The tummy scar
A full tummy tuck leaves a scar low across the tummy from hip to hip, usually covered by underwear, and a scar around the belly button. A mini leaves a shorter low scar and no belly button scar. A caesarean scar sits in the same area and may come away with the skin that's removed; ask your surgeon.
The breast scars
A breast lift leaves a scar around the areola, usually a line down to the crease, and sometimes a line along the crease: the anchor shape. Implants added through the same cuts often add no extra scar.
Liposuction
A few small marks where the thin tube goes in, usually placed where they're easy to hide.
How they heal
Scars are red and raised for the first six weeks or so, then fade towards white over the next months; tummy scars can take 12 to 18 months to settle, and breast scars soften for up to two years. Some people's scars stretch or stay thick and red. Wound healing problems, more likely in smokers, leave wider scars.
What helps
- Not smoking, before and after
- Wearing the garment and bra as you're told, so the scars aren't pulled
- Asking your surgeon when you can start massaging the scars, and with what
- Telling the surgeon if you've had thick or raised scars before
Questions people ask
Where is the tummy tuck scar?
Low across the tummy from hip to hip, plus around the belly button after a full tummy tuck.
Do mummy makeover scars fade?
Yes, over 12 to 18 months or more, but they never disappear.
Will my caesarean scar go?
It may, as it sits low in the area a tummy tuck removes. Ask your surgeon.
Are the scars worse if everything is done at once?
The scars are the same; the risk of wound problems is higher with a longer, combined operation.