Tummy Tuck and Stretch Marks
An abdominoplasty removes the skin below the navel, and any stretch marks on it go with that skin. Marks above the navel remain. This page explains what the operation can and cannot do about striae, and what else exists.
The short answer is: some of them. Which ones depends entirely on where they sit relative to the navel.
What stretch marks are
Striae form when the skin is stretched beyond the capacity of its collagen and elastin fibres, which break under the strain. They appear first as red or purple lines and fade over time to a whitish silver. The abdomen, breasts, thighs and hips are the commonest sites.
What causes them
Anything that stretches skin faster than collagen production can accommodate: growth spurts at puberty, rapid weight gain or loss, pregnancy, and rapid muscle gain. They are also associated with a number of medical conditions, among them Cushing’s syndrome, Marfan syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
Prevention
Prevention is largely a matter of avoiding rapid change. A stable weight, weight gained gradually where it needs to be gained, adequate hydration, a diet with enough of the vitamins and minerals the skin depends on, and regular exercise to maintain circulation all reduce the likelihood.
None of that reverses striae that have already formed.
What the operation removes
A full abdominoplasty excises the skin between the navel and the pubic area. Stretch marks on that skin are removed with it, because the skin itself is gone.
Stretch marks above the navel are not removed. That skin is redraped downward rather than excised, so the marks remain — often lower on the abdomen than they started, but still present.
How much improvement is achievable varies between patients, and skin tone influences how conspicuous the remaining marks are against the surrounding skin.
What treats the rest
Where marks remain above the navel or elsewhere, laser therapy, microdermabrasion, chemical peels and radiofrequency treatments can improve their appearance. None of them eliminates striae entirely.
After surgery, keep the abdomen out of direct sunlight while the scar and the surrounding skin are maturing. UV exposure darkens both.
Before you decide
If stretch marks are the main reason you are considering abdominoplasty, that is worth saying at the consultation. It is an operation for excess skin and separated muscle; the effect on striae is a consequence of removing skin, not the purpose of the procedure. A surgeon who examines you can tell you which of your marks would go and which would not.
The procedure this relates to
Removal of excess skin and fat from the abdominal wall, with repair of the abdominal muscles where they have separated. Performed after pregnancy, caesarean section or weight loss, where the skin no longer retracts and the muscle layer underneath has weakened.
Before you act on this
Everything here is general. What applies to you depends on your anatomy, your history and what you are trying to achieve, and none of that can be assessed from a page. If a question here is yours, bring it to a consultation.