- What does the scar look like after a tummy tuck?
- How long does it take to recover from a tummy tuck?
- The final result of healing scars after a tummy tuck?
Abdominoplasty or tummy tuck is the surgery of a larger scope. We distinguish several types of abdominoplasty, such as:
- complete,
- partial,
- extended,
- high lateral abdominoplasty
- or circumferential abdominoplasty, etc.
All of these types of surgeries leave a scar of different manner depending on several factors. To name but a few of them we must consider the scope of the abdominoplasty, skillfulness of the surgeon and of course individual body healing properties of each client.
Subsequently, the excessive skin is detached from an abdominal wall so that the fascia and the abdominal muscles can be tightened.
What does the scar look like after a tummy tuck?
It is obvious from the brief description of abdominoplasty that the extent of the procedure is quite large. The extent of the procedure and scope of the incisions determine the recovery and healing of the scars.
Scars represent a natural ability of the human body to recover from injuries or incisions that are caused by disrupting the skin tissues.
Scars develop new skin layers and these layers keep the wounds free from infections, germs and any unwanted “visitors” and thus create a new skin over the incision. Scars have several stages that automatically turn from one stage to another:
- Inflammatory Stage
- Proliferative Stage
- Remodelling Stage
These stages ensure the incisions to be sealed and in the best possible scenario they leave minimal visible traces after the incisions.
How long does it take to recover from a tummy tuck?
When we talk about scars healing we must take into account several factors:
- Type of the skin
- Size of the incision
- Nutrition
- Client’s fitness and health manners
- Age
- Surgeon’s skillfulness and experiences
Some of the factors simply can not be changed. Type of the skin and ageing or client’s natural healing ability will most likely remain the same after the procedure as they were before the tummy tuck. But the rest of them are to be adjusted as much as possible.
The size of the incision and its manner go hand in hand with the skills and experiences of your surgeon. Once the surgeon does his/her job perfectly, your scars will heal in a nice fashion and the recovery process will be smooth.
Therefore our surgeons are certified in the field of aesthetic and plastic surgery and possess a wide range of expertise.
Client’s fitness and lifestyle play one of the key roles in the recovery and the healing process. Smoking and drinking alcohol, as well as junk diet, are some of the contras while healing scars.
Clients are advised to keep a healthy and balanced diet, rich in nutrition so that the body has enough energy for building new skin tissues.
A Tummy tuck involves incisions of larger scope and also brings potential risks, however in rare cases, of blood clots, thrombosis or infections. Once the client follows the instructions carefully, these risks tend to reach a zero level.
Something extra
Supportive steps can be taken too.
- Stop smoking,
- apply products containing vitamins,
- jelly or creams of medical-grade silicone,
- avoid the sun and sunbathing,
- don’t do heavy physical exercise,
- wear a compressing garment.
The final result of healing scars after a tummy tuck?
In most cases and if above-mentioned advice is followed, the incision will leave a minimal scar. Most clients are happy to see only a slight scar line and are proud to wear bikini swimsuit as it covers the little line left after their tummy tuck.
At the same time, the final result of the abdominoplasty is definitely more impressive than the little line down there and builds the client’s self-confidence to a whole new level.
Dr Oleg Turkin is a cosmetic surgeon who specialises in all areas of cosmetic surgery, including facial, body and breast surgery. He has a very dedicated approach to his work, aiming to give patients a first-class service with more than 30 years of experience. 
