A scarless tummy tuck would basically be every woman's dream, but the fact is, there really is no such thing as a scarless tummy tuck. Often, what plastic surgeons refer to is a modified abdominoplasty. The procedure is not really scar free but the scar is much less pronounced than the scars from a standard abdominoplasty. Below are some of the common questions asked with regards to a modified abdominoplasty.

Are you a candidate for a modified abdominoplasty?

More and more patients are deciding to have this procedure over the Standard one. But, not everyone is a candidate for the mini tummy tuck. The modified abdominoplasty is recommended to patients whose problem area is their lower abdomen only. This is a case that is most common with women who have undergone pregnancy and sudden weight loss. The pouching of the fat is also a result of the weakened lower abdominal muscles which is an issue addressed with this method.

How minimal is the scarring?

This part depends on the skill of your plastic surgeon. But, in general the size of the scar is much smaller than scars made from a standard one. Often, it is easily concealed with clothing and the patient can even wear a bikini and not worry about the scar showing.

As with all surgical scars, it will be mostly red and will protrude from the skin for the first six months after the surgery. It often takes a period of nine months to a year before the scar becomes barely noticeable. The same goes with a Scarless tummy tuck scar.

How Does a mini tummy tuck differ from a Standard one?

One of the biggest differences between a standard abdominoplasty and a modified one is the amount of Scarring. The incision on this is often a third lesser than the standard. It also goes that a patient recovers faster. Another thing to remember is that the results are not as drastic as those expected with the full tummy tuck. Only the lower part of the abdomen is repaired and often the fat above the navel remains after surgery. This procedure is only aimed at repairing the fat pouch that has developed below the belly button. The mini is also much cheaper compared to the standard one.

So, there you have it: there is still minimum scarring from this procedure, but it is only not as pronounced. The scarless tummy tuck therefore, is not scarless after all.