Tummy Tuck: Prices, Photos, Reviews, Info, Q&A

A tummy tuck scar can easily be concealed by a bikini bottom. The length of the scar can vary depending upon how much excess skin needs to be resected. I would suggest that you bring the style of bikini you wish to wear after your surgery to your consultation. Discuss your concerns about the incision with your surgeon. In my practice, I will modify the incision so that my patient can continue to wear her favorite style of bikini.

Scars after a tummy tuck can be hidden after surgery. This takes thoughtful planning on the part of the surgeon and ideal healing on the part of the patient. There can be a slight amount of upward migration of the scar from the initial drawing, but typically the migration is minimal. The majority of movement of the skin and fat is inferior (towards your toes) so that the resulting scar is beneath a standard bikini.

It is my goal with every tummy tuck that I perform to place your scar as low as possible. For the vast majority of patients, this means that your tummy tuck scar will be below your bikini line and that you can wear a conservative two piece bikini without anyone seeing the scar.

If you have a C-section scar, I will usually remove this completely and place the tummy tuck scar even lower than the C-section scar.

The final scar position is really a function of how long-waisted you are, how much loose skin you have, AND technique. MOST patients can have a low scar, but not all of them.

Abdominoplasty or Tummy Tuck is a procedure performed to flatten the abdomen. You can expect a scar that goes from one side of your lower abdomen to the other. Such an incision is necessary in order to tighten the weakened abdominal wall as well as eliminate the skin and the excess fat below the belly bottom. This scar is placed in such a way that it will be hidden by your underwear. At one point the incision was curved but today’s low cut style pants encouraged the shift for a new flat, lower placed incision.

It is important for me to leave a scar that won’t be seen above underwear, bathing suits or pants as i believe it’s a key point in order to obtain a pleasant result. Before your TT go to your plastic surgeon’s office with the traditional type of underwear you use so the correct placing of the scar could be planned.

After the procedure is performed you have to take good care of the scar, moisturizing it adequately as well as keeping it away from sun exposure.

First, it is important to know that not everyone desires the same kind of bikini bottom. Most women now prefer a lower cut so surgeons have evolved to keep the scar as low as possible. Be certain to check that in pre and post op photos to know that your surgeon is one of these. Nonetheless, the best way to make sure your incision is most likely to hide in a bathing suit is to have your markings made.

In your bathing suit. Bring the one you want to wear on your operative day and make certain your surgeon understands your rationale. The incision can then be placed an inch or two (at least) below your bikini in the center and right in the middle of the bikini out on the sides.

That way, when there is the slight and unavoidable upward migration of the scar in the six months after your operation, the end result is still well hidden.

Of course, this is not a perfect science but typically provides the result you are looking for. Some women do not have enough skin for a really low incision. In this case, a small up and down incision can be placed in the midline to keep most of the scar low. In time, as skin stretches, it may be possible to have this vertical segment removed.

I ask my patients to wear a pair of underwear or bikini bottoms that they want the scar to be hidden in the day of surgery. I then mark the garment on the patients skin before making the marks for the tummy tuck. Then the patient takes off the garment and the marks for the tummy tuck are made below that line.

There is always some upward pull of the inner thighs and mons pubis, so I take that into account when marking to make sure the resulting scar is where the patient desires.

By using this technique, patients can easily wear bikinis not at a year, but as soon as 3 weeks after surgery.

Scars from TT can be initially unsightly but usually by one year, most have faded away. In addition, their placement in the bikini area and keeping the belly button on the small size allows the patient to resume wearing lower cut bikinis and bathing suits.

One other thing I advice any patient contemplating a tattoo to cover up a TT scar to wait at least one year before deciding that

course of action. Too often they’ll get a tattoo over their scar, which is a clearcut sign of a tummy tuck having been done. More likes than not. Those scars fade away and will not need a coverup tattoo.

Tummy tuck scars can usually be well hidden by underwear or bathing suits especially after the first year. The natural healing process of scars can take approximately a year or so to mature and fade.

The location of the scar can be adjusted depending on the kind of bathing suit you like to wear and it is a good idea to discuss this with your Plastic Surgeon before your procedure.

Fashions do change and you may have to adapt to that change. French cut suits are no longer as stylish as lower hipster type suits.

The length of the scar also varies by how much loose skin there is and can extend to the flanks if there is a lot of laxity on the side. Central laxity or stretch marks will confine the scar to between the hip bones.

There can also be a scar around the belly button for a full tummy tuck or not for a mini tummy tuck. As a whole, unless you have a tendency to thicker or darker scars, scars in this region usually fade well and over time will become barely visible. The benefit of tightening the muscles and eliminating loose skin can be dramatic.