Scars fade over time.
Millions of women (and men) who have lost a significant amount of weight or their bodies have undergone the effects of multiple pregnancies might find that an abdominoplasty—or more simply a tummy tuck is the best and only solution for them. This surgical procedure promises that you can have a flat, firm belly that no amount of crunches or kale salads can get you. However, the patient needs to be aware that the biggest source of anxiety for many facing this transformation is the scar.
The exchange is obvious. Your body can only lose the inches of loose skin by making an incision. This leads us to the most frequently asked question during the consultation process “Do scars from a tummy tuck go away?” At Lin Europe Clinic we are straightforward with our clients. The brief response is that no; surgical scars are permanent. Nonetheless, the long response is much more comforting. The scar doesn’t completely disappear but with exact surgical placement and time, it can lighten up to a thin, silver line that is very easy to hide, thus, the scar is a minor sacrifice for the resulted body.
The Trade-Off: Skin vs. Scar
In order to understand the scar, you have to first understand the surgery that was performed. A tummy tuck is not only liposuction; it is a skin removal operation. Just picture a comforter that is not tight enough. To make it snug, you have to cut the extra fabric and sew the edges back together.
The length of the incision usually ranges from one hip bone to another, and it is located just above the pubic area. It is long – there is no method to avoid that. However, the doctrine of today’s plastic surgery is not to remove the scar but to camouflage it. The aim is to exchange a huge, extremely visible problem (hanging skin, stretch marks, and a protruding belly) for a small, easily concealable line. A great number of patients admit that after seeing their flat belly the scar becomes a thing of the past.
Location, Location, Location
The distinction between a “good” tummy tuck and a “fantastic” one typically hinges on where the incision is made. An experienced surgeon can be compared to a tailor. Prior to being anesthetized, we request that you bring your favorite underwear or bikini bottoms. We mark the line for the incision so it is located inside or below your garment line.
Here at Lin Europe Clinic, we put an ultra-low incision first. We position the scar just a couple of millimeters above the pubic hairline so that even if you are wearing a two-piece swimsuit at the beach, no one will be able to tell that you have had surgery. The scar has to be long but if when you are dressed (even with the bare minimum) no one can see the scar, then the scar will have a very little effect on your life.
The Lifecycle of the Scar: The “Angry” Phase
Patience is the hardest thing during healing. The scars don’t gradually fade; at times they may even get worse.
- The first three months: The scar will be red, raised, and look “angry.” This is the typical inflammatory response.
- Months 3 to 6: The scar may become purple or dark pink as new capillaries form to supply the healing tissue. It may be hard, thick, or feel like a cord. This is also the period when the patient is most disappointed not seeing quick results.
- Months 12-18: This is the period when the scar finally starts to disappear. New tissue forms, and the scar slowly becomes a flat line that can be white, silver, or, in some cases, even skin-toned.
Asking “Do scars go away?” at month 3 would be similar to asking if a cake is baked when it is still in the form of batter. You can’t rush biological processes.
The “Belly Button” Signature
There is a scar in the full tummy tuck that may be neglected quite often. It is the scar of the umbilicus (belly button). Because the skin is being stretched downward, the surgeon has to make a new hole for your belly button.
Most times, unskilled surgeons leave a circular scar that looks artificial around the navel. At Lin Europe Clinic, we carry out advanced umbilicoplasty. We put the cut inside the natural grooves of the navel; therefore, the belly button becomes a hooded, inward-sloping type which is a normal belly button. Your tummy tuck should be so good that nobody will ever suspect that you have had a surgery; it should only be a fit tummy.
Managing the Mark: Your Role in Healing
Physicians can close a wound effectively but patients can play a part as well in managing a scar. Although a person’s genes do matter, an actively cared-for wound will heal significantly better.
- Silicone Therapy: The application of silicone sheets or gel is the gold standard for therapy. Silicone controls collagen production, it can therefore stop the scar from being raised (hypertrophic) or keloid.
- Compression: Putting on your faja (compression garment) lessens the stress on the cut and this helps the scar be thinner.
- Sun Protection: The sun and its UV rays do a lot of harm to scars. Exposing a brand new scar to the sun will lead to its permanent darkening (hyperpigmentation). It is a must to keep scar protected during the 1st year.
Advanced Closure in Turkey
Why do patients come all the way to Istanbul, Turkey for an abdominoplasty? Besides from the price, it is the technical skill and precision. Our doctors are performing layered closure technique. It is not only skin that is closed with a stapler but deep muscle, fascia, and dermis are separately closed with stitches.
This procedure requires more time in the operating room, but it is beneficial in that it eliminates tension from the skin layer. The less tension there is in the top skin layer, the thinner and finer the resulting scar will be. We at Lin Europe Clinic, regard incision closure as the most creative part of the whole process and put so much effort into making sure your “permanent mark” is as close to invisible as possible from a biological standpoint.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tummy Tuck Scars
Even though the scars are permanent, they can fade heavily over a period of 12 to 18 months. Eventually, they go from being red to almost invisible thin lines of silver or white.
The incision is made by a professional doctor very low, just above the pubic area, so that it can be easily covered with normal panties and bikini bottoms. So, Yes, you can hide the scar.
“Dog ears” are basically, puckered or wrinkled pieces of skin that protrude at the ends of the incision. If a scar is not long enough to allow the skin to be pulled and flattened, then “dog ears” can form. It is possible to get rid of them by a minor surgery done under local anesthesia.
Of course, you can do that but only when the scar has fully matured and turned white, usually after a year. Many women completely hide the line by using artistic tattoos.
There is indeed a tiny scar around the navel. Nonetheless, proper technique allows the scar to be concealed inside the belly button making it invisible from outside.
Aly, A. S., & Cram, A. E. (2003). Abdominoplasty. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
Friedland, J. A., & Maffi, T. R. (2008). MOC-PS(SM) CME article: Abdominoplasty. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
Matarasso, A. (2000). Abdominoplasty: A system of classification and treatment for combined abdominoplasty and liposuction. Aesthetic Surgery Journal.
