Scarring with a Mommy Makeover Columbus OH

A good plastic surgeon makes every effort to hide or minimize scarring with their aesthetic surgeries. Depending on the procedure and the extent of the surgery, some scars are easier to hide than others and different areas of the body tend to scar better than others.

Liposuction Scars

The procedure with the least scarring that is often performed during a mommy makeover is liposuction. The incisions are usually one centimeter or less in length and they are generally well hidden so that the scars tend to be almost invisible. Taking care to make the incisions along the natural skin lines and meticulous closure by the surgeon also makes the scarring better.

Tummy Tuck Scars

Plastic surgeons try to keep scars from a tummy tuck as low as possible so that they may not be seen in a bikini. That is easier with a mini-tuck as the scar can be kept very low without any difficulty and it is typically much shorter than the scar from a full tuck. In addition, there is no scar around the umbilicus with a mini-tuck; however, Dr. McMahan uses a special technique to minimize scarring around the belly button with a full abdominoplasty to create a naturally looking belly button.

Breast Augmentation or Lift

The scarring from breast augmentation surgery is generally best kept well hidden in the crease under the breasts and is rarely an issue for patients. Scarring from a breast lift is more noticeable depending on the type of lift that is done. Full lifts generally require the ‘anchor’ scar which runs around the edge of the areola, down to the crease and along the crease under the breast. Fortunately, these generally heal as relatively fine lines; especially when the surgical closure is performed with all buried sutures so that there are no stitch marks in the skin. Dr. McMahan uses this technique in the majority of his body contouring and mommy makeover procedures.

Arm and Thigh Lifts

Arm and thigh lift scars are probably the most difficult scars to hide because of the amount of skin that must be removed and the position as to where the skin is taken out. While there are minimal arm and thigh lifts that can be done in which the scars may be well hidden in the arm pits and groins respectively, the majority of patients who are candidates for arm and thigh lifts will not get enough improvement from the minimal procedures. The standard arm and thigh lifts require incisions down the inner aspect of the upper arm or thigh and frequently extending past the elbow or knee so that the scars may be visible when wearing shorts or short sleeves. Most, however, feel that the improvement in contour and firmness of the arms and thighs outweighs the scars.

Scar Care

We recommend taping over incisions for two to three months to reduce scarring as much as possible after surgery. You should not tape over any scabs or spots along the incisions that are draining until these areas heal over. The tape is cheap, easy and proved effective unlike most of the advertised creams and ointments.