Tummy Tuck Scar 3 Months Post Op
After a tummy tuck procedure, patients can expect to see a significant improvement in swelling three months after the procedure. This marks the beginning of the final results taking shape as the body continues to heal and adjust to the changes made during surgery. Patients should be able to resume their normal routines and daily activities as long as they follow their surgeon’s post-operative care instructions.
However, some patients may experience hypertrophic scars, which are caused by an excess amount of tension around the healing wound, leading to thick, raised, and often red-colored scars. These scars can remain in this state for several years if not properly treated. Hypertrophic scars are caused by an imbalance in collagen production at the wound site, which is essential for wound healing and skin regeneration. To prevent or improve the appearance of hypertrophic scars, patients can use various scar management products available on the market. Popular products on Amazon include ScarAway Silicone Scar Sheets, Mederma Advanced Scar Gel, and Bio-Oil Skincare Oil.
Scar from Tummy Tuck 3 Months After Surgery
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.
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.
Tummy Tuck Scar Healing Stages
| Stage of Healing | Duration | Description | Scar Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inflammatory Stage | Begins immediately, lasts a few days |
| Red, swollen, and pink |
| Proliferative Stage | About 3-4 weeks |
| Thicker, red, and may become uncomfortable |
| Remodelling Stage | Several weeks to a few years |
| Thin, flat, and may become barely noticeable |
| Factor | Description |
|---|---|
| Genetics | Darker skin can produce darker and thicker scars |
| Illnesses | Conditions like diabetes, thyroid disease, high blood pressure, and poor circulation can hinder healing |
| Nutrition | Essential nutrients include zinc, vitamin C, protein, iron, and adequate calories |
| Age | Younger people heal more easily; older people’s scars fade more rapidly |
| Smoking | Non-smokers generally heal more quickly than smokers |
| Skin Quality | Thinned or stretched skin is at increased risk for irregular scars |
| Type of Scar | Description | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Keloid Scars | Large, raised scars that grow beyond the original wound |
|
| Hypertrophic Scars | Similar to keloids but do not grow as large |
|
Hypertrophic Tummy Tuck Scar
Different scars need different treatments. Do not be surprised if Mr Henley advises leaving the scar alone for a while to see if this problem resolves on its own, particularly if it is less than a year old. Mr Henley might recommend compression therapy, intense pulsed light or laser therapy, steroid injections, application of a special silicone sheet or scar revision surgery.
Hypertrophic scars usually occur within 4-8 weeks following a Plastic Surgery procedure. The original scar becomes raised, but the borders of the scar do not extend beyond the original wound closure margins. In most cases, hypertrophic scars are linear.
While a hypertrophic scar is thick and raised, it looks different from a keloid because it does not extend beyond the original margins of the wound. The hypertrophic scar is usually linear, whereas the keloid scar is irregular and cauliflower-like.
Which procedures can get hypertrophic scars or keloids?
Either one of these scars can develop following any procedure where an incision is made. This not only includes procedures with longer incisions such as the abdominoplasty, but also includes any type of ‘lift procedure’ such as breast lifts, body lifts, face lifts, and lip lifts.
Does gender, age, or family history matter?
The occurrence of keloids and hypertrophic scars has equal sex distribution and are most common in the second or third decade of life.
While family history is not a big factor in hypertrophic scars, family history is highly correlated to the incidence of Keloid formation. More than 50% of all keloid patients have a family history of keloid scarring!
However, some scars follow a more aggressive path, and can even get worse as time goes on. When the body produces too much collagen in an effort to repair the damage it can result in a ‘raised’ scar. These are considered ‘bad scars’ or ‘adverse scar conditions’ and they can unfold following any incision, including an incision made during a plastic surgery procedure.
While scars are a necessary evil for any plastic surgery procedure that has an incision, certain types of scars are worse than others. These undesirable scars are known as hypertrophic scars and keloids.
Both types of scars can be unsightly, but keloids tend to be more pronounced and dramatic as they take on a cauliflower-like look. While keloids are more rare than hypertrophic scars, keloids are also much harder to treat. Proper treatment of either scar type is firmly rooted in correctly diagnosing whether it is a hypertrophic or keloid scar.
HYPERTROPHIC SCARS
Hypertrophic scars can develop in wounds that were closed under high tension. The term high tension refers to the way that the incision was closed when it was sutured shut (where you were sewn together).
High tension means that the wound closure is stretched tight. This can especially occur in areas where there is a lot of movement. High tension can cause the scar to expand and become thicker. Wounds that are sutured at deeper layers typically have lower tension. Wounds that are closed only at the surface, usually have a higher amount of tension.
Symptoms and Appearance
Hypertrophic scars usually occur within 4-8 weeks following a Plastic Surgery procedure. The original scar becomes raised, but the borders of the scar do not extend beyond the original wound closure margins. In most cases, hypertrophic scars are linear. These scars can resolve with conservative pressure therapy and with time. The other good news is that hypertrophic scars can be eliminated by surgically removing them.
Incidence
The incidence of getting some degree of a hypertrophic scar following a surgical procedure in the general population is 40%-70%. While this is high, there are varying degrees of hypertrophy, and some scars are more acceptable than others.
KELOIDS
Keloids are irregular looking scars that form after an injury or surgical procedure. Simply put, a keloid is an unsightly scar that oversteps its original borders.
The scar will not only be raised, but it bubbles up beyond the original incision outline. Although there are therapies which can help keloids, they are more difficult to eliminate than hypertrophic scars.
Symptoms and appearance
A keloid scar has a raised and bumpy appearance, which extends past the original scar. In many cases, a keloid can have a cauliflower-like appearance. Keloids can form immediately after the injury or procedure, but can also occur months, or even years after the procedure.
Incidence
Keloids have a very small incidence among the general population, but dark-skinned individuals are much more susceptible. Keloids have an incidence rate of 6-16% in African populations. Family history of keloids is a huge predictor of developing keloids, so anyone with a family history of keloids should be sure to mention it to their Plastic Surgeon prior to their procedure.
