Tummy tuck scars - can u share your pic?

[Bluesea71 698]

I would love to get a Tummy Tuck once I'm at my goal weight, but I'll admit, the hip to hip scar freaks me out a bit. It reminds me of Frankenstein! 99.9% of people's TT surgery pics show their belly with the scar covered by a bikini. Anyone out there in BP land willing to share what their TT scar looks like after some time has passed? I'm wondering what the scar looks like once its had some time to fade.

[Zingythingy 210]

I've just had a full Tummy Tuck 3 weeks ago. I'll share by email. I'm not brave enough to go public just yet. Pm me and I'll send pics

[AvaFern 3,516]

Have you looked at realself.com? They have a ton of Tummy Tuck scar pics, and pictures for every other procedure as well. I am very happy with my scar. It runs from hip to hip, but I'm about 6 weeks out from surgery and it has already faded to pink. It isn't raised at all and while I was also concerned about the scar, I feel SO much better having had it done. It's hard to get an idea of how you will scar, since a lot of it has to do with genetics.

I am very happy I had my plastic procedures done. I look like a completely different person.

[It's all new 453]

I am happy with my TT. My scar healed darker than anticipated, but I have no regrets. The scar is low enough that it would be indecent to wear anything that showed it - it keeps me from wearing a string bikini and that's about it. ...and frankly, I would feel silly in one anyway and would probably look ridiculous. Lol!

Edited October 6, 2014 by It's all new

[Rovobay 920]

@It's all new I think that looks incredible. I can't wait for that time to come for me!!! thanks for sharing. were you happy with your dr.? what city? do you recommend him/her? insurance help cover costs?

[Bluesea71 698]

Thanks for your responses, gals. I have looked on-line, but as I mentioned before, I either find pictures of fresh scars or they are covered up. I'm curious - how far out are you from your surgery? I have a very fine 6" scar from a previous surgery located where a c-section would be. It's over 23 years old at this point and you can't see it unless you really look for it. I wonder if TT scars always stay red looking or do they eventually fade?

Edited October 9, 2014 by Bluesea71

[allielee 263]

I had mine in 2009 I kept sun off of it for 2 years and it's barely visible.. I am laying down in the pic.

[My Bariatric Life 764]

How do I share a pic?

Edited November 8, 2014 by My Bariatric Life

[Bluesea71 698]

To share a picture, just click on the camera icon and upload it

[My Bariatric Life 764]

@@Bluesea71 thanks for your help. I do not see a camera icon. I only see a picture icon and when I click on that it asks me to give a URL for the image. I am on a Mac so maybe it is different??? Any help you can provide is much appreciated. Thanks!

[Scamp 210]

OK - Just took some pictures for you - I had a Fleur De Lis abdominoplasty in April 2010... My scar stretched a bit (Keep that tape on for 3mths and this shouldn't happen to you) as in other Ops I kept the tape on for 10-12 weeks and I have no stretching and the scars are much finer and better - My Doc said to take it off after 6 weeks - Back then I didn't know all the tricks to a thin flat scar line.......

You need to make sure your Doc knows you want the hip to hip scar as low as possible (I know what you mean there I feel mine is higher than I would have liked) And the tape would go in a complete circle around you - Tightly! - The tightness will get that scar nice and flat, not so tight you cannot breathe or anything - LOL

I had part of my scar reopened in a future op - And I did the round the body tape tight thing and all bad one part of my scar there is better than it started out... I have very pale skin and the hip to hip scar shows far less than the top to bottom stretched scar does......

Good Luck! The new you is just round the corner!!!

I hope they don't come out too huge!

and finally -

Edited November 11, 2014 by Scamp

[Oak Park Lorena 162]

I don't think that there's anything special about a scar from abdominoplasty in the sense that if you are a bad scarer in general, your TT scar will be bad; if you don't scar badly, you probably will end up with a nice little white, faded line. I am a terrible scarer, but I knew that going in to the TT (which I had 8 years ago) and while I don't like the scaring, it's certainly better than a big jiggly tummy! I just think that ANY time you have a procedure like this, you have to be very honest with yourself and ask yourself if you're going to be okay with the scar or not. Also, it's not just the hip to hip scaring that is an issue, if you are having a full TT, you will lose your real belly button and the surgeon will fashion a new one for you. I think my surgeon did a very nice job and gave me a cute little belly button, but it ALSO has a scar, so you need think about that as well. As I said, I scar very badly, they are always raised and stay purple/'red forever. In addition, my hip to hip scar got very wide. You may not have the same experience, but go in with eyes open!

Here's my belly. Note the scaring on the fake belly button and how wide the incision scar is! Also note how raised and red my incision from my sleeve is just to the right of my belly button, it's over a year old.

[My Bariatric Life 764]

You may view my Tummy Tuck scars at 3-mos and 6-mos post op in my flickr photo album. And you may view my LBL scars at various stages in another of my flickr albums. Now that I am a year out they are much lighter but I don't have any updated photos.

The back of my LBL scar is much thinner and lighter than the front of the LBL scar. My surgeon (Joseph Capella MD) told me that they will turn white eventually. We shall see; they have lightened a lot from what you will see in those photo albums.

I have scars on every part of my body from plastic surgery. Before I went through with it, I was so VERY scared about having them. I think I asked my surgeon two or three times why he had to cut me so much, once I was in tears. I truly was afraid that I would pass out the first time I saw my body looking like Frankenstein, especially with the pie crust incision he does, -- I had everything done at once, so there was no getting used to the scars; it was like jumping into cold Water.

But as it turns out, when I awoke from surgery I was not horrified by them. They don't really bother me. There was once early on when I was in a bathing suit at the gym and I felt self conscious alongside the college girls with my scars. But they are much lighter now and I have body confidence that I did not have before. So they're not so bad. I'll take them over the fat and skin, that is for sure.

You can always opt for laser treatments to lighten them if they really bother you.

PS I did not do any scar therapy -- no tapes, no oils, no creams, etc. I don't know if they would have made a difference by my surgeon did not believe they would and that they were a waste of money.

Edited November 24, 2014 by My Bariatric Life

[Sherrischeffler 74]

Im using Silvadene burn cream so far its working wonders.