Laser treatment involves the removal or reformation of a scar from your tummy tuck by using a high-energy light source. In this procedure, collagen replaces scarred skin and improves the overall color and texture. The type of laser used and the number of sessions are dependent on the depth and severity of the scar.
Darker skin tones can often make scars more noticeable, especially in the early stages of healing after tummy tuck surgery. While this may be discouraging, it is important to remember that with proper care and attention, these scars can fade over time. It is essential to take extra precautions and provide additional care to the treated area following surgery.
This may include keeping the area clean, moisturized, and protected from the sun to promote optimal healing and minimize the appearance of scars. By following a specialized skincare routine and being patient with the healing process, you can achieve the best possible results and feel confident in your body once again.
Tummy Tuck Scar On Dark Skin
Tummy tuck scars on dark skin can be challenging. The scar is red and purple, and it may be raised, thickened, and shiny. The scar may also look bumpy or itchy.
If you are unhappy with the appearance of your tummy tuck scar, there are several things that you can do to improve its appearance.
First, wait at least 6 months before considering any treatment. This will allow time for the initial swelling and inflammation to subside. You should also find out if there is a chance that your body could reject the grafts used in the reconstruction process because they were not taken from your own body (don’t worry—if this happens, we’ll tell you!).
Second, consider other options for improving your stomach’s appearance such as fat grafting or liposuction to remove excess skin around the area of concern. Both of these procedures can greatly improve the appearance of your abdomen by adding volume and contouring areas that have lost fat due to weight loss or pregnancy.
Tummy Tucks & African American Beauty
African American women often differ from Caucasian or Asian women in their goals for a tummy tuck. If you are a black women, it is important to find a tummy tuck surgeon who understands your own unique cultural ideal for beauty.
Black women have long celebrated their curves – recognizing the beauty of the natural feminine shape. For many black tummy tuck patients, the emphasis is on a curvaceous feminine shape.
Dr. Ali believes that a tummy tuck, as well as liposuction or any other “body sculpting” technique, should accentuate a woman’s curves. These procedures can give you a toned and sleek body – with the right proportions for your frame without sacrificing your personal or cultural identity.
For most African American woman, an unrealistic stick-figure body is NOT the goal. The ideal shape may be anywhere from slim and trim Halle Berry to ultra-curvy Tyra Banks – but nobody wants to look like an emaciated Kate Moss-type skeleton!
In the hands of a skilled plastic surgeon like Dr. Ali, tummy tuck surgery makes it possible to achieve a flat tummy, while leaving the curves in place.
Tummy Tuck Scar Removal Laser
Tummy tucks, like any surgery, involve incisions. And, because African American skin is somewhat more prone to scarring and developing dark spots, it is important to select a tummy tuck surgeon who understands black skin.
Scar creams work in different ways to heal the tissue and reduce the appearance of scars. Some skin creams contain mild exfoliants that rub away the top layer of skin cells and any dead skin in the area.
Other ingredients hydrate the cells, giving them a fuller look, which may reduce the appearance of scars.
Scar creams are only one part of treating a scar. People looking to reduce the appearance of scars should also take other precautions, such as keeping the damaged area out of direct sunlight or wearing sunscreen whenever possible.
How We Chose the Best Scar Creams
Medical News Today chooses products that fit the following criteria, where possible:
- Price: MNT chooses products available for a wide range of budgets.
- Ingredients: MNT chooses scar creams containing ingredients proven to treat scars, such as silicone, allantoin, and shea butter.
- Safety: MNT chooses products that contain ingredients safe for topical use and are clearly labelled.
- Skin concerns: MNT selects scar creams that target specific skin concerns, such as burn scars, acne, and surgical scars.
- Type of product: MNT chooses products that are available in gel, cream, sheet, and oil forms
- Reputable: MNT selects products from businesses that adhere to industry best practices.
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Best overall: Mederma Advanced Scar Gel
- Active ingredient: Allantoin.
- Dosage: Once a day.
- Size: 0.70 ounces (oz).
- Pro: Suitable for acne, surgical scars, burns, and cuts.
- Con: May cause itchiness and skin dryness.
- Price: $26.99
Mederma Advanced Scar Gel is one of the most popular and effective all-around treatments for various scars.
Mederma states that the cream is effective for both new and old scars due to acne, surgeries, burns, and cuts.
The main active ingredient in Mederma Advanced Scar Gel is allantoin, which helps moisturize and hydrate the skin cells to reduce the appearance of scars.
The cream also contains other exfoliants and ingredients, such as onion bulb extract, to support the skin and prevent dryness.
When a person uses it on a new scar, they may see effects after about 8 weeks. For older scars, a person may need to regularly apply the gel for up to 6 months before seeing any results.
Some people may experience itchiness and skin dryness. This may be due to using too much of the gel.
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Best for surgical scars: Scar Away Clear Silicone Scar Sheets
- Active ingredient: Silicone
- Dosage: Place one sheet on the scar.
- Size: 10 sheets per pack.
- Pro: This product is comfortable to use throughout the day.
- Con: Some people may experience irritation from the adhesive.
- Price: Around $23.99
ScarAway Silicone Scar Sheets are simple fabric-backed sheets containing silicone. This silicone layer acts as a natural barrier, mimicking the barrier from healthy skin. This may help reduce scar formation or cause scar tissue to fade.
ScarAway states that the sheets prevent or treat abnormal scarring due to injuries, keloid scars, and scars from surgeries, such as cesarean deliveries and tummy tucks.
The flexible, breathable sheets make them easy to wear throughout the day for many people. Some may find the adhesive irritating.
The healing time can vary based on several factors. For fresh scars, a person may notice results in a few weeks. Older scars may take longer to heal.
Just like black hair, black skin has a different texture – so make sure you select a plastic surgeon like Dr. Ali who understands and has experience working with black skin texture.
Dr. Ali takes specific steps when performing tummy tucks on African-American patients to help reduce the chances of poor quality scar. Although keloid scarring is generally less common than people realize – Dr. Ali will carefully evaluate your skin and your medical history to make sure a tummy tuck is right for you. In some cases, Dr. Ali can even utilize internal sutures – and/or surgical glue instead of stitches – to help prevent the formation of scars.
Detroit’s Best Tummy Tuck Surgeon for Black Women
Detroit area board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Ali has helped hundreds of women and men of all shapes, sizes & ethnicities obtain the firm, flat abdomen they have always desired with Tummy Tuck surgery.
Dr. Ali always puts special focus on the unique desires of his patients. He uses the latest techniques and technologies, as well as artistic application and an understanding of your beauty ideals, when performing liposuction.
Best Silicone Gel For Tummy Tuck Scars
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.
A flatter 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 you’re 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:
On average, this redness takes about a year to resolve to acceptable levels, longer for younger patients. Laser Genesis speeds up the process by accelerating the fading of the incision wounds into your natural skin tone within a few months. It’s a fantastic treatment for tummy tuck patients who want their tummy to look smooth and even-toned as quickly as possible.
This laser skin rejuvenation process delivers high energy pulses deep into the dermis. It is highly tolerable and can be completed during lunchtime. With no anesthesia necessary, you can return to your daily routine once you leave our facility. Optimal results are apparent after about five treatments, but this number varies from patient to patient.
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?
Any mark or blemish that results from the skin healing over a wound is a scar. 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 more 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 scar 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 do more to keep the scar moisturized than act as a treatment.
4. Keep your skin well moisturized. You can start applying moisturizer 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.