A popular set of plastic surgery operations meant to help women restore their pre-pregnancy bodies is a mommy makeover. Although a mother’s makeover can transform her life, many prospective patients wonder: “Will I have scars after my mommy makeover?”
The quick response is yes, but the particular operations you have done, your body’s natural healing mechanism, and the expertise of your plastic surgeon will all affect the degree and exposure of those scars. Any surgical operation involving incisions results in scars, as they are inevitable. But under the direction of a Newport Beach board-certified plastic surgeon, Keyian Z. Paydar, scars can be hidden. Let’s examine the several techniques more closely and discuss what scarring you should expect.
Understanding Scarring Following a Mommy Makeover
A Mommy Makeover usually includes an abdominal procedure such as a tummy tuck with or without liposuction, in addition to a breast operation such as a breast augmentation, breast lift, or combined augmentation with a lift. Although modern plastic surgery techniques try to minimize the appearance of these scars and place them in less obvious areas, such as natural breast crease or under the bikini line, each of these surgeries involves incisions that leave scars.
The particular location and visibility of scars following a mommy makeover will depend on the procedures you decide upon. A tummy tuck, for instance, leaves a horizontal scar by requiring an incision from hip to hip along the lower abdomen. Luckily, in the hands of an expert plastic surgeon, this scar is covered by a swimsuit or underwear. Whether it’s a breast lift, breast augmentation, or both, breast surgery—which uses either small incisions in the breast crease (inframammary fold) or around the areola—is also well concealed. Usually quite minor, liposuction scars fade with time.
Reducing Scarring: Your Own Actions
Though scars are unavoidable during surgery, there are several things you can do to reduce their appearance following a mommy makeover. Above all, it is imperative to select a board-certified plastic surgeon with a lot of mommy makeover experience. To minimize obvious scarring, a talented surgeon will cut in strategic places, including natural creases and folds. Additionally, they will use basic principles to make scars shorter than they need to be and minimize tension upon skin closure.
Following the post-operative care advice of your surgeon is absolutely vital after your surgery. This includes avoiding sun exposure on newly healed scars since UV light darkens scar tissue, enhancing their visibility. Scar therapy treatments—such as silicone sheets, scar creams, or laser treatments—which help flatten scars and lessen their appearance over time could also help some patients. Avoiding nicotine is essential for better wound healing, leading to less scarring.
Many times, scars from a mommy makeover will fade noticeably in the first year. Any resulting scar’s texture can also change as your body heals. See your surgeon about scar revision choices if you worry about obvious scarring. Once fully healed, these treatments can help to further minimize scar appearance.
Standard Mommy Makeover Techniques and Scarring
Different mommy makeovers produce different kinds of scars. You should expect as follows:
Tummy Tuck
Usually spanning from hip to hip, the horizontal scar left by a tummy tuck is the most common scar from a surgery on the lower abdomen. Made to remove extra skin and fat or pannus, this incision is positioned deliberately low enough to be covered by a bikini or underwear. Though it may never totally vanish, tummy tuck patients should expect this scar to fade over time. Depending on the surgery, the belly button might also have a tiny scar.
Breast augmentation and a breast lift
Small incisions around the areola, under the breast in the inframammary fold, or both are common in breast surgery. Usually buried in natural creases, these scars are less obvious. Patients choosing a breast implant could also have a minor scar under the breast. Appropriate aftercare helps these scars fade and become less obvious with time.
Liposuction in action
Usually small liposuction scars are hidden in discrete areas. The incisions made to suction fat from the abdomen, flanks, thighs, or other areas cause these little scars. Liposuction scars fade with time and nearly go unseen.
Minimizing Scar Visibility
Think about the following scar reduction techniques to help your mommy makeover look as good as it should:
Many plastic surgeons recommend particular creams, moisturizers, or silicone strips that help flatten and fade scars. Once the incision heals completely, one can apply these products. Their action is usually through hydration of the scar to keep them soft and moist.
Gentle massage of the scar tissue can encourage healing and break down scar tissue, improving the general texture and look of the scars.
Laser treatments target the pigment or texture in the scar tissue and can encourage new collagen formation to decrease the appearance of prominent scars.
Stear clear of sun exposure: As was already noted, UV rays can darken newly acquired scars, causing hyperpigmentation and increasing their visibility. When outside, be sure to cover the area or wear sunscreen (usually with an SPF of 30 or more).
Scar revision surgery may be considered in some situations when scars do not heal as anticipated. This operation can help to smooth out or minimize the hypertrophic or widened or raised scars.
Finally
Although your mommy makeover will leave scars, the good news is that most of the time these scars will be strategically placed, minimally visible, and will fade with time. Selecting an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon, following directions with recommended aftercare, and having patience while your body heals will help minimize scarring.
A mommy makeover is about more than just appearance for many Newport Beach women; it’s about restoring their self confidence and self esteem. Call (949) 755-0575 to arrange a consultation with Dr. Paydar or complete our online form to begin your road map.
FAQ’s
Will my scars show following a mommy makeover?
After any surgery, scars will be present, but with good care, strategic incision placement, and appropriate tension reduction, they will be less obvious and usually hidden in natural creases or under swimwear.
Mommy makeover scars fade over what length of time?
Scars begin to fade after a first few months but may take up to a year or longer to completely mature through the scar remodeling process. Following recommended scar treatments can help them look better.
If I find my scars unacceptable, can I have scar revision surgery?
For those who wish to improve their hypertrophic scars after a mommy makeover, scar revision surgery is indeed a choice.
How can I help to reduce scarring following my mommy makeover?
Reducing scarring mostly depends on following your surgeon’s post-operative recovery protocols, allowing time for scars to remodel, avoiding sun exposure, applying sunscreen, massaging scars, and applying silicone sheets or scar creams.
