Throughout a woman’s life, she will encounter times when she wants to seek cosmetic help. The end of childbearing is one of those times, and dealing with the physical effects of hormonal changes is another. One thing is for sure: If you trust aesthetic medicine to turn back the clock on your appearance, you want to enjoy the benefits of a job well done. Abdominoplasty is a body enhancement procedure more widely known as a tummy tuck. The goal of this surgery is to improve the structure of the abdominal wall and remove any excess skin or stubborn fat. A tummy tuck creates a tighter, smoother abdomen and a striking figure. But what about any scarring after surgery? Is it possible to improve that? Is laser scar removal tummy tuck the solution?
What is a Tummy Tuck?
First things first: What is a tummy tuck, and what are the reasons why you might get one? The tummy tuck is one of the most commonly performed plastic surgeries in the country. Basically, it’s a way to eliminate all the stubborn fat and flab that’s situated around your belly, and particularly the extra skin that doesn’t seem to respond to diet and exercise. During a tummy tuck, your plastic surgeon will remove excess fat and tissue, resulting in a more contoured and shapely appearance. Additionally, the surgeon will repair abdominal muscles that have become weakened or separated. (This is especially helpful for moms, whose abdominal walls are often significantly weakened during pregnancy.) The result is a much flatter, firmer, more aesthetically-pleasing tummy area. Note that, in some cases, a tummy tuck is combined with liposuction to maximize results, though this is not always necessary. It really just depends on your body and on your aesthetic goals.What Kind of Scarring Can You Expect from a Tummy Tuck?
There are obviously a lot of benefits to getting a tummy tuck, but there can also be some potential drawbacks. One of the most common concerns is the presence of scarring. Unfortunately, scarring is inevitable in any type of surgery. That’s certainly true of the tummy tuck, which requires your surgeon to make surgical incisions at the treatment site. The amount of scarring that may occur depends on a few different factors, but ideally, here’s what you should anticipate:- For the first month of your recovery, you will probably have a prominent scar, which may be red or brown in color, and can sometimes feel slightly raised or bumpy.
- Within the first two months, the incision site should be fully healed. However, you will probably still have some long, red or purple scars. They will heal more and more for a few months, but in the meantime, don’t be surprised if they are a bit puffy in their appearance.
- By the six-month mark, you should notice your scars losing their pigmentation, which means they will become increasingly faded. You may still be able to see some scarring, especially if you look closely, but these scars should be much less obvious.