Beauty Doc Blog

You’ve got a beautiful new body, some specific new assets or an upgrade on your current appearance – but you’ve also got the scars to prove it. After a successful cosmetic procedure, whether it is a tummy tuck or breast augmentation, you want people to focus on the new and improved you, not on scars or other post-surgery signs. So how do you minimize scars after a cosmetic treatment?

First, it is important to understand that any invasive and several minimally invasive procedures will leave a scar. Anything that requires an incision and sutures will leave its mark, but the severity of the scar depends on a number of factors.

The first and foremost piece of advice on fading your cosmetic surgery scars is to follow your surgeon’s directions for post-surgery care. He or she is the expert, and you should trust that the instructions you’re given are designed not only to speed your healing process and make sure you are healthy, but to ensure your appearance is maximized as well, which involves minimizing scars.

There are several products on the market that have been proven to reduce some signs of scarring. Be sure to discuss which one(s) you are considering with your doctor to see whether it is safe and appropriate for your situation.

Creams that contain onion extract have shown promising results in shrinking scars if applied regularly. And topical creams that contain vitamins are also good for strengthening and tightening skin.

There are other products out there, such as silicon gels and silicon sheets or electromagnetic sheets designed for scar treatment as well. By applying the coating on a daily or weekly basis, the scar should soften and reduce in appearance over time.

Lifestyle habits should be taken into consideration if you are serious about wanting to minimize those post-surgery scars. Smoking and drinking alcohol can have negative effects not only on the body as a whole, but also on scars by slowing the healing process. And prolonged sun exposure can leave scars reddened and more prominent as well.

If these non-invasive treatments are discussed with your doctor, you should feel safe when you use them. However, because everyone has a different body and skin type, not all treatment may work.

The next installment will discuss more invasive procedures that can be used to drastically reduce the appearance of scars, if you find that you are unsuccessful using the above methods.