Will I Have Scars After My Mommy Makeover?

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Undergoing your Mommy Makeover can be an exciting time in your life. While you may be excited when contemplating the smoother, slimmer abdominal contours and more youthful breasts possible with this combination procedure, you may be concerned with the extent of scarring after your plastic surgery. 

This makes sense, as post-surgery scarring is often one of the most significant concerns following plastic surgery procedures. 

Unfortunately, any surgery where the skin is cut will leave scars! No plastic surgeon can achieve the results of a Mommy Makeover without leaving scars. Plastic surgery is a controlled injury to the body, and injuries leave scars, no matter how meticulous the surgeon. The challenge and the skill is to hide the scars in the most inconspicuous places.

You have to ask yourself: Does your desire for a slimmer, tighter, and more toned abdomen and lifted, fuller breasts outweigh your fear of scars?

For most women, the answer is a resounding YES! Still, here is what you should remember regarding post-surgery scars and how to care for them. 

Where Will I Have Scars After a Mommy Makeover?

Because the Mommy Makeover is a customizable procedure, your scars will depend on the techniques used and the extent of those techniques. 

In general, most women choose to combine their tummy tuck with liposuction, and a breast procedure: usually a breast augmentation, reduction or breast lift surgery. This is often considered the “standard” Mommy Makeover; however, you may choose more, less, or different procedures depending on your needs. 

If you do choose the options above, you can anticipate some form of the following in terms of scars:

• Tummy tuck: A horizontal scar across the lower abdomen, just above the pubic hairline, that can stretch from hip to hip — if not beyond. It is designed to be concealed by the straps of a bikini bottom.
• Liposuction: Very small scars measuring a quarter of an inch, often made in the natural creases of the body (liposuction does not often present any real concerns in terms of scarring; however, tiny marks may still be present).
• Breast augmentation: A two-inch horizontal scar placed in the inframammary fold (breast crease).
• Breast lift: A scar around the perimeter of the areola and a vertical extension from the six o’clock position down to the inframammary fold (the ‘lollipop’ scar) that stretches vertically down the lower pole of the breast and across the inframammary fold.

How Much of a Concern Are Post-Plastic Surgery Scars?

Plastic surgeons are not like other surgeons. They take extra precautions to ensure the resulting scars are as hidden and small as possible.

It’s not like when you undergo a C-section or emergency surgery. Such operations are not performed for aesthetic reasons, and the scars are of secondary concern.

Dr. Boyd meticulously plans his incisions in discreet locations in the body, often those that can be covered with undergarments, so that you are not bothered with visible scars post-surgery. 

What Contributes to Scarring?

While everyone will develop scars after Mommy Makeovers, certain aspects can improve or worsen your extent of scarring. 

These factors include the following:

• Genetics 
• Ethnicity (patients with darker skin tend to scar more easily)
• Age (the older you are, the more likely you are to scar)
• Skin strength and elasticity (the more elastic your skin is, the better off you are in terms of scarring)
• Infection
• How your body heals (how much collagen does your body produce during recovery)

Even when a surgical scar is expertly sutured, it still has the potential to heal irregularly. Additionally, the more strain the wound experiences during the healing process, the more likely you are to experience the widening or “splitting” of the scar. 

What Can You Do to Minimize Scars?

Following your Mommy Makeover, consider the following:

• Don’t be too active too soon. This can cause the wounds to separate and result in delayed healing. This often produces widened scars. 
• Protect your healing incisions from the sun. Fresh scars are ultra-sensitive to UV rays and are likely to darken.
• Dr. Boyd can supply silicone scar treatment in the form of Biocorneum — the only advanced scar treatment with Silishield combining silicone plus sun protection. This topical treatment cannot erase scars, but can help to minimize their visibility and reduce the risk of them becoming hypertrophic or keloid scars. 

What About Scar Revision Treatments?

Scar revision treatments can be performed to improve the appearance of a poorly healed scar, as a result of wound breakdown, delayed healing, a hypertrophic scar, or a keloid. The procedure is usually performed under local anesthetic and involves cutting out the offending scar and meticulously resuturing the wound.

Dr. Boyd also uses other techniques to reduce the visibility of unwanted scars, from steroid injection, to laser and and even to radiotherapy. It is important to remember that this secondary procedure will not eliminate an ugly scar; it will only reduce it.

Ready to Start Your Mommy Makeover Process?

Despite scarring, most women find their Mommy Makeover well worth the experience. To learn more about total body recontouring, contact Dr. Boyd today by calling our Palos Verdes, California, location at (310) 597-4734 or filling out our online contact form.