What determines how a tummy tuck scar will look?
How a tummy tuck scar looks depends on four things: your surgeon's preoperative planning, their technique and skill, how well you follow postoperative instructions, and how your body heals. Dr. Anita Patel of Beverly Hills emphasizes that careful surgeon selection and incision planning strongly influence the final scar result.
How can I help my tummy tuck incision heal with less scarring?
Follow your postoperative instructions closely, including avoiding workouts for six weeks, since tension can lead to thick, pink, or widened scars. Dr. Anita Patel of Beverly Hills also offers scar therapy tools like Embrace, silicone gels, tapes, and steroid injections to optimize healing after a Beverly Hills tummy tuck.
What is Embrace scar therapy and how does it work?
Embrace is a scar therapy technology using a silicone sheet that also reduces tension on the incision, since tension causes thick, puffy, red, or widened scars. Dr. Anita Patel of Beverly Hills explains Embrace therapy typically starts two weeks after surgery and usually lasts about eight weeks.
Why does following post-op restrictions matter for my scar?
Following post-op restrictions matters because the tighter your abdomen is made, the more tension is placed on the skin and incision. Dr. Anita Patel of Beverly Hills stresses that avoiding strenuous activity, such as not working out for six weeks, helps limit that tension and supports a flatter, finer scar.
Q: I am thinking about getting a tummy tuck but am worried about having a scar. What can I do to make it heal better?
A: How your scar looks ultimately depends on four things:
1- The preoperative planning by your surgeon
2- The technique/skill of your surgeon
3- How well you follow postoperative instructions and restrictions
4- How your body heals
The first thing to do is choose a surgeon who has experience doing tummy tucks and has meticulous attention to detail.
You want someone who can describe where your incision will be and how long it will be, uses techniques that allow for the incision to be in a place where it can be covered by a bikini or your preferred style of lingerie, and pays attention to the look of the belly button.
The surgeon’s technique determines how the belly button scars will look, where the scars will be, and how much tension is placed on the incision. The tighter the abdomen is made, the more tension there is on the skin. Therefore, it’s very important to follow instructions after surgery, like not working out for six weeks.
Then, you can either see how your body heals, or you can take additional steps to optimize your wound healing. One way to do this is use Embrace scar therapy on the incision. Embrace is a technology that uses silicone sheet that also has a mechanism to reduce the tension on the incision, and tension is what can lead to thick or puffy or more pink/red scars, or widening of the scar.
Embrace therapy usually lasts eight weeks and is started two weeks after surgery. There are also silicone gels, tapes, and steroid injections that are common tools in scar therapy.