonder how much a scar revision surgery costs. We’ve got you covered. Read on for more information about the procedure.
Scar Revision Surgery Cost
The cost of your scar revision surgery depends on where the scar is and how extensive it is. You may need a skin graft if the scar is very severe.
The type of scar is also taken into consideration when determining the price.
You can, however, expect to pay around $500 for a smaller and less noticeable scar. If you need a skin graft for a bigger and more complex scar, you may pay as much as $4,000. This hefty price tag typically includes a skin graft.
Keloid Scar Removal Surgery Cost
One very noticeable type of scar that often requires surgery is a keloid scar. This is when small irregular clusters of scar tissue grow on or over the site of the wound. This can occur after an injury, but many experience it after traumas like major surgery. You can also develop keloid scars after smaller traumas, like an infected piercing.
Keloids form as the body attempts to heal itself, and they can appear up to one year after the trauma occurred. They are often a different color than your skin and are often more obvious on darker skinned individuals.
Some keloid scars are not only unsightly but can develop itching, redness, and burning that many find unbearable. To mitigate this, some doctors inject steroids into the scar.
A keloid scar is one that doctors often see for removal or minimization. How your doctor goes about treating your scar will depend on the scar itself, but there are several different techniques.
The cost of keloid removal ranges from $75 to upward of $2,000 depending on the type and duration of treatment. Keloid removal is considered a cosmetic procedure, therefore is not usually covered by health insurance. As a rule of thumb, larger, more severe keloids will cost more to remove.
Keloids are raised scars that can occur anywhere on the body, and while keloids aren’t harmful, a person might find them painful and unattractive and seek medical treatment to remove the scar.
The Cost of Keloid Removal
Keloids aren’t harmful, contagious, or cancerous, but can cause pain and discomfort. If you are in pain from a keloid, and are unhappy with its appearance, there are multiple treatment options available to reduce and remove keloid scarring. Treatment options include surgery, steroid injections, lasering, and at-home products.
The chart below provides a comprehensive list of common keloid removal options and the average cost without insurance.
Average Cost of Keloid Removal Without Insurance
| Type of Treatment | Description | Average Cost (without insurance) |
|---|---|---|
| Steroid Injections | The most popular type of keloid treatment involves a direct injection to the keloid with corticosteroids. This helps to flatten and reduce the size of the keloid. | $75 to $250 per session, up to four sessions required |
| At-Home Products | Some over-the-counter products, such as cortisol creams, have been clinically proven to soften and flatten keloid scars, depending on the newness and severity. | $18 to $35, depending on the brand |
| Cryotherapy | Cryotherapy uses liquid nitrogen that is sprayed onto or directly injected into the keloid. The nitrogen causes damage to scar tissue, which reduces the overall size. | $100 to $150 per session; number of sessions based on keloid size/severity |
| Pulsed Dye Laser | A pulsed dye laser is used to directly target scar tissue without disturbing or damaging the surrounding area; this method is not commonly used. | $100 to $150 per sessions |
| Silicone-based Product | A non-invasive treatment option that uses a small sheet of silicone designed to apply pressure directly on the keloid. This method has been proven to reduce the size and treat pain and itching of the keloid. | $15 to $50 depending on the shape and size of sheets |
| Surgery | Surgery is often the last result or reserved for severe cases, as the recurrence rate for keloids is very high. | $500 for small keloid to $2,500 for complex keloid (hard to reach, larger in size) |
Source: Keloid Removal Cost
Surgical Techniques for the Removal of Keloid Scars
Your surgeon may decide to use a non-invasive procedure instead of cutting into the keloid scar. This is often accomplished with a laser to help lessen its appearance.
However, this is often done in conjunction with injecting steroids or attempting to freeze off the scar.
If your keloid scar is especially bad, your surgeon may decide to perform a skin graft, which is more expensive. He or she will take healthy skin tissue from another area of your body. They remove the keloid scar and replaced it with this skin graft. Although it will not completely erase the appearance of a scar, it will make it less noticeable.
This also helps individuals who have trouble with itching, redness, and tenderness.
Discoloration or Surface Irregularities
Discoloration or surface irregularities are small scars on the skin that are not as noticeable. They cause no symptoms and typically do not bother the sufferer. They can, however, be a cosmetic issue.
These scars are typically caused by acne, small wounds such as piercings or punctures or Chicken Pox scars. They are cheaper to have repaired and do not require a skin graft or other advanced technique to repair. Often, nonsurgical lasers reduce their appearance.
Contracture Scars
Like keloids scars, contracture scars cause discomfort as well as self-consciousness due to their appearance. These types of scars most often form over a joint or a group of muscles. Because the skin is tighter due to the trauma and injury you’ve suffered, it can restrict movement in an area.
This type of scar is often seen after a burn and often occurs on the face, neck, fingers, arms, and hands. Individuals with this type of scar face daily discomfort, and surgery can help the scar heal to relieve pain and make it more aesthetically pleasing.
Contracture scars are often the type that requires a skin graft or flap, so they can be more expensive types to treat.
A contracture scar is typically removed before the surgery begins. Then, a skin graft or skin flap replaces the skin. A skin graft is a slice of skin from a healthier part of the body. The skin flap contains its own blood vessels, along with part of the muscles, fat, and blood supply of that particular area. This is important for parts of the body burned off that may not have these layers underneath any longer.
Some surgeons also use a tissue expansion surgery together with a skin flap. This is a newer type but can help expand the tissue without having to use too much of a skin flap.
When repairing a contracture scar, there will still be a noticeable scar, but it will be more comfortable.
Hypertrophic Scars
Hypertrophic scars are those in which the incision has raised or discolored. They are typically asymptomatic but can bother the patient because of their appearance.
To remove a hypertrophic scar, a doctor may inject steroids into it. If this does not work, he or she may remove the scar and reposition the incision to make it less noticeable.
Laser Scar Removal Cost
Since laser treatments for scars are cosmetic and elective procedures, your insurance may not cover the cost.
The cost of treatment depends on:
- the size of the scar
- the number of scars
- the amount of laser treatments you’ll need
Keep in mind that you may need more than one laser treatment to get your desired results. You’ll have to pay each time you see your doctor for treatment.
Because the out-of-pocket cost for laser treatment varies, it’s important that you consult with more than one doctor to compare prices before proceeding. Some offices will charge a consultation fee in addition to what you pay for the actual procedure.
On average, a single laser treatment to improve the appearance of a scar costs between $200 and $3,400, according to the University of Michigan’s Department of Dermatology.
There’s no extended downtime with this treatment, so you don’t have to worry about too much time off work. You may be able to return to work the next day or within a few days.