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Can Laser Treatments Erase Tummy Tuck Scars?

You did the work to get close to your target weight. You scheduled your tummy tuck surgery and went through with it. You’ve recovered, and now you’re ready for the moment. It might be at the beach, the pool at your gym, or at a backyard party that you’re hosting. We’re talking about “the reveal.” Anyone who has ever had a tummy tuck probably remembers this moment. It was the moment they got to show off their flawless, rejuvenated midsection with an entirely newfound sense of confidence.

The reveal is precious moment. It’s a testament to your dedication, and it’s a reward for all the work you did to get there. For some people, the reveal gets a little tainted by post-recovery scarring. The good news is that there are a variety of surgical and non-surgical treatments to address those inevitable little reminders of your tummy tuck surgery if you’re unhappy with them.

In this post, we’ll describe how we use laser treatments at Ritacca Cosmetic Surgery & Medspa as one of the options for improving the appearance of tummy tuck scars.

When to Start Thinking About Laser Treatments for Tummy Tuck Scars

When it comes to scars from a tummy tuck procedure or any other surgery, your body’s healing process via scarring goes through three basic stages:

  • Wound closure: During this initial stage of the healing process, your body produces fibers of structural proteins like collagen to help close the wound.
  • Building a foundation: Once the wound is closed, the body sends extra blood to the affected area to kickstart the healing and building of more collagen to protect the wound. It’s during this phase that the scar tissue usually changes color and starts hardening.
  • Scar maturity: In the late stages of scarring, some of the extra collagen begins to break down and can sometimes lead to a depression on the skin’s surface. This usually occurs within a year or two and will generally be a more permanent reflection of your scarring’s color and texture without any future skin care treatments.

Genetics, health, and age will all play a significant role in the way your scars heal and shape after a tummy tuck surgery. In general, we recommend waiting about a year after surgery before seeking laser scar reduction treatments.

Types of Laser Treatment to Treat Tummy Tuck Scars

Laser treatments will not completely erase the appearance of scarring, but two types of treatments can significantly improve it:

  • Laser resurfacing treatments: The most common type of laser treatment to correct the appearance of scarring, laser resurfacing treats tummy tuck scars by helping re-build collagen to improve skin texture and by targeting skin pigment to enhance color.
  • Vascular laser treatments: This type of laser treatment can be used to enhance the color and raised texture of scar tissue by using concentrated light energy to collapse blood vessels beneath the skin’s surface.

Want to Learn More about Tummy Tuck Surgery or Laser Treatments?

If you’re considering laser treatments, plastic surgery, or other cosmetic procedures, place your care in the hands of our board-certified, highly skilled doctors at Ritacca Cosmetic Surgery & Medspa.

Contact us online, or call our plastic surgery practice in Vernon Hills, IL, at 847-367-8815 to schedule a consultation today!

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